Just Dance (song)

singles chronology
Digital single(s)	Beautiful, Dirty, Rich Christmas Tree

Just Dance is the lead single from Gaga's debut album, The Fame, the song features labelmate Colby O'Donis with additional vocals by Akon. The song was nominated for Best Dance Recording in the 51st Grammy Awards. The song title was also used in the song Monster.

Writing and inspiration

January 2008, Gaga had a goodbye party with her lowersides friends of New York the night before and someone from the label picked her up from the bar to the airplane. She then met RedOne, he played her a beat and she started singing 'I've had a little too much' and wanted a record about being drunk. In an interview with The Miami Herald Gaga explained her inspiration for writing the song. She said,

"I was very hungover. I wrote the song in about 10 minutes with [producer] RedOne. And it was my first time being in a Hollywood studio. Very pristine, big huge room with giant speakers."

The singer-songwriter also told HX Magazine:

" I was taken very quickly out of my party lifestyle. I wrote it instantly - like it flew out of my body." She explained in the same interview the meaning of the song as "If you've ever been so high that it's, like, scary, the only way you can deal with it is not deal with it, so you just kind of dance through the intoxication." She further explained what she meant: "It's about being drunk or high at a club and you dance through it, like you do in all stretches of life, when obsctacles come, dance through it."

After the song was created, they called Akon for a quick listening in the studio. He was so impressed that he wanted to help Gaga and he wrote the verse sung by Colby O'Donis on the final version.

Composition

"Just Dance" is an uptempo dance song. The song combines synths of clipped marching beats, sawing electronics and contains mild R&B infused beats. The song is set in compound time with a moderate beat rate of 124 beats per minute. It is written in the key of C♯ minor. Gaga's vocal spans the two octaves of G3 to C5. The song begins with a fast tempo following by the synth arrangement and Gaga uttering "RedOne". The song goes into the same tempo during the chorus with Gaga's vocals spanning from B3 to C♯. The chords are arranged in the progression of F—Am—C—G—D—F—Am—C—G—D—F. Colby O'Donis sings the interlude in the same range as Gaga. An R&B influenced interlude is sung by Gaga, after which the chorus is repeated with Colby providing backup vocals and the marching beats. The song ends with an echoing of the word "dance".

Live performance

For a specific performance see "Live Performances".

Just Dance is one of the song performed on every concert since her debut in 2008. Typical performance in 2008 included the utilisation of the disco stick with her famous, Frozen crystals glasses during the break ("Half psychotic sick hypnotic"). Some of the concerts included Colby O'Dnnis vocals and some other had his part cut from the song. In 2008 to 2009, the ending of Just Dance had the Richard Vission's remix of the song edited by Space Cowboy. For the New Kids on the Block:Live tour, the orchestral version of Just Dance was played as introduction for the song. This 60 seconds version was created by Space Cowboy and is featured in the episode Just Dance, the Opera of the Transmission Gagavision. The ending was replaced by a new one during The Fame Ball Tour. For the Monster Ball Tour, the song is slightly remixed during the beginning and have no special ending.

Backdrop

The backdrop used for Just Dance in 2008 was footage from the music video edited.

Acoustic version

There are two rendition of Just Dance at the piano performed by Lady Gaga at the moment. The first performance was recorded for Live at the Cherrytree Records and the second was at Marc Jacobs' After Party in 2009. The Cherrytree's version is not acoustic but rather a "Stripped Down" rendition of the song and is featured on the live EP, The Cherrytree Sessions. The second and first piano adapation of the song is Lady Gaga's take on Gary Go cover of her song.

Commercial Release

Main Article: Just Dance (single)

Music video

Main Article: Just Dance (music video)

Lyrics

[Lady Gaga] RedOne
[Akon] Konvict
[Lady Gaga] Ga Ga
[Akon] Oh, yeah

[Lady Gaga]
I’ve had a little bit too much (much) (oh oh oh oh)
All of the people start to rush (start to rush by)
A dizzy twister dance, can’t find my drink or man
Where are my keys, I lost my phone (phone) (oh oh oh oh)

What’s go-ing on-on the floor?
I love this record baby but I can’t see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what’s the name of this club?
I can’t remember but it’s alright, a-alright

Just dance, gonna be okay (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, spin that record babe (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, gonna be okay (duh-duh-duh)
Dance, dance, dance, just ju-ju-just dance

Wish I could shut my playboy mouth (oh oh oh oh)
How’d I turn my shirt inside out? (inside out right)
Control your poison babe, roses have thorns they say
And we’re all gettin’ hosed tonight (oh oh oh oh)

What’s go-ing on-on the floor?
I love this record baby but I can’t see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what’s the name of this club?
I can’t remember but it’s alright, a-alright

Just dance, gonna be okay (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, spin that record babe (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, gonna be okay (duh-duh-duh)
Dance, dance, dance, just ju-ju-just dance

[Colby O'Donis]
When I come through on the dance floor checkin' out that catalogue
Can’t believe my eyes so many women without a flaw
And I ain’t gonna give it up, steady tryna pick it up like a call
I’ma hit it up beat it up latch on to it until tomorrow yeah

Shawty I can see that you got so much energy
The way you twirlin' up them hips round and round
And there is no reason at all why you can't leave here with me
In the meantime stay, let me watch you break it down and

[Lady Gaga]
Dance, gonna be okay (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, spin that record babe (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, gonna be okay (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, spin that record babe (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, gonna be okay (duh-duh-duh)
Dance, dance, dance, just ju-ju-just dance

Half psychotic sick hypnotic
got my blueprint it's symphonic
Half psychotic sick hypnotic
got my blueprint electronic
Half psychotic sick hypnotic
got my blueprint it's symphonic
Half psychotic sick hypnotic
got my blueprint electronic

Go, use your muscle carve it out work it hustle
[Colby O'Donis]
I got it, just stay close enough to get it
[Lady Gaga]
Don't slow, drive it, clean it, Lysol bleed it
Spend the last dough (I got it)
In your pocko (I got it)

Just dance, gonna be okay (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, spin that record babe (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, gonna be okay (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, spin that record babe (da-da-doot-n)
Just dance, gonna be okay (duh-duh-duh)
Dance, dance, dance, just ju-ju-just dance

Music Background Vocals: Lady Gaga, Akon, RedOne, Colby O'Donis All instruments played and programmed by RedOne. Engineered by Dave Russell

Personnel Recorded by RedOne at Record Plant (Hollywood, CA) Publishing (BMI) Sony/ATV Songs, LLC/ House of Gaga Publishing (BMI) / RedOne Productions, LLC (BMI)

Era Discography HitMixes The Cherrytree Sessions Videography Performances The Fame Ball Fashion Media Just Dance (feat. Colby O'Donis) "LoveGame" "Paparazzi" "Poker Face" "I Like It Rough" "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" "Starstruck (feat. Flo Rida & Space Cowboy)" "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" "The Fame" "Money Honey" "Boys Boys Boys" "Paper Gangsta" "Brown Eyes" "Summerboy" Bonus tracks "Disco Heaven" "Again Again" "Retro, Dance, Freak"