It was the dawn of junior year, a time of awkward anticipation hanging thick in the air of the high school gymnasium. Perched on the unforgivingly steep bleachers, I, like many others, was waiting to hear the roll call that would determine my physical education fate. Would I risk it all for the adventurous field trip class, or play it safe with the predictable team sports? The dread of ending up in the dreaded ‘walking P.E.’ alongside the ‘too cool for gym’ crowd and the stars of teen pregnancy documentaries loomed large.
As the minutes ticked by, and the anxiety of the gymnasium lottery built, I reached for my trusty, tangled Apple earbuds. Scrolling through the endless recommendations on Apple Music (yes, I confess, Spotify hadn’t yet won me over), a name jumped out: LCD Soundsystem. Completely unfamiliar, yet undeniably intriguing. I tapped on their album This is Happening, hoping for a sonic escape from the gym class purgatory. Little did I know, the school’s Wi-Fi was a cruel joke, refusing to stream the album without a full download. By the time the first track was ready, gym class was over before it even began. But it didn’t matter anymore.
Leaving the gym behind, I navigated the familiar hallway gauntlet, a pungent mix of teenage angst and questionable cologne hanging in the air. My destination: the school bus, a relic of mustard yellow paint fading into a peculiar black at the bottom, resembling a bruised banana peel. Much like the fruit’s discarded skin, my expectations for the bus ride were equally low.
Slumping into a patched-up seat next to a fellow student who seemed equally thrilled about my proximity, I decided to finally press play on that downloaded track: “Dance Yrself Clean.” Nine minutes long. Nine minutes! In my then-limited musical world, songs rarely dared to breach the five-minute mark. Hesitantly, curiosity piqued, I hit play.
For the first few minutes, a minimalist soundscape filled my ears. “Are my earbuds broken?” I wondered, momentarily questioning Apple’s audio quality. But no, they were functioning. The song was understated, subtly captivating. Then, at the 3:06 mark, the sonic explosion. The beat dropped, and it was as if a curtain had been pulled back, revealing a vibrant, unexplored musical universe. Instant chills. James Murphy’s voice erupted, raw and impassioned:
“Don’t you want for me to wake up?
Then give me just a bit of your time
Arguments are made from make outs
So give it just a little more time”
“What?” My teenage brain struggled to process the lyrics. “That’s…stupid, but also incredibly awesome!”
The bus ride home transformed. Lost in the sprawling soundscape of “Dance Yrself Clean,” the journey felt shorter, infinitely more memorable.
The Genius Behind “Dance Yrself Clean”
LCD Soundsystem, the brainchild of James Murphy, has carved a niche for themselves crafting tracks that resonate deeply, speaking to universal experiences across generations. They tackle themes of aging, disillusionment, and the struggle to maintain passion in the face of routine. “Dance Yrself Clean,” in particular, is an anthem of catharsis, a sonic release from the burdens and noise of everyday life, even those aspects that once defined us. It’s a deeply emotional piece, fueled by Murphy’s raw vocal delivery. In an interview with NME, Murphy recounted how the intense vocal performance during the song’s first explosive breakdown actually damaged his vocal cords, necessitating steroid treatment to complete the album recording.
Crowd at Lollapalooza watching LCD Soundsystem perform, illuminated by stage lights, capturing the energy of a live music event.
“Dance Yrself Clean” masterfully blends these relatable, often wryly observed “simple truths” with innovative instrumentation. The song’s build-up to that initial breakdown is a masterclass in layering, each verse adding another sonic texture, intensifying the anticipation. Every listen still evokes the same thrill, a feeling akin to the electric anticipation preceding the guitar solo in Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s a powerful emotional crescendo, hitting with precision and impact.
A Lasting Musical Awakening
“Dance Yrself Clean,” and the album This is Happening as a whole, served as a portal to the vast landscape of mid-2000s indie music. My musical horizons expanded exponentially, leading me to discover bands like Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, and Animal Collective, among many others. It also introduced me to the electrifying genre of dance-punk. Bands like Death From Above 1979, who perfectly embodied this genre-bending sound, became staples in my high school playlists.
This musical awakening, however, didn’t come without its social challenges. During junior year, my history teacher, bless her open-minded soul, allowed me to curate the classroom Pandora station for group work sessions. I innocently chose another track from This is Happening, “I Can Change.” The reaction was swift and brutal. A chorus of “What is this?”, “Can we change it?”, and “Miss, can I pick something else?” erupted across the room. To appease the masses, I likely defaulted to the universally palatable “Mr. Brightside radio,” effectively silencing the dissent.
The following summer, fate intervened. I had the incredible luck to witness LCD Soundsystem’s reunion tour at Lollapalooza. And “Dance Yrself Clean”? It was, without hyperbole, a concert highlight, a moment etched in my memory as pure musical euphoria. Adding to the serendipity, it was the day before I began what would become the best job of my young life. LCD Soundsystem, and especially “Dance Yrself Clean,” are inextricably linked to cherished memories. It’s a song firmly cemented in my personal top ten, a testament to its enduring impact.
The lesson learned? Don’t let the lukewarm reception of sixty teenagers dictate your musical passions. Their momentary disdain is irrelevant. In a few years, they’ll likely catch up, belatedly recognizing the brilliance you were already attuned to. Your unique taste is a sign of musical maturity, something to be celebrated, not suppressed.
