Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti formed Snap! in 1989 under the aliases Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III, as they thought that the public had negative preconceived ideas of German music. Their first hit "The Power", a combination of house and hip hop elements, contained a number of unauthorised samples, taking the drum loop from "King of the Beats" by Mantronix, the rap from "Let the Words Flow" by Chill Rob G and the classic line "I've got the power" from "Love's Gonna Get You" by Jocelyn Brown. It was initially released in the United States through Wild Pitch Records, but after Chill Rob G threatened legal action, the rap was re-recorded by Turbo B (born Durron Maurice Butler, April 30, 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), and additional vocals were recorded by Penny Ford (though the woman in the video is Jackie Harris), Jocelyn Brown's vocals still remain on the record. The single rocketed to number 2 in Germany in March 1990, and spent two weeks at number 1 in the United Kingdom, becoming the first rap single to top the chart. It later reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum.
Jackie left the group shortly afterwards and Penny became its full-time lead singer, recording the second single "Ooops Up", a re-working of "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)", a 1980 hit by The Gap Band, with which Penny was a former backing singer. With drum samples from "Paid in Full" by Eric B & Rakim, it was another number 2 hit in Germany and charted at number 5 in the UK. Further hits followed with the oriental-sounding "Cult of Snap", which charted at number 8 in the UK and number 3 in Germany, and "Mary Had a Little Boy", which also charted at number 8 in the UK, and reached number 4 in Germany. It was based on the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Their first album World Power reached #10 in the UK where it was certified platinum, #30 in the U.S. where it was also certified platinum, sold in excess of 7 million copies worldwide, and to this day remains one of the best-selling dance albums of all time.
In 1991, Thea Austin joined the line-up and helped to write "Rhythm Is a Dancer", which was planned to be the lead single from the second album. However, Turbo B hated the track (particularly the famous line "I'm as serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer") and protested that "Colour Of Love" should be the first single cut from the album.[4] He got his way and it was released in December 1991. It appeared to get lost in the Christmas rush, limping to number 54 in the UK, though it did fare better in Germany, climbing to number 9, as well as making it to number 6 in France and Sweden. The two producers insisted that they now go with "Rhythm Is a Dancer" and it was released as the second single in July 1992. With a backing-track inspired by "Automan" by early-80s electronic hip-hop band Newcleus, it went on to become their biggest hit yet, spending six weeks at number 1 in the UK, also topping the charts in France, Germany, Netherlands and Italy, and peaking at number 5 in the U.S. in early 1993.
The second album The Madman's Return was another multi-million seller but Turbo B, who, continued to argue with the act's producers decided to leave the group shortly after its release to pursue a solo career. Both Penny Ford and Thea Austin followed suit, but Snap! was far from over. The third single "Exterminate!", with vocals by Michigan-born Niki Haris, formerly a backing singer for Madonna, soared to number 2 in the UK in January 1993, and "Do You See the Light (Looking For)" reached number 10 in June.
Now that all former members of the group had moved on, Münzing and Anzilotti recruited Washington DC-born singer Summer to front the act for the third album. Born Paula Brown, she had previously worked as a dancer in the TV series Fame and the Spike Lee movie School Daze.[5] Snap! moved towards a progressive house sound and a new single called "Welcome to Tomorrow (Are You Ready?)" was released in September 1994. After a slow start, it peaked at number 6 in the UK and was followed by the album, also titled Welcome to Tomorrow. The second single "The First The Last Eternity (Till The End)" was a moderate hit but "World in My Hands" and "Rame" (featuring Rukmani and performed in Hindi) struggled to attract airplay due to their less commercial sound.
On New Years Day 1994, Snap! performed the first of 3 essential mixes for UK's BBC Radio 1.
In 1996 the group was officially disbanded, with a greatest hits compilation called Snap! Attack: The Best of Snap! released, preceded by a new version of their first hit "The Power". However they made a surprise return in 2000 with "Gimme A Thrill", complete with a rap from Turbo B and vocal from the band's newest addition Maxayn. However, it failed to chart and a proposed album called One Day on Earth was never released.
A new version of "Do You See the Light" remixed by Plaything was released in 2002, peaking at number 14 in the UK. The following year, a new remix album called The Cult of Snap! was released and further singles were issued, updating them for a new generation of clubbers. "Rhythm Is a Dancer" was another UK top 20 hit with a new mix by CJ Stone, a new bhangra mix by Motivo of "The Power" also sold well, and a collaboration of Swedish girlgroup NG3 on "Ooops Up" rounded the project up at the end of 2003. "The Power", which had already been used in countless commercials and movie soundtracks over the years, was also introduced into trailers and the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey film "Bruce Almighty" in this year.
Buoyed by the success of the remixes, Münzing and Anzilotti went back into the studio with male singer Damien Behanan, also known as Loc, and released the single "Beauty Queen" in September 2005 through Luma Music, but once again it failed to make the charts. "Excited" and "We Want Your Soul" were both released on vinyl in July 2006.
In May 2008, Brains from the programme Thunderbirds appeared in a TV commercial in the UK for Drench spring water. He is shown dancing around a room to "Rhythm Is a Dancer". Its regular TV airings prompted thousands of downloads of the original album mix of the song, and it has so far peaked at number 23 in the official UK singles chart. A brand new version of the song with added vocals from Loc was released as a CD single in the UK on June 16, 2008.
In August 2008, they released a new single called "Jumping". Recently the group have signed to Hard2Beat records.
