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Slave To The Rhythm Lyrics

She dances in the sheets at night
She dances to his needs
She dances 'til he feels just right
Until he falls asleep

She dances at the crack of dawn
And quickly cooks his food
She can't be late, can't take too long
The kids must get to school

[Chorus: (2x)]
She's a slave to the rhythm
She's a slave to the rhythm of
She's a slave to the rhythm
She's a slave to the rhythm of
The rhythm of love, the rhythm of love

She dances for the man at work
Who works her all the time
She cant be rude, as she tells him
"I must be home tonight"
She dances to the kitchen stove
Dinner is served by nine
He says "this foods an hour late,
She must be out her mind..."

[Chorus]

She works so hard, just to make her way
For a man who just don't appreciate
And Though he takes her love in vein
She just could not stop, (she) Goes and breaks his chain
She danced the night
That they fell out
She swore she'd dance no more
But then she did, she did not quit
And she ran out the door
She Danced through the night
In fear of her life
She danced to a beat of her own
Then she learned how to cry
and swallow the pride
She knew she was needed back home
'cause
[Chorus]
Song Info
Submitted by
rufus7309 On Feb 12, 2011
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3 Meanings

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Cover art for Slave To The Rhythm lyrics by Michael Jackson

dancing = sex

he's talking about a wife in an abusive relationship with her husband who forces her to have sex with him when she doesn't want to. Towards the end of the song she tries to leave him but she can't

Cover art for Slave To The Rhythm lyrics by Michael Jackson

I believe dance is not EQUAL to sex as the previous commenter said. It has a different meaning. When "she dances", she "does", "doesn't stop him", "complies", she faces it, she lives her reality.

On the first part, it's implied that it's sex. it's different from saying that dance = sex. Also, we can deduce that dance is not exactly sex but that context I mentioned before when we read the rest of the song. Ex: "She dances to the kitchen stove"

The first thing we think when listening to the first part of the song is that she's caught in an abusive relationship, what she is, indeed. However, the song is not fully attached to this. It also implies that she suffers at work. ("She dances for the man at work/Who works her over time/She can't be rude when she says/Sir, I must be home tonight").

In my opinion, the whole song is about women being abused, subjugated by men and not being able to "break free", but focusing more on the abusive relationships ("Still she could not stop/Couldn't break his chains" ... "She swore she'd dance no more/But then she did, he did not quit/As she ran out the door/She dances to the night in fear of her life/She danced to a beat of her own/She let out a cry and swallowed her pride/She knew she was needed back home/'Cause she's a slave to rhythm").

My Interpretation
Cover art for Slave To The Rhythm lyrics by Michael Jackson

I'm not sure it's all that sinister, from a certain point of view. It may be, at least some of it, merely about the repetitiveness and futility of life - for a female. But then again, it may simply be abusive relationships.