Music
The lyrics perfectly capture Barbie’s struggle.
by Stephanie Topacio Long
Updated:
Originally Published:
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 can
Find me under the lights
Diamonds under my eyes
Turn the rhythm up
Don’t you wanna just
Come along for the ride
Oh my outfit so tight
You can see my heart beat tonight
I can take the heat
Baby best believe
That’s the moment I shine
Cuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damn
When the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chance
I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of place
Lately I’ve been
Moving close to the edge
Still be looking my best
I stay on the beat
You can count on me
I ain’t missing no steps
Cuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damn
When the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chance
I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of place
When my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about me
I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of place
Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of place
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of place
When my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about me
I could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Dance the night
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