Dance Song '97

I always thought it was just about intense, uncontrollable passion and desire. I don't understand why it has to be able being gay or about being in love with someone of the same sex, other than the singer is sometimes into women. There are no pronouns in this song other than "you" and "I." Oh wait, i guess they refer to desire as "she"...but I think that's more of a personification of desire itself, rather than an actual person.

I hate how people assume that every sleater Kinney song is about being gay or that corin Tucker is singing about being in love with a girl or even Carrie brownstein herself. This song specifically is very general about the terms and the gender it's being reffered to. In any case is about being in love in general. Not one single gender is signaled out in this song. It's just a great song about the feelings of being in love for the first time. When I first heard the intro to this song and that little guitar line that kinda spirals and the whole album in general, I knew the potential of sleater Kinney and now looking back at them, they have exceeded my expectations and anyone elses for that matter.

I think it might be about coming out; about being gay and knowing it no matter how much you try to run away from it.

well you know there ain't no doubt when the feeling finds you out you know you can try to run i tell you it still will come

It's pretty clear, you have no doubt and you can feel it. And when you really feel it, no matter how much you try to run, it's not going anywhere.

when you feel your body shake trip and fall you can't walk straight baby then you know it's done you can feel your heart is stung

This part is about falling in love.

you're the one that i saw you're the one that i want

Ok there're 2 explanations for this one:

1: corin is still talking about how falling in love feels (general) 2: the narrator/singer has a crush on this person she's talking about. So she states self-confidently that this person is the one she wants. (personal)

well you can try to keep it down try not to let the words come out but i tell you it's no use in your eyes they see right through

Most people find it hard to even say they are gay at first. so you might try to keep it inside, not let it out. But it's no use, it's part of who you are, like a visible part of you (not sure about this last one)

if you're going way too hard if you're feeling way too much but inside you can't stop desire she eats you up

It's hard with all the emotions and feelings kept inside and all the fear. You try to keep your true desires down, but you know what you really want, "desire, she eats you up" I think this impersonation of desire as a "she" also might be reflecting both the sex of this person and the sex of the person she wants, meaning it's a female and she's a lesbian, so she wants girls/women.

Finally the song is called Dance Song '97 because it's obviously very suitable for dancing.

OR

the whole song is about falling in love and dealing with it.

A love song?

I like your interpretation salvo.

I think they may have also called it "dance song 97" because they are using a few different prerecorded drum loops instead of an actual drum track.

This is one of my favourite SK songs ever. The entire opening part and music during the verses is so catchy. I find the chorus part a little annoying, but that is part of the appeal.

well, you know... it's kind of got that feel of walking into a bar/club/venue and spying that particular someone that really does it for you. it's the crush you finally decide to act upon because you can't stop thinking about it.

spiffy, its obvious about being in love

but of some one the same sex