Ward was previously with the band Rodriguez, which included bassist Kyle Field (of Little Wings fame) and drummer Mike Funk. They recorded and released on cassette Box Plots and Cash Crops and then the album Swing Like a Metronome in 2000. Duet for Guitars #2 was released on Howe Gelb's Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was released by Future Farmer Records, and his subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records. A collection of live recordings, Live Music & the Voices of Strangers, was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows. His next album, Transfiguration of Vincent, was released in 2003, followed by Transistor Radio in 2005. A year later, Post War was released.
In 2006, he contributed a song to, and helped produce, the John Fahey tribute album, I Am the Resurrection. He also contributed the song "Transfiguration #1" from Transfiguration of Vincent to the Brushfire Records soundtrack for A Brokedown Melody, a Jack Johnson surfing film.
His album, Hold Time, was released in 2009. The album A Wasteland Companion followed in 2012. The album title alludes to T.S. Eliot's 1922 modernist poem, The Waste Land. In 2016, he released More Rain. On June 8, 2018, M. Ward released What a Wonderful Industry.
Side Projects
In 2008 M. Ward combined forces with Zooey Deschanel and became She & Him. They have released two albums so far, Volume One in 2008 and Volume Two in 2010. He is also one fourth of the folk supergroup, Monsters of Folk, alongside Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and Conor Oberst & Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes. Their self-titled release, Monsters of Folk, was released in 2009.
* Official website
Let's Dance
M. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's dance, to the song they're playin' on the radio
Let's sway, while color lights up your face
Let's sway, sway through the crowd to an empty space
If you say run, I'll run with you
If you say hide, we'll hide
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance, for fear your grace should fall
Let's dance, for fear tonight is all
Let's sway, you could look into my eyes
Let's sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
If you say run, I'll run with you
If you say hide, we'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's dance, to the song they're playin' on the radio
Let's sway, you could look into my eyes
Let's sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
The song "Let's Dance" by M. Ward is a love song that encourages the listener to dance and sway to the rhythm of the music. Ward begins by telling the listener to put on their red shoes and dance the blues. The red shoes symbolize a feeling of heightened passion and energy, while the blues refer to a sense of sadness or melancholy. The song seems to suggest that dancing is a way to escape from or overcome these negative feelings, even if only for a little while.
As the song progresses, Ward urges the listener to sway through the crowd to an empty space. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for finding one's own path in life, even when surrounded by others. The idea of running and hiding together also suggests a sense of unity and shared experience between two people in love. The final verse repeats the image of falling into each other's arms and trembling like a flower, indicating vulnerability and the possibility of being hurt.
Overall, "Let's Dance" is a romantic and uplifting song that invites its listeners to join in the dance and celebrate the beauty of life and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's forget our troubles, put on a show for the world, and enjoy life together
Let's dance, to the song they're playin' on the radio
Let's embrace the moment and tune out the world by dancing to music that speaks to us both
Let's sway, while color lights up your face
Let's soak up the atmosphere around us and get lost in each other's presence
Let's sway, sway through the crowd to an empty space
Let's break away from the noise and simply cherish one another's company
If you say run, I'll run with you
I'll always be there for you, no matter where life takes us
If you say hide, we'll hide
I'll protect you from anything and everything, and keep you safe
Because my love for you
My feelings for you are genuine and unconditional
Would break my heart in two
If anything ever happened to you, I don't know how I would cope
If you should fall
If you ever needed me, I'd be there for you
Into my arms
I am your support system and rock in times of need
And tremble like a flower
I'll hold you close and help you stand strong, even when things get tough
Let's dance, for fear your grace should fall
Let's live life fully, because even the most graceful and poised people can fall sometimes
Let's dance, for fear tonight is all
Let's make the most of this fleeting moment, because we never know what tomorrow holds
Let's sway, you could look into my eyes
Let's connect emotionally, and share a moment of pure intimacy
Let's sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
Let's bask in the beauty of the moon, and appreciate the gravity of this moment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Outfield 243
Let's dance
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's dance
To the song they're playin' on the radio
Let's sway
While color lights up your face
Let's sway
Sway through the crowd to an empty space
If you say run
I'll run with you
And if you say hide
We'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance
Let's dance
For fear your grace should fall
Let's dance
For fear tonight is all
Let's sway
You could look into my eyes
Let's sway
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
And if you say run
I'll run with you
And if you say hide
We'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's sway
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
Let's dance
Let's dance
Let's dance, dance, dance
j9andphoenix
This cover is so gorgeous - interpretations of songs can really give you another perspective of the lyrics. I love this
Rebekka Harvey
I had always thought Bowie's song fine: punchy, synthesized post-disco funk. But, M. Ward's version won my heart. Tender. And the first time I truly absorbed the lyric: "Because my love for you would break my heart in two if you should fall into my arms and tremble like a flower." Wow... love it!
David Monaghan
Same with me. That is a beautiful, tender and heartbreaking lyric that the original buries in its quirky melodic arrangement.
M Ward wrings all of the emotion out of that line. Opened up the song for me
Ladybirdsin16mm
Me too, never like the original
lauro marjorie
P
..m
Jon H
This is my and my wife’s song. After 14 years wherever we are in life if this comes on we stop and dance together. My greatest joy these days is dancing to this song knowing our three kiddos are watching. They get to see that, even when times get tough, there’s always room for beautiful things. I only hope my kids can have the joy my wife and I have with their spouses some day.
Outfield 243
Let's dance
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's dance
To the song they're playin' on the radio
Let's sway
While color lights up your face
Let's sway
Sway through the crowd to an empty space
If you say run
I'll run with you
And if you say hide
We'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance
Let's dance
For fear your grace should fall
Let's dance
For fear tonight is all
Let's sway
You could look into my eyes
Let's sway
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
And if you say run
I'll run with you
And if you say hide
We'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance
Put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's sway
Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
Let's dance
Let's dance
Let's dance, dance, dance
Marcella
This version of Let's dance appreciates the poetry contained in the verses of the original song by David Bowie. Loved!
By the Way
This comment should be pinned!
Ann White
Love this cover. I'm a diehard Bowie fan but I've got to say Lets dance isn't one of my favourite Bowie songs. Listening to this version has made me appreciate it more.