Ever since Dua Lipa dropped “Dance the Night,” her disco-pop Barbie soundtrack contribution, on May 25, the catchy track has kept the party running. It features prominently in the Barbie movie, serving as the “bespoke song” that all the Barbies and Kens dance to when Margot Robbie’s Barbie throws “a giant blowout party with all the Barbies and planned choreography.” At the same time, the lyrics shed light on the conflict at the heart of the story: perfection vs. reality.
The “Dance the Night” scene is full of sparkle and shine, but it also reveals that all is not right in Barbie Land. Mid-way through their big dance number, Barbie tells a friend, “It is the best day ever. So was yesterday and so is tomorrow and every day from now until forever.” Then comes the literal record-scratch moment: “Do you guys ever think about dying?” she asks.
The moment, and the song that accompanies it, perfectly captures Barbie’s struggle. Although she looks perfect on the outside, there’s inner turmoil pushing her toward a full-on existential crisis. She’s Stereotypical Barbie to the world, but she feels like she’s becoming “Irrepressible Thoughts of Death Barbie.”
Lipa explained in a July 29 Instagram post celebrating the song’s success that she and her “Dance the Night” collaborators Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Caroline Ailin always intended to show the dichotomy of Barbie’s “perfect/imperfect self.” They “set off with the plan to write a song based on Barbie’s inner thoughts in that very moment on the basis of what was to come next in her story and on the premise of the whole film,” the singer wrote, in part.
The track offers that perfect, positive vibe, with only its lyrics giving away that there’s pain and conflict there, too. The true meaning becomes clearer as the song progresses; there are lyrics like “My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face” and “Lately I’ve been / Moving close to the edge.” They mirror Barbie’s turmoil as she deals with her new feelings in Barbie Land, which eventually propel her on her journey of self-discovery that involves a trip to the Real World.
As Robbie explained to Rolling Stone in June, “You’re hearing lyrics that are responding to what’s happening onscreen, so the music became more than just music — it became a device to enhance what the audience was watching and experiencing, and got to be the voice of the audience.”
Read the full “Dance the Night” lyrics below.
Baby you canFind me under the lightsDiamonds under my eyesTurn the rhythm upDon’t you wanna justCome along for the rideOh my outfit so tightYou can see my heart beat tonightI can take the heatBaby best believeThat’s the moment I shineCuz every romanceShakes and it bendsDon’t give a damnWhen the nights hereI don’t do tearsBaby no chanceI could dance, I could dance, I could danceWatch me, danceDance the night awayMy heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my faceWatch me, danceDance the night awayI’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of placeLately I’ve beenMoving close to the edgeStill be looking my bestI stay on the beatYou can count on meI ain’t missing no stepsCuz every romanceShakes and it bendsDon’t give a damnWhen the nights hereI don’t do tearsBaby no chanceI could dance, I could dance, I could danceWatch me, danceDance the night awayMy heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my faceWatch me, danceDance the night awayI’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of placeWhen my heart breaksYou’ll never see it, never see itWhen my world shakesI feel alive, I feel aliveI don’t play safeDon’t you know about meI could dance, I could dance, I could danceEven when the tears are flowingThey’re diamonds on my faceI’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of placeEven when the tears are flowingThey’re diamonds on my faceI’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of placeWatch me, danceDance the night awayMy heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my faceWatch me, danceDance the night awayI’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of placeWhen my heart breaksYou’ll never see it, never see itWhen my world shakesI feel alive, I feel aliveI don’t play safeDon’t you know about meI could dance, I could dance, I could danceDance the nightGet Even More From Bustle — Sign Up For The Newsletter
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