Tenhert
Tinariwen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the floors of Tokyo
Or down in London town to go-go
With the record selection
And the mirror's reflection
I'm a-dancing with myself

When there's no one else in sight
In the crowded lonely night
Well, I wait so long
For my love vibration
And I'm dancing with myself

Oh oh, dancing with myself
Oh oh, dancing with myself
Well, there's nothing to lose
And there's nothing to prove
When I'm dancing with myself
Oh oh oh-oh

If I looked all over the world
And there's every type of girl
But your empty eyes
Seem to pass me by
Leave me dancing with myself

So let's sink another drink
'Cause it'll give me time to think
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
And I'll be dancing with myself

Oh oh, dancing with myself
Oh oh, dancing with myself
Well, there's nothing to lose
So there's nothing to prove
When I'm dancing with myself
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh, oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh

Well, if I looked all over the world
And there's every type of girl
But your empty eyes
Seem to pass me by
Leave me dancing with myself

So let's sink another drink
'Cause it'll give me time to think
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
And I'll be dancing with myself

Oh oh, dancing with myself
Oh oh, dancing with myself
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance

Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Dancing with myself (oh oh)
Dancing with myself (oh oh)
Dancing with myself (oh oh)
Dancing with myself (oh oh)

Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh

Well, if I looked all over the world
And there's every type of girl
But your empty eyes
Seem to pass me by
Leave me dancing with myself

So let's sink another drink
'Cause it'll give me time to think
If I had a chance
I'd ask the world to dance
And I'll be dancing with myself

Oh oh, dancing with myself
Oh oh, dancing with myself
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance

Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh

Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)

Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh

Well, if I looked all over the world
And there's every type of girl
But your empty eyes
Seem to pass me by
Leave me dancing with myself

So let's sink another drink
'Cause it'll give me time to think
If I had a chance
I'd ask the world to dance
And I'll be dancing with myself

Oh oh, dancing with myself
Oh oh, dancing with myself
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance
If I had the chance
I'd ask the world to dance

Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh oh-oh
Oh oh

Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)

Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)

Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)
Dancing with myself (Oh oh)

Overall Meaning

The iconic song "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol, released in 1980, is a reflection on the joys of dancing alone. The song begins with a list of cities and locations, from Tokyo to London, before jumping into the singer's reflection in a mirror. Idol sings about waiting for a "love vibration," but ultimately embraces the freedom of being alone and dancing with oneself. He also laments the lack of connection he feels with those around him, particularly someone whose "empty eyes" refuse to engage with him.


The repetition of the chorus, with its catchy "oh-oh" refrain, emphasizes the singer's independence and self-reliance. The lyrics are a celebration of individuality, and the joy that comes with self-expression, even if it means dancing alone. The song has become something of an anthem for the solitary club-goer, the person who is content to be alone in a crowd as long as they can dance.


Overall, "Dancing with Myself" is a bittersweet ode to independence and self-discovery. It speaks to the power of music to connect with oneself, as well as the emotional distance that people often experience in crowded spaces.


Line by Line Meaning

On the floors of Tokyo
The singer finds themselves dancing alone in an unfamiliar city.


Or down in London town to go-go
The singer is also dancing alone in London.


With the record selection
The singer has control over the music they're dancing to.


And the mirror's reflection
The artist is the only one dancing, so the mirror reflects back at them.


I'm a-dancing with myself
The artist is dancing alone, without a partner.


When there's no one else in sight
The singer is truly alone, with no other dancers around them.


In the crowded lonely night
Although there are people around, the singer still feels lonely.


Well, I wait so long
The artist has been waiting for their love vibration, or for someone to dance with.


For my love vibration
The artist wants to feel connected with someone else.


And I'm dancing with myself
Again, the artist is dancing alone.


Oh oh, dancing with myself
The singer emphasizes the loneliness and solitude of their dance.


Well, there's nothing to lose
The artist has nothing to gain by dancing alone, but nothing to lose either.


And there's nothing to prove
The singer is dancing for their own satisfaction, not to impress anyone else.


If I looked all over the world
The singer has searched everywhere for someone to dance with.


And there's every type of girl
The singer has encountered many types of people on their search.


But your empty eyes
Despite all this, the artist is still alone.


Seem to pass me by
No one seems interested in connecting with the artist.


Leave me dancing with myself
The singer is left alone once again.


So let's sink another drink
The singer turns to alcohol to cope with their loneliness.


'Cause it'll give me time to think
The artist hopes that drinking will help them reflect on their situation.


If I had the chance
The artist still longs for human connection.


I'd ask the world to dance
The artist would take any opportunity to dance with someone else.


And I'll be dancing with myself
The singer is still alone and dancing.


Dancing with myself (oh oh)
The artist repeats this line to emphasize the solitude of their dance.




Writer(s): Abdallah Ag Alhousseini Copyright: Emma Productions S.a.r.l.

Contributed by Cole M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@sibhaysibhay6190

خوكم الافريقي من الجلفة و تحيا الجزاءر

@حموداالأنصاري

اخ اخ هاذا شنو من طرب يا ساتر 🎉🎉❤

@laughs_of_ethiopia

I don't understand what they are saying. but, they always give me peace of mind when i listen to their music!

@Genny-Zee

I love tinariwen

@josecarlosgoes410

São Paulo - Brasil . SENSACIONAL!

@ines___xavier

Love from Portugal 🇵🇹

@albertangeloro5832

to be heard Saturday, 11/2/24 on Radio Soleil (2-6 pm) Little Haiti, Brooklyn, N Y

@RewmayWenxuPag

Allkvtulefiñ Wallmapu mew!
Listening from Mapuche country!

@flowplan925

Thank You flow 444 💙✅🖤☀️☀️✨☀️🙏💙✅💡💰

@1970coconut

Lots of attraction from Hungary

More Comments