Backstory
Like many people, I live with depression. For me, dancing is more than a pastime—it is one of the things that can interrupt the heaviness and help me begin to feel like myself again.
I wanted to write an upbeat dance song about that, but I quickly ran into a problem: words like “depression” tell the truth, but they do not fit naturally into a high-energy dance chorus. I kept looking for a way to say it that felt direct, funny, and alive. Eventually, it led to this:
NOT goin’ OUT, sick in BED
Called the doctor, doctor SAID:
Got a PULSE? You ain’t DEAD!
Get your ASS up! DANCE instead!
That was the chorus. It says what I wanted to say: sometimes the first step is not fixing everything. It is getting out of bed, getting moving, and giving yourself a chance to feel better.
Because of the word “ASS,” the song has to carry an Explicit (“E”) badge on streaming and distribution services. I do not think that one word should require it, but those are the rules.
I love that the song begins in the place depression can put you: sick in bed, with no desire to get up. Dancing does not erase depression for the whole day, and I do not pretend it does. But it can change the start of the day—and for me, that matters. My hope is that this song gives someone else that same little push to get up, move, and dance instead.