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Morgan Robbins

Profesor Hellmers

Eng 1201

17 February 2021

Unrequited Love

"I know where you're at, I bet she's around,” a phrase in Robyn’s song, “Dancing on My Own,”

represents the self-destructive tendencies of someone who chatises themselves for loving someone they can’t be

with. In a famous remake by Calum Scott, he uses the same lyrics, yet he expresses the emotions in a different

way. In the edition released in 2016 by Scott, a man is solemnly watching the man who he is infatuated with in a

relationship with a woman. In the older version released in 2010 by Robyn, a woman is jealously watching as

the man she desires is dancing with another woman. In an interview, Robyn said she had originally written the

song without regard to one's sexuality. However, Scotts’s retake on the song is about him, as a gay man, in love

with a straight male. Calum Scott’s adaptation of the song “Dancing On My Own” adds a further emotional

sentiment to Robyn’s version. While both share the same theme of unrequited love, Robyn’s account of the song

is more upbeat than Scott’s more somber interpretation of the song.

In the beginning of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” she is standing in a sea of dancing people and red

lights as upbeat music begins to play. The scene then changes to her standing in front of a microphone and

speakers. Robyn sings “Somebody said you got a new friend”, and clenches her hands into fists in front of her

body. She then goes on to sing, “Does she love you better than I can?” Her jealousy seems to envelop her as she

is standing and watching the two together. The song is about heartbreak from the perspective of a woman who is

jealous of another woman. Robyn claims that the purpose of the song is to be “a record about the dancefloor”. It

is geared toward people searching for an enjoyable song to which one is able to dance and sing.

In contrast, Scott had a different approach to the tone of the song. He originally performed the song as

part of his audition on Britain’s Got Talent. Later, he independently released the song and video. In the
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beginning of the video, he is standing in a group of people who are positioned in multiple lines. These people

are all dressed in white suits and staring forward in a dark room with no clear emotion displayed on their faces.

Although his version contains the same lyrics, it is sung in a very depressing manner. He slowly watches as a

man and women move from their standing placements and walk to each other. Scott sings “Does she love you

better than I can?” Unlike Robyn, he seems to be shrouded by sadness and not anger or jealousy. The song is

aimed toward those who have experienced heartbreak and is not meant to be a cheerful song.

Although both versions express a sense of loving someone you cannot have, the notion of

unreciprocated love is portrayed in two different ways. Scott’s video, combined with the somber beat,

completely changes the mood of the initial edition. In the original song, the tempo is fast, yet Scott slowed it

down considerably. Both vocalists sing the lyrics, “I’m in the corner watching you kiss her.” It can be

interpreted by the listener that when Scott is expressing those words, he is in a dark and dreary corner, sadly

watching the man he loves with another person. Conversely, as Robyn sings those same words and punches the

air it’s in a jealous yet defiant manner.

The videos of the songs differ greatly in the colors and backgrounds used. The music videos set the

stage for the type of song each was trying to depict. In Robyn’s background, she is at a club, which can be seen

as energetic, while Scott is in a dark and gloomy room. Furthermore, the colors in Robyn’s video are red and

black, representing almost an angry portrayal. On the other hand, the colors in the remake by Scott are starkly

white or dreary and blue, similar to the mood of the song.

The main difference between the two versions of the song is how each is conveyed. Although the lyrics

are the same, the personalities displayed by the singers cause the listening experience to be totally different.

Robyn dances and stomps around during the video, almost how an angry toddler throwing a tantrum would

behave. Her voice echoes with jealousy. Scott has done a complete 180 on the song. His voice almost seems to

quiver as he sings. Each artist exhibits a different type of emotion. He replaces the original version of the song

with a version that tugs at the listener’s heartstrings, and does not provoke jealousy or anger, only sadness.
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Both songs use pathos to invoke feelings in the listener. The way in which Scott presents the idea of

unrequited love evokes sadness in the listener, while Robyn’s presentation of the song triggers the listener to

feel jealousy and resentment. The audience for Robyn’s video may have a much wider reach. It can be for those

who have experienced the same feelings, or it can even be enjoyed by those who have not. However, Calum

Scott’s interpretation of the song and his video are much sadder with a slower pace and aimed toward those

who have experienced heartbreak.

Although both artists sing the same lyrics, the different techniques used by the vocalists create two

completely different experiences for the listener. “I'm in the corner watching you kiss her” is used in Robyn’s

version to represent jealousy, while it is used to represent sadness in Calum’s video. Because Calum invokes a

woeful feeling in his version of the song, while Robyn incites a feeling of envy in her version, either version

may be relatable and enjoyed by many different people with diverse experiences, demonstrating it is a fantastic

song, regardless of the context.

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Works Cited:

Robyn. “Dancing On My Own.” Robyn. Youtube, 28 May 2010,

youtu.be/CcNo07Xp8aQ. Accessed 14 February 2021.

Scott, Calum. “Dancing On My Own.” Youtube, 15 Jan. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31tGyBJhRY.

Accessed 14 February 2021.

Songfacts. “Dancing On My Own by Robyn - Songfacts.” Song Meanings at Songfacts,

www.songfacts.com/facts/robyn/dancing-on-my-own. Accessed 14 February 2021.