In 1984, Bruce Springsteen released his seventh studio album Born in the U.S.A. The album became Springsteen’s biggest commercial success and produced an impressive seven top ten singles. One of those singles – and the album’s lead single – was “Dancing in the Dark”. In this article, we will dive into the story, meaning, and legacy behind the song.
The Story Behind the Song
If it was up to Bruce Springsteen, “Dancing In The Dark” would’ve never been written. Having written close to 80 songs in a 2-year period for the album Born in the U.S.A., Springsteen was word-for-word ‘tired and bored with himself’. But his manager Jon Landau felt the album lacked a hit single and urged Springsteen to write one.
[Landau] felt we didn’t have a single, that one song that was going to throw gasoline on the fire,” Springsteen wrote in his biography Born To Run. “That meant more work for me, and for once, more work was the last thing I was interested in. We argued, gently, and I suggested that if he felt we needed something else, he write it.”
Despite the argument, and the disinterest in writing another song, Springsteen wrote “Dancing in the Dark” the same night. The song reflected his feelings of alienation, exhaustion, and desire to escape the recording studio. A message that is easily missed due to the song’s catchy sound.
Springsteen eventually recorded “Dancing in the Dark” together with the E street band on February 14, 1984. The song is characterized by its upbeat dance sound and the use of synthesizers, which was a departure from Springsteen’s usual sound. It was the last song recorded for the album and marked the completion of Born in the U.S.A.
Given Landau’s request, it’s only logical that “Dancing in the Dark” was used as the album’s lead single. The song reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was a worldwide top-10 hit. It became Springsteen’s biggest commercial hit.
The Meaning of The Song
“Dancing in the Dark” is a song about Springsteen’s frustration and isolation as a musician. After writing songs non-stop for a period of 2 years between 1982 and 1984, he wanted to get out of the studio and finish Born in the U.S.A. Despite Springsteen’s desires, he first had to write a hit single for the album. Springsteen commented the song was ‘heartfelt’ and ‘as far in the direction of pop music as he wanted to go’.
The song is essentially Springsteen’s answer to manager Landau’s wish for a hit single. Springsteen complains that you can’t start a fire (write a hit single) without a spark (inspiration). Funnily enough, this frustration became the exact spark behind “Dancing in the Dark”.
The Legacy of Dancing in the Dark
Part of the song’s success was its iconic music video. The video was directed by Brian De Palma and partially filmed during the concert opener of the Born in the U.S.A. tour. At the end of the video, Springsteen invites the then-unknown actress Courteney Cox on stage to dance with him. The music video received heavy airplay on MTV and even won Springsteen an MTV award for ‘Best Stage Performance’.
As stated earlier, “Dancing in the Dark” became Bruce Springsteen’s biggest hit. The song charted worldwide and even became the best-selling single in Australia in 1984. The album Born in the U.S.A. was even more successful. Together with “Dancing in the Dark”, the album produced seven top-ten singles including “I’m on Fire”, “My Hometown”, “Born in the U.S.A.”, and “Glory Days”. The album would eventually sell over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
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