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St Vitus Dance Lyrics
Back in the good old days when dancing meant exploding
The idea was simple for a decent overloading
And for a multiple flash with no chords attached
He came up with a more remote flash trigger
It's connected to an accessory in his hip
Which automatically fires in perfect synchro
But perhaps his most exciting development is his angle
They call it the dance
It's the St. Vitus dance
Such flexibility
What an accessory
See his soft bounce
What flexibility
Such a soft bounce
What an accessory.
And for special effects he has six filters
Three coloured red with the others pilfered
And if you really want to know what that means
He could throw a blue flash from eighty five feet
Of course you might want to check your own little output
So we devised a few simple and easy to crack contortions
So you can bump and scrape all the day through
With the dance, it's the St. Vitus dance, the St. Vitus dance
Such flexibility, what an accessory, such a soft bounce
What flexibility, such a soft bounce, check his hot shoe, feel his output
He's a light machine, see his angle
He's a light machine.
The idea was simple for a decent overloading
And for a multiple flash with no chords attached
He came up with a more remote flash trigger
It's connected to an accessory in his hip
Which automatically fires in perfect synchro
But perhaps his most exciting development is his angle
They call it the dance
It's the St. Vitus dance
Such flexibility
What an accessory
See his soft bounce
What flexibility
Such a soft bounce
What an accessory.
Three coloured red with the others pilfered
And if you really want to know what that means
He could throw a blue flash from eighty five feet
Of course you might want to check your own little output
So we devised a few simple and easy to crack contortions
So you can bump and scrape all the day through
With the dance, it's the St. Vitus dance, the St. Vitus dance
Such flexibility, what an accessory, such a soft bounce
What flexibility, such a soft bounce, check his hot shoe, feel his output
He's a light machine, see his angle
He's a light machine.
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Surprisingly, this song is about the disease \'St. Vitus Dance\' or Sydenam\'s Chorea, which comes from the Greco-Roman word implying the act of dancing. The word chorea was first applied by Paracelsus to the frenzied movements of religious fanatics who, during the middle ages, journeyed to the healing shrine of St. Vitus.
Additionally, I always thought there was an Andy Worhol connection. Warhol actually did have St. Vitas Dance as a child, and it had lingering effects.
And the lines about accessories, flash lights, triggered dancing, kind of remind me of Warhol's mass produced art.
But maybe I'm reaching on this one.
This is probably nothing more than a product of my sick mind, but when i hear mention of an involuntary movement disease and flashing lights in the same context, i think epilepsy. When i think of epilepsy and dancing on stage, I think Ian Curtis. Hopefully this serves as nothing more than a testament to how perverted my thoughts are and not a reflection on the actual song meaning..
Peter Murphy had a kind of spastic way of dancing and it usually involved strobe lights so you're Ian Curtis metaphor really isn't so farfetched.
I never like trying to think that Bauhaus is to be taken on anything other than face value but if I had to think of a meaning for this song I'd say maybe it has a connection to the developing goth and deathrock club scene...?
lol idk
Ergot on bread. Similar to L.S.D.
Huh? Where's the bread? I like an ergot explanation as much as the next guy, but I can't quite tie your meaning to the stake.
I like ChrisGnosis's interpretation!:)
At first, I have to admit I had no idea of this disease... But the lyrics did remind me of epilepsy! "Back in the good old days when dancing meant exploding", I totally love this line:)
How about it's also about sex?
The title and chorus I believe refers to the disease from the Middle Ages , as the commenter at the top points out. The rest of the lyrics are all about lighting with electric flash ,flash accessories,techniques and the photographer "he" He has got many flash units ,colored filters,an accessory on his hip to fire them all at once. My favorite lines "If you really want to know what that means, He could through full/blue flash at 85 feet. That's bright! "But perhaps his most exciting development is his angle" his unique point of view when making his photograph. I love Bauhaus and this song I've often wondered about the meaning. Saint vitus-patron saint of dancers and his namesake disease/on one hand. Photographer and his gear and vision on the other. Still pondering.