Murder On The Dancefloor

Album

Read My Lips

Label

Polydor Records

Genre

Dance-pop

Composer(s)

Sophie Ellis-Bexto;Gregg Alexander

Entered Chart

Jan 13, 2024

Peak Date

Feb 3, 2024

Released

3 December 2001

Recorded

Studio Mayfair (London, England)

B-Side

"Never Let Me Down"

This song about underhanded dance competition tactics was penned by Ellis-Bextor with the American singer-songwriter Gregg Alexander (under the pseudonym Alex Ander). Alexander, who was the mastermind behind the New Radicals ("You Get What You Give") won a Grammy for co-writing "The Game of Love" for Santana in 2003. The song became Ellis-Bextor's greatest hit internationally. It was the most-played song of 2002 in all of Europe and also went platinum in Australia, where it peaked at #3, staying in the Top Fifty for twenty weeks. The music video takes place at a dance contest, which contestant Ellis-Bextor is desperate to win. Canadian-born actor Colin Stinton, who played Neal Daniels in The Bourne Ultimatum, features as the main judge. Sophie Muller, who helmed the singer's previous video for "Take Me Home," directed the clip. This was used in the Eastenders episode where the Queen Vic burned down. Just before the fire started Ellis-Bextor could be heard singing "Gonna burn this goddamn house right down." She commented on her website: "I used to watch lots of Eastenders and I remember when I heard my first band Theaudience, being played in the show - it was a bit of an 'I've made it' moment!" The final scene of the 2023 comedy-thriller Saltburn shows Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) dancing throughout the Saltburn estate mansion in the nude to this song. Following its inclusion in the film, the Ellis-Bextor's pop hit went viral on TikTok and rocketed to #8 on the UK Singles chart.

(Murder)

It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not kill the groove
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
About your kind
And so and so and so and so and so and so and so
I'll have to play

If you think you're gettin' away
I will prove you wrong
I'll take you all the way
Boy, just come along
Hear me when I say
Hey

It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not kill the groove
Hey-hey, hey-hey
It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

Oh, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
There may be others
And so and so and so and so and so and so and so
You'll just have to pray

If you think you're gettin' away
I will prove you wrong
I'll take you all the way
Stay another song
I'll blow you all away
Hey

It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not kill the groove
Hey-hey, hey-hey
It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna turn this house around somehow
Murder on the dance floor (on the dance floor)
But you better not kill the groove (murder)
Hey-hey, hey-hey
It's murder on the dance floor (on the dance floor)
But you better not steal the moves (murder)
DJ, gonna burn this god damn house right down

(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)

Don't think you'll get away
I will prove you wrong
I'll take you all the way
Boy, just come along
Hear me when I say
Hey

It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not kill the groove (murder)
It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not steal the moves (murder)
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not kill the groove
Hey-hey, hey-hey
It's murder on the dance floor
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down
It's murder on the dance floor (on the dance floor)
But you better not kill the groove (murder)
Hey-hey, hey-hey
It's murder on the dance floor (on the dance floor)
But you better not steal the moves
DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down

Oh, I know, I know, I know, I know (murder)
I know, I know, I know (on the dancefloor)
But you better not kill the groove (murder)
Hey-hey, hey-hey