We wasted so many truths
that we depend
on getting by
another lie
On every other thing that dies
and as his voice beckons out
I hear the end
The end of trauma slowly setting in
My body seems to stop and freeze
Stop!
Well I just dance the way I feel
Stop breathing!
Imagine none of this is real
Well I just dance the way I feel
These are the lyrics to UK dance act, 'Ou Est Le Swimming Pool' 's recent debut single.
This song has become rather mainstream, but I love the authenticity in the song's lyrics.
It's the type of song that provides the listener the ability to get lost in the rhythm, pace and emotional intensity.
There are so many takes on what this song is loosely based around, from the tale of a lost lover, lost sense of self or lost friend. Clickmusic.com describes ‘Dance the way I feel’ as “A well-produced and insanely catchy little number,”, while Triple J claims the Camden based trio’s single as an “electronic anthem.”
Personally, I love the idea of stopping, and dancing the way you feel. On one too many nights out, I have repeated this phrase to myself, in a bid to rationalise and allow my inner voice to mentally block any significances that were happening at the time.
The build-up to the chorus - a mix of synthesisers, drums and keyboards – rings eerily similar to that of a school choir.
When I think of those town stomping nights out with friends, and how vulnerable a mix of alcohol and self worth can make you feel, this song could be the ultimate soundtrack to a mental breakdown. It could be our inner selves, our core, or our inner child, singing or crying out for peace, for truce, or for emotional freedom.
In the middle of a dark, smoky and deafening club, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool’s “Dance the way I feel” would be the crediting song if my soul-searching, young adult life were to be broadcasted in a miniseries, a la’ ETV’s ‘Skins’.
Watch "Dance the way I feel" by Ou Est Le Swimming pool here
