In the '80s, he became part of the club singer scene, where he met Teddy Riley. He hit #10 on the Hot 100 in 1988 with the Riley-produced "Just Got Paid." The song also went to #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. His only other Hot 100 entry was its follow-up, "Birthday Suit," which climbed to #36 in 1989.
Kemp was found dead on April 16, 2015 off the coast of Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was believed that he was walking on some rocks, lost his balance, fell, hit his head, and drowned.
Dancin' With Myself
Johnny Kemp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't need no dancin' partner
I don't need no man in blue
I don't want nobody baby
Tellin' my kid just what 2 do
I don't need no dance instructor
I don't need no learnin' fade
I don't need no MTV
'Till the train pulls up the station
Early in the mornin'
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin', yeah
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin'
(Dancin' with myself)
Don't need to dive into Apollo, no
I don't need to sniff cocaine
I don't want combustion interruptions
You're sellin' me cures from the pain
Don't need a hype and propaganda
False topics leadin' me astray
I just want to live my life the way I should
Until I'm drummin' on the day
Because the flames are gettin' higher
I bet you'll hear the tapping on the wall
'Till the train pulls up the station
Early in the mornin'
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin', yeah
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin'
(Dancin' with myself)
Dancin' with myself, dancin', yeah
I won't stop dancin' by myself, dancin'
(Dancin' with myself)
Yeah, yeah, ow!
With your boogie, man!
Ha ha ha ha ha! Uhh!
Ha ha ha! Yeah!
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin' yeah
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin'
(Dancin' with myself)
I said you made me dancin' with myself
Dancin' yeah yeah
I won't stop dancin' by myself
Dancin' with myself
Yeah, yeah, keep it up, keep it up
I won't stop now
Woo! Ow!
Yeah, I feel nice
Uh!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Good God!
Shake it
Better boogie ya'
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The lyrics of Johnny Kemp's song "Dancin' with Myself" express the singer's desire for independence and the freedom to express himself through dance without the interference of others. He does not want a dance partner, a blue police officer, anyone telling him what to do, a dance instructor, or a rapper in the song. He does not need to resort to drugs, combustion interruptions, or hype and propaganda to enjoy his life. He just wants to live his life and express himself until the end of his days. The fire imagery in the song suggests that Johnny feels he needs to dance to keep his spirits up in a tough world. Despite the flames getting higher, he will keep dancin' with himself until the train pulls up to the station early in the morning.
The song is an anthem of independence and self-expression, a statement of the power of the individual to enjoy life without being held back by societal norms. It tells the listener to live life to the fullest and not have to rely on others for their happiness. The song has a strong beat and upbeat tempo which communicates the message in an upbeat and enticing way, leaving the listener feeling good about themselves and their abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need no dancin' partner
I can dance alone and don't need anyone else to have fun.
I don't need no man in blue
I don't want any authority figure to interfere with my dancin'.
I don't want nobody baby, Tellin' my kid just what 2 do
I don't want anyone telling me what to do, especially when it comes to dancin'.
I don't need no dance instructor
I don't need anyone to teach me how to dance.
I don't need no learnin' fade
I don't want anyone to slow down my dancin' with complicated moves.
I don't want no rapper in this song
I don't need any flashy or distracting elements to enjoy my dancing.
I don't need no MTV
I don't need anyone else to dictate what music or style I should enjoy.
'Till the train pulls up the station, Early in the mornin'
I'll keep dancing until the very last moment until I have to leave.
I'll be dancin' with myself, dancin', yeah
I'll have fun dancing without anyone else's help or intervention.
Don't need to dive into Apollo, no
I don't need any extreme or dangerous activities to have fun.
I don't need to sniff cocaine
I don't need any artificial stimulants to enjoy the music and dance.
I don't want combustion interruptions
I don't want anything to get in the way of dancing, especially not something dangerous like an explosion.
You're sellin' me cures from the pain
I don't want anyone selling me a quick fix to solve my problems.
Don't need a hype and propaganda
I don't want anyone trying to convince me that their way of dancing or living is better than mine.
False topics leadin' me astray
I don't want anyone spreading false or misleading information to me.
I just want to live my life the way I should, Until I'm drummin' on the day
I want to live my life in my own way without any interference, and only stop when I'm ready to move onto the next day.
Because the flames are gettin' higher, I bet you'll hear the tapping on the wall
The excitement and energy of my dancing are getting stronger, and it's impossible not to notice me.
I said you made me dancin' with myself
I acknowledge that I'm responsible for my own fun and enjoyment, and I don't rely on anyone else to make me happy.
I won't stop dancin' by myself, dancin'
I'll keep dancing alone and having a good time no matter what anyone else thinks or says.
Yeah, I feel nice, Uh!
I'm having such a good time that I'm feeling great physically and mentally.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, Good God! Shake it
I'm so into the music and dancing that I can't help but keep moving and having fun.
Better boogie ya', Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm telling everyone else to join me and dance because it's such a good time.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind