Brett W. and Liam K. are unlikely best friends. While attending high school… Read Full Bio ↴Brett W. and Liam K. are unlikely best friends. While attending high school in Prineville, Brett ran with the cool kids. Liam ran from the cool kids. Add to that the fact that Liam kicked Brett out of his high-school band, and it would seem the friendship was doomed. But, as the Portland duo--which performs as electro-pop outfit the Snuggle Ups--recounts on the song "The Late '90s," everything worked out. You see, Liam realized that Brett "was the man" and then the friends "built a ship for two." The song is the cornerstone of the Snuggle Ups' debut album, Extremely Popular, a collection of unabashedly upbeat electronic tracks dripping with sentiments on love, lust and, most importantly, friendship.- Mark Baumgarten, Willamette Week

Dancing In The Dark
The Snuggle Ups Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I get up in the evening
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
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark

Message keeps getting clearer
radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm 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 can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
even if we're just dancing in the dark

You sit around getting older
there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
come on baby this laugh's on me

Stay on the streets of this town
and they'll be carving you up alright
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 gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark

Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Hey baby

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Snuggle Ups's song Dancing In the Dark are about a man feeling bored and uninspired with his life, but desperately wanting to make a change. The song is about the struggle to break free from a mundane life and finding the courage to take risks and pursue one's dreams. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration, yearning and a desire for more.

The first verse sets the tone of the song, with the singer feeling burnt out, tired and bored with himself. He craves change but doesn't know how to get there. The second verse hints at the idea that there's a glimmer of hope and something exciting happening in his life - perhaps the spark he needs to make some changes. The chorus reinforces the idea that he needs to take action and that there's no time to waste in order to achieve his dreams.

The third verse is a call to action, with the singer urging himself, and perhaps his listeners, to take risks and make changes in their lives. He acknowledges that the road to success may be difficult, but that it's worth fighting for. The final verse is a reminder that living in fear and doing nothing is a waste of life, and that the only way to achieve anything is to take action and put yourself out there.

Overall, the song is a powerful message about taking risks, pursuing your dreams and never giving up on what you truly want in life.

Line by Line Meaning

I get up in the evening
I wake up in the evening after a long and tiring day

and I ain't got nothing to say
I feel so drained and empty that I have nothing to talk about

I come home in the morning
After a night out, I return home in the morning

I go to bed feeling the same way
Despite the night out, I still feel unfulfilled and bored

I ain't nothing but tired
I feel exhausted and drained of energy

Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
I'm fed up with being in a monotonous routine and want excitement

Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
I'm reaching out to someone, hoping for some support and help to shake things up

You can't start a fire
In order to create something amazing, you need to take risks and make changes

You can't start a fire without a spark
Small actions or changes can ignite creativity and progress

This gun's for hire
I'm ready and willing to make changes, take risks, and try something new

even if we're just dancing in the dark
I'm willing to try anything, even if it feels uncertain or risky

Message keeps getting clearer
I'm getting more and more certain that I need to make changes in my life

radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I'm listening to music and trying to find inspiration and motivation to dance and move forward

I check my look in the mirror
I examine my appearance, hoping to find a new sense of confidence and change

I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
I'm eager to reinvent myself and make a fresh start

Man I ain't getting nowhere
Despite my attempts to change, I feel stuck in a rut

I'm just living in a dump like this
I feel like my life is dull and uneventful, like an unappealing environment

There's something happening somewhere
I sense a change coming, and I'm eager to embrace it

baby I just know that there is
I have a strong intuition that something great is about to happen

You sit around getting older
By staying in my routine, I'm just getting older without making progress

there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I realize that my own inaction and lack of motivation are the source of my problems

I'll shake this world off my shoulders
I'm ready and willing to shed my old ways and move on to something better

come on baby this laugh's on me
I'm going to embrace change and laugh off my past mistakes and stagnation

Stay on the streets of this town
If I stay in this town, I'll continue down the same path of monotony and boredom

and they'll be carving you up alright
Others will take control of my life and dictate my future if I don't take action

They say you gotta stay hungry
To succeed in life, you need to stay motivated and driven

hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm feeling desperate and ready for change

I'm dying for some action
I'm eager to take risks and try something new

I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I'm tired of trying to follow the same old routine and want to write a new story for myself

I need a love reaction
I crave excitement and passion in my life

come on now baby gimme just one look
I'm asking for someone's attention and affection to inspire me and bring excitement to my life

You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
I can't let past failures and heartache hold me back from moving forward

You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
I need to be willing to take risks and make changes, even if it means challenging my comfort zone

Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the path forward is uncertain and scary, I'm willing to move forward anyway

Hey baby
I'm addressing someone in a friendly and familiar way

Contributed by Adam B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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