Dancing with Tears in My Eyes
May 4, 1984
Dancing with Tears in My Eyes is a song by Ultravox from 1984, which was written by Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann. The song was coupled on May 4, 1984 as the second single from the album Lament.
History
The song lyrically deals with the question of what one would do in the event of a nuclear catastrophe in the last minutes of his life still remaining. The text provides as a possible answer to that one goes home and spends the last few minutes with a loved one. The German translation of the title " Dancing with tears in my eyes " is just one aspect of this. It's about the realization that one's life will inevitably come to an end and you have to deal with death and the one to tears.
The melody and chord structure composed Currie in 1983, influenced by the music of Michael Rother, at his residence near Notting Hill Gate. The song was added to Midge Ure Music Festival Studios in Chiswick in southwest London and produced by the band itself. The single was released on 4 May 1984 by Chrysalis Records. In Belgium, the Synthie-Pop-/New-Wave-Song was a number -one hit.
The maxi single was released in three different versions: a conventional plate cover, with a gatefold cover and a transparent vinyl with gatefold cover. All versions had the same catalog number. On the B - side of the piano ballad Building is included.
Music Video
The screenplay was written by Ure and Cross, which led also directed the video. In the video, the band members play in different roles; Ure plays the main character, Currie and cross can be seen as a scientist, Cann plays a uniformed security guard and a priest. The storylines in the video are cut according to the verses and choruses. At the beginning it comes in a nuclear power plant to overheating of the reactor core and an explosion is inevitable. During the first verse Midge Ure travels clueless home. In the second chorus breaks out in the streets of panic as the information is disseminated that a nuclear explosion is imminent and Ure continues his way home continued on foot. Once home, he spends the time until the explosion with his partner. The explosion occurred at the beginning of the guitar solo. The video ends with Celluloidaufnahmen of family events that begin to melt during the demonstration.