Let's Dance – English Lyrics

• By: David Bowie
• Album: Let's Dance

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into David Bowie's iconic hit 'Let's Dance,' a vibrant fusion of funk, new wave, and dance-rock that became a global sensation. Beyond its infectious rhythm, the song's lyrics and groundbreaking music video offer powerful insights into social themes, making it a rich and engaging piece for language learners to explore cultural commentary and nuanced lyrical expression.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music noun - an act of dancing
red /rɛd/ A1	adjective - of a color like that of blood or fire
shoes /ʃuːz/ A1	noun - footwear
blues /bluːz/ B1	noun - a melancholic music of black American folk origin
song /sɔŋ/ A1	noun - a musical composition with words
radio /ˈreɪdioʊ/ A1	noun - the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves
sway /sweɪ/ B1	verb - to move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side. noun - a rhythmical movement from side to side.
color /ˈkʌlər/ A1	noun - the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light.
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front of the head, from the forehead to the chin
crowd /kraʊd/ A2	noun - a large number of people gathered together
empty /ˈɛmpti/ B1	adjective - containing nothing
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
hide /haɪd/ A1	verb - to put something or someone out of sight
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
flower /ˈflaʊər/ A1	noun - a plant's seed-bearing part, comprising reproductive organs
fear /fɪər/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger, real or imagined
grace /ɡreɪs/ B2	noun - refined or elegant movement; poise
tonight /təˈnaɪt/ A1	noun - the night that is now passing or the night that is coming
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs to see with
moonlight /ˈmuːnlaɪt/ A2	noun - the light of the moon
serious /ˈsɪəriəs/ B1	adjective - demanding or characterized by careful thought or consideration

Key Grammar Structures

• Put on your red shoes and dance the blues

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase “Put on” is an imperative verb, a command or instruction. The whole sentence is a sequence of commands.

• To the song they're playin' on the radio

  ➔ Present continuous tense (progressive)

  ➔ "They're playin'" is a shortened form of "they are playing," indicating an action that is happening at the moment of speaking or around the time of speaking.

• While color lights up your face

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "while"

  ➔ "While" introduces a subordinate clause that happens at the same time as the main clause. It indicates simultaneity.

• If you say run, I'll run with you

  ➔ Conditional sentences (Type 1)

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional, expressing a real possibility. "If" + simple present, "will" + base form.

• Because my love for you would break my heart in two

  ➔ Conditional sentences (Type 2 - hypothetical situation)

  ➔ This hints at a Type 2 conditional (mixed) due to the “would” indicating a hypothetical situation, though the “if” clause is missing here. It suggests the consequence of a hypothetical event related to intense love.

• For fear your grace should fall

  ➔ "Should" as a subjunctive marker

  ➔ The use of "should" after "for fear" indicates the subjunctive mood, expressing uncertainty or a desired outcome.

• You could look into my eyes

  ➔ Modal verb "could"

  ➔ "Could" indicates possibility, ability, or a polite suggestion. Here it suggests a possibility or an invitation.

• Tremblin' like a flower

  ➔ Present participle phrase used as an adjective

  ➔ "Tremblin' like a flower" modifies the subject implicitly (the person who might fall into my arms) and describes their state. It's a reduced relative clause (who is trembling...).