“Dancin' in Circles” is a light dance track that flirts with reggae and ska… Read Full Bio ↴“Dancin' in Circles” is a light dance track that flirts with reggae and ska. The lyrics are about female masturbation, as Gaga hinted, responding to a fan on Twitter.

It’s the first collaboration between Gaga and Beck.

"It’s a really fun dance song. It’s a great record. We started in Malibu. We were just hanging out for the afternoon and I asked [Beck] if he wanted to go into the live room, which is where all the instruments are for recording. And we just went in and I sat at the piano. I believe he was playing a Hummingbird guitar that Mark [Ronson] gave me, and we just sat down and started to jam and we wrote the song. It’s a killer, killer record".

- Lady Gaga via Yahoo Music (2016)

Dancin' in Circles
Lady Gaga Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's funk downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Funk me downtown

I lay around, touch myself to pass the time
I fell down, I wish you were mine
I close my eyes

Take a breath and I picture us in a place
I can't recognize

In the fire I call your name out (call your name out)
Up full night tryin' to rub the pain out (rub the pain out)

I'm singin'
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
Dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
I'm singin' dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely

Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's funk downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Funk me downtown

I fool myself
Swirl around as if I'm someone else
Your hands are mine
I do a trick
Pretend that I am you until it clicks
I come alive
Come alive

In the fire I call your name out (call your name out, call your name out)
Up full night tryin' to rub the pain out (rub the pain out)

I'm singin'
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
I'm dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
I'm singin' dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely

Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's funk downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Funk me downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's funk downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Funk me downtown

Hurts inside, but not this time
All the things that are on my mind
Vanish as I touch myself
Call out loud for you
Oh, can you hear me singin'?

Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
Dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely
Baby don't cry
Baby don't cry
I'm singin'
Dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely

Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's funk downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Funk me downtown
Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's funk downtown

Tap down those boots while I beat around
Funk me downtown

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lady Gaga's "Dancin' in Circles" explores the theme of loneliness and the desire for physical intimacy. The song portrays the feelings of someone who engages in self-gratification to fill the void of loneliness. The opening lines of the song, "Tap down those boots while I beat around, let's funk downtown" suggest sexual undertones, and the repeated lines "funk me downtown" and "tap down those boots" further reinforce this.

Throughout the song, Lady Gaga describes her desire for someone she cannot have, as she sings "I lay around, touch myself to pass the time, I fell down, I wish you were mine." She longs for the comfort and warmth of her lover's touch but realizes that they are not there, and in her loneliness, she finds pleasure in her own touch.

Despite the pain of loneliness, Lady Gaga seems to embrace it, finding solace in her dancing and in the freedom it brings. The repeated lines "Baby don't cry, dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely" suggest that she has come to terms with her loneliness, and she finds comfort in the rhythm of her dancing.

Overall, "Dancin' in Circles" is a masterful exploration of the complexities of human desire, loneliness, and self-love.

Line by Line Meaning

Tap down those boots while I beat around
Let's get ready to party and dance, while I play some music and set the mood

Let's funk downtown
Let's go out and enjoy ourselves in the city, dancing and having fun

I lay around, touch myself to pass the time
I'm bored and lonely, so I try to entertain myself by daydreaming and fantasizing

I fell down, I wish you were mine
I'm feeling down and unhappy, and I want someone special to be with me and make me feel better

I close my eyes
I imagine a different reality, where things are better and I'm happy

Take a breath and I picture us in a place
I imagine myself and my companion in a beautiful, romantic location

I can't recognize
The reality is so different from what I imagine that it's hard to accept

In the fire I call your name out (call your name out)
As I struggle with my feelings, I cry out for help and support from the person I care about

Up full night tryin' to rub the pain out (rub the pain out)
I'm trying hard to overcome my emotional pain, but it's hard and it takes time

I'm singin'
I express my pain and emotions through music and singing

Baby don't cry
A reassurance to the person I care about, urging them not to worry about me

Dancin' in circles, feels good to be lonely
Even though I'm alone, dancing and enjoying myself makes me feel better

I fool myself
I try to pretend that everything is okay, even though it's not

Swirl around as if I'm someone else
I try to escape from myself and be someone else, even if it's just for a moment

Your hands are mine
I'm imagining that the person I care about is with me, holding my hand and supporting me

I do a trick
I try to distract myself and perform some activity to alleviate my emotional pain

Pretend that I am you until it clicks
I try to imagine myself as the person I care about, and see things from their perspective

I come alive
As I get lost in my thoughts and emotions, I feel renewed and reinvigorated

Hurts inside, but not this time
Although I still feel pain and sadness, I feel like I can handle it this time and overcome it

All the things that are on my mind
I'm reflecting on my thoughts and feelings, trying to process and make sense of them

Vanish as I touch myself
As I focus on my body and my senses, I'm able to let go of my worries and concerns

Call out loud for you
I still want and need the person I care about, even though they're not here with me

Oh, can you hear me singin'?
I'm expressing my emotions and reaching out through my music and singing

Funk me downtown
I'm urging my companion to join me in having a good time and dancing together

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stefani Germanotta, Beck Hansen, M. Tucker, Mark Ronson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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