Music video by David Bowie performing Let’s Dance.
Heavily influenced by producer Nile Rodgers’ work with his band Chic, “Let’s Dance” features a thumping bassline, and was arguably Bowie’s most commercial record up to that point.
While the lyrics are ostensibly just those of a dance song, there is some discord struck by lines such as “Let’s dance, for fear tonight is all”. The 7:38 album version was heavily edited for single release, though the 12” single retained the full length.
This loneliness and desperation seeps into the music video, made with David Mallet on location in Australia including Coonabarabran and the Warrumbungle National Park in New South Wales, as well as Sydney Harbour, which features Bowie watching an Aboriginal couple’s struggles against metaphors of Western cultural imperialism impassively while playing with his band. Red court shoes make several prominent appearances in the video, alluding to the song lyric “Put on your red shoes and dance the blues”.
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
Let’s dance put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let’s dance to the song
they’re playin’ on the radio
Let’s sway
while color lights up your face
Let’s sway
sway through the crowd to an empty space
If you say run, I’ll run with you
If you say hide, we’ll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let’s dance for fear
your grace should fall
Let’s dance for fear tonight is all
Let’s sway you could look into my eyes
Let’s sway under the moonlight,
this serious moonlight
If you say run, I’ll run with you
If you say hide, we’ll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let’s dance put on your red shoes
and dance the blues
Let’s dance to the song
they’re playin’ on the radio
Let’s sway you could look into my eyes
Let’s sway under the moonlight,
this serious moonlight