On Sunday 27 June 2010 Snap! performed at Glastonbury Festival, UK, in the WOW! tent. Original lead vocalist Penny Ford was joined by rapper Benjamin Lowe to do a 30mins Live PA show. Festival-goers flocked to see Snap! and numbers far outstretched the tent's capacity. Some were left disappointed when the famous rap 'I'm serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer' was omitted from the track.
Rhythm Is a Dancer 2003
Snap! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a soul's companion
People feel it everywhere
Lift your hands and voices
Free your mind and join us
You can feel it in the air
Oh, it's a passion
Oh, it's a passion
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Rhythm is a dancer
It's a soul's companion
People feel it everywhere
Lift your hands and voices
Free your mind and join us
You can feel it in the air
Oh
How very like the future this place might be
It's a tiny world just big enough
To support the cubicle of one knowledge worker
I feel a wave of loneliness and head back down
Now I'm going too fast
Rhythm is a dancer
It's a soul's companion
People feel it everywhere
Lift your hands and voices
Free your mind and join us
You can feel it in the air
Oh
I plunge right on through the office door
And into the bottomless sinkhole below
Suddenly I can't remember how to stop or turn around
Do I point behind myself?
Do I have to turn around before I can point?
I flip into brain fugue
Rhythm is a dancer
It's a soul's companion
People feel it everywhere
Lift your hands and voices
Free your mind and join us
You can feel it in the air
Oh
“Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap! is a classic 90s dance anthem that captures the essence of the era and the feeling of freedom and unity that comes from dancing. The song starts with the chorus line “Rhythm is a dancer” which is repeated throughout the song, and it means that dance is something that connects people and brings their souls together. The song emphasizes the idea that dancing is not just a physical activity but an emotional and spiritual one as well, and that anyone can experience it, no matter where they are.
The next line emphasizes that people feel rhythm everywhere, which means that dance is a universal language. The song then encourages people to lift their hands and voices, free their minds, and join them. This is a call to the potential dancer inside us all, urging us to let loose and groove to the rhythm.
The third verse takes a surreal turn, describing a futuristic world that is isolating, lonely and where people work alone in their cubicles. This verse is a warning that if we lose our connection to dance and music, we risk becoming disconnected from others and ourselves. The final two verses are about the singer’s experience of this world, his feeling of being overwhelmed and lost as he tries to escape.
Overall, “Rhythm is a Dancer” is a song that celebrates the power of dance to bring people together, to transcend language and cultural barriers, and to create a shared experience that is universal. It’s a call to dance, to let go of our inhibitions and join together in a shared expression of joy and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Rhythm is a dancer
The flow of life is like a dance, which we all have to follow
It's a soul's companion
Our soul moves to the rhythm of life
People feel it everywhere
Everyone senses the pulse of life around them
Lift your hands and voices
Celebrate the living with your hands and voice
Free your mind and join us
Break free from mental chains and live in harmony
You can feel it in the air
The rhythm of life permeates the atmosphere
Oh, it's a passion
The fullness of life and its rhythm can be a passionate experience
How very like the future this place might be
The current time and place could be a preview of the future
It's a tiny world just big enough
The world we live in is small, but holds enough for us to thrive
To support the cubicle of one knowledge worker
The world allows for a single worker to work and contribute to their field
I feel a wave of loneliness and head back down
A feeling of solitude hits me and I go back down
Now I'm going too fast
The pace of life becomes too quick
I plunge right on through the office door
I pass through the office door headfirst
And into the bottomless sinkhole below
I fall into a seemingly never-ending pit
Suddenly I can't remember how to stop or turn around
I lose track of how to stop or go back
Do I point behind myself?
I question whether I have to face the opposite way to point
Do I have to turn around before I can point?
I wonder if I need to turn before pointing behind me
I flip into brain fugue
I become overwhelmed and confused
Rhythm is a dancer
The flow of life is like a dance, which we all have to follow
It's a soul's companion
Our soul moves to the rhythm of life
People feel it everywhere
Everyone senses the pulse of life around them
Lift your hands and voices
Celebrate the living with your hands and voice
Free your mind and join us
Break free from mental chains and live in harmony
You can feel it in the air
The rhythm of life permeates the atmosphere
Oh
A word expressing intensity or emotion
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Thea Austin, Benito Benites, John Virgo III Garrett, Daniel Grossmann, Matthias Mania, Jens Ophaelders
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marcos Jeremias
Anos 90 que Hino! 2020 😘
Javier Recio
El mejor grupo de los 90. Arriba "SNAP"
Marcelo Bello Mollik Bello
A original é melhor no meu ponto de vista, mais esse hit foi um dos que mais impactou na década de 90 sem sombra de dúvidas. 🎉🍀🎁💯🏆👊🏾✌🏾
L M
1:45 is my favorite part of the song. That early 00s rave touch to the song
Ingo Wahlen
meet your generation- still a classic in 2020, and this re.load is a great job, full of energy, pure disco
Juan Castilla alejandro
Qué pasada ❤
Anonymous
I remember the day i first heard this remix, it was absolutely amazing! Now i can`t help but think how awesome this CJ Stone remix would sound with an @DarrenPorter remix on top!!!!!!
Edward Bangs
The 1993 version was okay, but this 2003 version is sick AF
Las Recetas de Juanda
Sirmpre será un temazo aunque pasen 1000 años xd
Casimiro Correa
Eita porra 👍👍❤❤