Yorn started as a drummer who also played guitar. In 1990, he was drumming for his band in a high school talent contest when someone suggested he sing the Replacements song "Talent Show." That went over so well, a competing band asked him to sing Neil Young’s "Rockin' In the Free World" with them.
He was first recognized when the Farrelly brothers picked "Strange Condition" for their film Me, Myself & Irene.
He has gained increasing popularity following the use of his song "Just Another" on popular WB television show Dawson's Creek.
Another of his songs, Murray was used in the credits of the film Igby Goes Down
The song "Undercover" was used in the first Spiderman movie and appears on the soundtrack.
The song "Lose You" was used in the closing of an episode of House on Fox.
Dancing In The Dark
Pete Yorn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire without a spark
This guns for hire
Even if were just dancing in the dark
Message keeps getting clearer
Radios on and I'm moving round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain't getting nowhere just living
In a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
Baby I just know that there is
You can't start a fire
You sit around getting older
There's a joke here somewhere and its on me
Ill shake this world off my shoulder
Come on baby the laughs on me
Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carving you up all right
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting round here trying to write
This book
I need a love reaction
Come on now baby gimme just one look
You can't start a fire sitting round crying
Over a broken heart
This guns for hire
Even if were just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about
Your little world falling apart
This guns for hire
Even if were just dancing in the dark
Even if were just dancing in the dark
In the song "Dancing in the Dark," Pete Yorn expresses his feelings of boredom and frustration with his current circumstances. He wakes up in the evening with nothing to say and goes to bed feeling the same way. Yorn seeks comfort in a romantic partner, hoping for a little help to alleviate his sense of ennui. The chorus declares that to start a fire, you need a spark, and even if he is just dancing in the dark, this guns for hire.
As the song progresses, Yorn begins to recognize that staying in his current situation is not going to lead to any positive changes. He sees himself going nowhere and realizes that he needs to make a change. Yorn comments on the power of music to inspire, saying that the message is getting clearer through the radio, and he feels a sense of movement around him. He speaks on his desire for a love reaction, something to shake him out of his current malaise.
In the final section of the song, Yorn urges the listener not to give up or become complacent, reminding them that they can't start a fire by sitting around and overthinking their problems. He encourages them to take action and seek out what they want, even if it means dancing in the dark.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up in the evening
I wake up late in the day
And I ain't got nothing to say
I have nothing meaningful to share
I come home in the morning
I return to my place at dawn
I go to bed feeling the same way
I am consistently unfulfilled
I ain't nothing but tired
I am only exhausted
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
I am tired of the monotony of my life
Hey there baby I could use just a little help
I could use some assistance in my life
You can't start a fire
You need a spark to ignite something
You can't start a fire without a spark
You need that initial push to achieve something
This guns for hire
I am here to help achieve something
Even if were just dancing in the dark
Even if we don't fully understand what we're doing
Message keeps getting clearer
The communication becomes more evident
Radios on and I'm moving round the place
The music is on and I am free to move
I check my look in the mirror
I evaluate my appearance in the reflection
I want to change my clothes, my hair, my face
I want to alter everything about myself
Man I ain't getting nowhere just living
I am not progressing just by existing
In a dump like this
In a place like this
There's something happening somewhere
There is an event going on somewhere
Baby I just know that there is
I have a deep feeling that something is happening
You sit around getting older
You age by being inactive
There's a joke here somewhere and its on me
I am the punchline of a joke
Ill shake this world off my shoulder
I will rid myself of this burden
Come on baby the laughs on me
I am willing to be the entertainment
Stay on the streets of this town
If you remain on these streets
And they'll be carving you up all right
You will be proven to be a nuisance or issue
They say you gotta stay hungry
People say that you must be ambitious
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I am so ambitious that I am famished
I'm dying for some action
I crave excitement
I'm sick of sitting round here trying to write
I am tired of trying to achieve something here
This book
My written work
I need a love reaction
I want a romantic response
Come on now baby gimme just one look
Show me some affection
You can't start a fire sitting round crying
You will not reach your goal by being idle and emotional
Over a broken heart
Because of a romantic failure
You can't start a fire worrying about
You cannot progress while being anxious about
Your little world falling apart
Your small and immediate world disintegrating
Even if were just dancing in the dark
We can still enjoy ourselves even in ignorance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind