Taking Generation X’s 1981 hit Dancing With Myself and incorporating it into a sassy, sixties ‘new
wave’ soundtrack, French band Nouvelle Vague have created something marvellously
different to the generation of music.
While the lead singer holds their French infused melody with
the simple, happy guitar riff remaining constant, in their video she cherry-picks
that track from the jukebox and brings another ‘bossa nova’ with a smooth and
slinky solo strut through a diner café.
All the men within the cafe, whether sitting in the booths
chatting and having a meal or playing at the pool table while she is twirling,
arms in the air, looking extremely pleased with herself, they barely
acknowledge her. Their blank expressions of uncertainty with this female character
portray that she is indeed, dancing with herself.
Comparing this to Billy Idol’s (Generation X) original, it is incredible to see the different
takes on both the style and tone of the music and the actual ideas behind the music
video.
Billy Idol’s zombie infested video, blasting the tune in an
industrial basement of some sort is a complete contrast to Nouvelle Vague’s slowed
down, higher octave version. The girly
prancing along a black and white checker floor is quite diverse from the rocky
horror thriller show who all want a piece of Billy as this is not the case for the
Nouvelle Vague’s girl as it seems that nobody wants to dance with her.
In another scene she lights up a cigarette looking a bit
more than unimpressed at the fact that nobody is willing to dance with her no
matter how much she hints and insinuates in front of the surrounding men.
By
the end she realises it is not going to happen.
This line sums up a lot about people in life:
“If I had the chance I’d ask the world to dance and I’d be dancing with myself”
Take note, dancing can be fun - have some fun!
Click to see Nouvelle Vague, Dancing with Myself:
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