I think it's clear that this song is a general commentary on our materialistic and shallow appearance-obsessed culture, specifically as it's applied to women and also some men.
Look at the first few (spoken) lines:
Silicon, saline, poison inject me
Baby, I'm a free bitch
I'm a free bitch
So we're "free bitch(es)", but we still feel obligated to inject ourselves with poisons to "look better". But this girl, the one the song is about, she doesn't "dance to the beat of (that) track". She does her own thing, but it's not good enough for her boyfriend, who then says "she's a mess". So "she's stressed", she goes full-on make up, "vamp" out, and now the boyfriend says "she's a tramp".
Sounds like a swell guy, yet it's an example of the double bind women face - don't prettify, and you're a mess. Prettify, and you're a tramp.
This also fits in with the chorus, which Gaga has said: " is about a girl who likes to have sex with the lights off because she is embarrassed about her body... "She doesn't want her man to see her naked. She will be free, and she will let her inner animal out, but only when the lights are out,"
Work your Jon Benet Ramsey
We'll haunt like Liberace
Find your freedom in the music
Find your Jesus
Find your Kubrick
You will never fall apart
Diana, you're still in our hearts
Never let you fall apart
Together we'll dance in the dark
Where she's basically saying 'hey, we're all there, we all hate our bodies sometimes'. Yet despite that, you should still shine, still work it in whatever way makes you happy and comfortable. Like, even if it's done in the dark, you must still DANCE.
Some additional notes on the people mentioned by name: They are all people who met a tragic demise too early.
You can see that the women (and girl) on the list all were renowned for struggles with their self-esteem, in some cases including drug and alcohol abuse (Judy Garland). The men noted were all creators of a kind, maybe signifying the freedom that artistry brings?
![Cover art for Dance In the Dark [Explicit Version] lyrics by Lady GaGa](https://images.songmeanings.com/a1697202-1e65-468c-865f-f9802db913ac.webp)
I think it's clear that this song is a general commentary on our materialistic and shallow appearance-obsessed culture, specifically as it's applied to women and also some men.
Look at the first few (spoken) lines:
Silicon, saline, poison inject me Baby, I'm a free bitch I'm a free bitch
So we're "free bitch(es)", but we still feel obligated to inject ourselves with poisons to "look better". But this girl, the one the song is about, she doesn't "dance to the beat of (that) track". She does her own thing, but it's not good enough for her boyfriend, who then says "she's a mess". So "she's stressed", she goes full-on make up, "vamp" out, and now the boyfriend says "she's a tramp".
Sounds like a swell guy, yet it's an example of the double bind women face - don't prettify, and you're a mess. Prettify, and you're a tramp.
This also fits in with the chorus, which Gaga has said: " is about a girl who likes to have sex with the lights off because she is embarrassed about her body... "She doesn't want her man to see her naked. She will be free, and she will let her inner animal out, but only when the lights are out,"
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_in_the_Dark)
Gaga's other comments explain the spoken bridge:
Work your Jon Benet Ramsey We'll haunt like Liberace Find your freedom in the music Find your Jesus Find your Kubrick You will never fall apart Diana, you're still in our hearts Never let you fall apart Together we'll dance in the dark
Where she's basically saying 'hey, we're all there, we all hate our bodies sometimes'. Yet despite that, you should still shine, still work it in whatever way makes you happy and comfortable. Like, even if it's done in the dark, you must still DANCE.
Some additional notes on the people mentioned by name: They are all people who met a tragic demise too early.
Marilyn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe Judy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Garland Sylvia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Plath JonBenét: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_benet_ramsey Diana: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana,_Princess_of_Wales
Liberace: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberace Jesus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christ Kubrick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick
You can see that the women (and girl) on the list all were renowned for struggles with their self-esteem, in some cases including drug and alcohol abuse (Judy Garland). The men noted were all creators of a kind, maybe signifying the freedom that artistry brings?