The song was a huge success. It hit the #1 spot on three charts-- 'Dance Music/Club Play Singles', 'Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales', 'Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks', and the 'Billboard Hot 100'. It also hit #18 on the 'Modern Rock Tracks' chart.
Batdance
Prince Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haha, haha, haha
Haha, haha, haha
Ooh hoo hoo, hoo hoo hoo hoo
Get the funk up
Batman
Get the funk up
Get the funk up
(Go, go, go with a smile)
Bat dance
Do it
Keep bustin'
(Do it, do it)
I've seen the future and it will be (do it, do it)
I've seen the future and it will be (do, do)
Batman
Batman
I've seen the future and it will be
Batman (house, do it, house)
(And where, and where, is the Batman?)
Let's do it
Let's do it
Do it, do it
Do it, do it
(Stop the press)
(Stop the press, who is that?)
(Vicky Vale)
(Vicky Vale)
(I like)
Batman, Batman, Batman
(Oh, that's)
(Hi, Bruce Wayne)
(I've tried to avoid all this, but I can't)
(I just gotta know)
(Are we gonna try to love each other?)
(Stop the press, who is that?)
(Vicky Vale)
(She's great, isn't she?)
Oh yeah, oh yeah
I want to bust that body
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
I want to bust that body right (I'd like to)
Oh yeah, oh yeah (but he's out there right now)
I want to bust that body
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Tonight
Well, Miss Vale
You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
I always ask that of all my prey
I just like the sound of it
(I've got to go to work)
Batman
(I've got to go to work)
Batman
If a man is considered guilty (work, work)
For what goes on in his mind (work, work)
Then gimme the electric chair
For all my future crimes, oh
(Work)
(Work) Electric chair, oh, ooh
Hey Ducky
Let me stick the 7-inch in the computer
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha
Hey, we got the power
Oh, we got the soul
Hey, we got to sho'nuff get off
To make the devil go, go
Ow (This town needs an enema)
(I'm gonna kill you)
Power
(I'm not gonna kill you) (Let's do it)
Soul
(I'm gonna kill you)
Power
(I'm not gonna kill you)
Soul (Let's do it)
(I'm Batman)
Batman
Don't stop dancin'
(I'm Batman)
Batman
(Don't stop dancin')
Do it, do it
Do it, do it
Batman
Batman
Batman
(Don't stop)
(Don't stop) (Let's do it)
(Don't stop dancin')
Let's do it (Batman)
Let's do it
(Don't stop dancin')
Bat-Bat
(Batman) (Don't stop dancin')
(No, damn it, turn the music back up)
(You son of a bitch)
(Have you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?)
Who's gonna stop 200 balloons?
Nobody
(Haha, haha, haha, haha, haha)
Batman
Stop
The opening lines of "Batdance" are Prince's commentary on the wild energy he was about to unleash. The scene is set as screaming laughter keeps going until Prince unleashes his commanding voice with Get the funk up, Batman. The song is full of sound bites from the 1989 Batman film, samples of dialogue from Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman persona, and samples of sounds from the movie. Prince’s boastful lyrics announce that he’s seen the future and it will be Batman. He declares that he wants to “bust that body,” but concedes that Batman is busy fighting crime. Prince asks Vicky Vale, one of the female characters in the 1989 film, if she ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight, one of Joker's iconic lines from the movie. Finally, the song ends with the question "Who's gonna stop 200 balloons?" which is a direct reference to the scene where the Joker tries to use balloons to gas Gotham City.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I got a live one here
Excitedly commenting on the energy of the moment
Get the funk up
Batman
Get the funk up
Batman
Get the funk up
(Go, go, go with a smile)
Bat dance
Do it
Keep bustin'
Urging Batman to get ready for a funky dance party and to keep the energy up throughout
(Do it, do it)
I've seen the future and it will be (do it, do it)
I've seen the future and it will be (do, do)
Batman
Batman
I've seen the future and it will be
Batman (house, do it, house)
(And where, and where, is the Batman?)
Seeing that the future is all about Batman, and calling out for his presence at the party
(Stop the press)
(Stop the press, who is that?)
(Vicky Vale)
(Vicky Vale)
(I like)
Batman, Batman, Batman
(Oh, that's)
(Hi, Bruce Wayne)
(I've tried to avoid all this, but I can't)
(I just gotta know)
(Are we gonna try to love each other?)
(Stop the press, who is that?)
(Vicky Vale)
(She's great, isn't she?)
Getting excited about Vicky Vale, a love interest, while acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation and wondering if they can connect
Oh yeah, oh yeah
I want to bust that body
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
I want to bust that body right (I'd like to)
Oh yeah, oh yeah (but he's out there right now)
I want to bust that body
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Tonight
Expressing a strong sexual desire for Vicky Vale, but acknowledging the presence of Batman at the party
Well, Miss Vale
You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
I always ask that of all my prey
I just like the sound of it
Quoting a famous line from the Batman movie to flirt with Vicky Vale and show off his Batman persona
(I've got to go to work)
Batman
(I've got to go to work)
Batman
If a man is considered guilty (work, work)
For what goes on in his mind (work, work)
Then gimme the electric chair
For all my future crimes, oh
(Work)
(Work) Electric chair, oh, ooh
Reminding himself of his duty as Batman and warning against the guilt of future fantasies
Hey Ducky
Let me stick the 7-inch in the computer
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha
Hey, we got the power
Oh, we got the soul
Hey, we got to sho'nuff get off
To make the devil go, go
Ow (This town needs an enema)
Playing around with a 7-inch record, and acknowledging the need for change in the world
(I'm gonna kill you)
Power
(I'm not gonna kill you) (Let's do it)
Soul
(I'm gonna kill you)
Power
(I'm not gonna kill you)
Soul (Let's do it)
(I'm Batman)
Batman
Don't stop dancin'
(I'm Batman)
Batman
(Don't stop dancin')
Do it, do it
Do it, do it
Batman
Batman
Batman
(Don't stop)
(Don't stop) (Let's do it)
(Don't stop dancin')
Let's do it (Batman)
Let's do it
(Don't stop dancin')
Bat-Bat
(Batman) (Don't stop dancin')
(No, damn it, turn the music back up)
(You son of a bitch)
Switching between Batman's and Prince's persona while exclaiming the need to keep dancing and not let the energy dip
(Have you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?)
Asking a rhetorical question about the power of laughter
Who's gonna stop 200 balloons?
Nobody
(Haha, haha, haha, haha, haha)
Batman
Stop
Reflecting on the absurdity of the situation and noting Batman's presence to bring things to a close
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AlexanderNevermind
You have to really sit and listen to this song to realize how much music is actually a part of it. This is one of Prince's most creative songs.
Samantha
Agreed, goes through so many changes, rhythms, etc
Michelle Burdick
AlexanderNevermind yes it is I agree, I love this song out of all his songs
K. Delpino
As the last track on the soundtrack, it's actually a semi- medley to the previous songs.
Fat Vegan
Exactly he killed it.
JohnnyTyrone77
I get how popular the movie was and how popular Prince was.In my humble opinion i think a little less would have been soooo much more.
Bilja M
You can totally see Prince's perfectionism in this video, how he wanted every single detail in music, dance, choreography, everything to be just perfect! RIP Prince! Great musician!
Heidi's Haunts
The instrumentals in this are insane! The guitar solo he does is perfection!
New Horizons For Fifty
Have you heard the fully extended version of the song? It's about 2.5 minutes longer than this.
B****Kitty's Korner
The guy was multi- talented. RIP.