Dance All Over Me

Album: Gold Rush Kid (2022)
Charted: 61
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Dance All Over Me" is a dancey ode to not holding back and completely giving in to your feelings for a love interest.
  • When Ezra originally wrote "Dance All Over Me" with his producer Joel Pott, its Eurobeat, disco-y sound was like nothing Ezra has recorded so far. He and Pott kept coming back to it, scratching their heads, wondering how to make it work. Eventually, right at the end of the sessions for Gold Rush Kid, Ezra grabbed Pott's old, battered guitar and started picking it.

    The band joined in, and by directly referencing the Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus country-dance song "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart," they came up with the perfect blueprint. "This song feels like new territory for me," Ezra told Apple Music. "It's a really good feeling to stand next to it and say, 'Yeah, it does sound like a curveball in a way, but it sounds like you.'"
  • Ezra released "Dance All Over Me" as the third single from Gold Rush Kid. The singer wrote and produced the album in London with his longstanding collaborator Joel Pott. Ezra titled the album The Gold Rush Kid because it's a name he gave himself, and all the songs sound like him.
  • Charlie Sarsfield directed the video, which shows Ezra swarmed by a tightly choreographed group of dancers. "The idea for 'Dance All Over Me' stemmed from taking inspiration and techniques traditionally used in hip-hop videos from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Pa Salieu, where people in the background begin to multiply," explained Sarsfield. "We wanted it to feel like George had walked onto the wrong set, surrounded by dancers. As the track progresses, the choreo really comes to life, almost as if the music inspired them to move."
  • Joel Pott played the keyboards and synthesizer along with Nikolaj Torp Larsen and Daniel Moyler. He also sang the backing vocals. The other musicians are:

    Bass: Jimmy Sims
    Drums: Fabio de Oliveira
    Piano: Nikolaj Torp Larsen
    Whistles: Ian Mizen
    Conductor: Tobie Tripp
    Violin: Marianne Haynes and Max Baillie
    Viola: Bruce White
    Cello: Ian Burdge

    Jimmy Sims is Ezra's touring bassist and Fabio de Oliveira his drummer. Danish musician Nikolaj Torp Larsen replaced Jerry Dammers in 2009 as The Specials' keyboard player.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Mark Arm of Mudhoney

Mark Arm of MudhoneySongwriter Interviews

When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.

Christopher Cross

Christopher CrossSongwriter Interviews

The man who created Yacht Rock with "Sailing" wrote one of his biggest hits while on acid.

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Def Leppard Quiz

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.