John, I'm Only Dancing

"John, I'm Only Dancing"
A black-and-white photo of a man singing into a microphone. The words "David Bowie", "John, I'm Only Dancing" and "Hang On to Yourself" appear at the top.
Single by David Bowie
B-side"Hang On to Yourself"
Released
  • 1 September 1972 (1972-09-01) (original version)
  • April 1973 (sax version)
Recorded
  • 26 June 1972 (original)
  • 20 January 1973 (sax version)
Studio
Genre
Length
  • 2:49 (original)
  • 2:43 (sax version)
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)David Bowie
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Starman"
(1972) 		"John, I'm Only Dancing"
(1972) 		"The Jean Genie"
(1972)
Music video
"John, I'm Only Dancing" (Official Video) on YouTube

"John, I'm Only Dancing" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, originally released as a non-album single on 1 September 1972. A glam rock and R&B number, the lyrics describe a situation in which the narrator informs his lover not to worry about the girl he is with because he is "only dancing" with her. Although ambiguous, many interpreted it as concerning a gay relationship. Recorded in London in June 1972, it was boosted by a low-budget promotional video directed by Mick Rock. It reached number 12 in the UK; RCA refused to release it in America due to its suggestive lyrical content.

Bowie rerecorded the song in January 1973 for possible inclusion on Aladdin Sane. RCA issued this recording, featuring a new arrangement with saxophone, as a single in April 1973 with the same song title, catalogue number, and B-side as the original. During the 1974 sessions for Young Americans, Bowie re-worked the song into a funk and disco-influenced number, updating the lyrics and instrumentation. Titled "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)", the new version was a mainstay during the late 1974 Soul tour. Passed over for inclusion on Young Americans, the reworking remained unreleased until RCA issued it as a single in 1979 at the height of disco's popularity. Like the original, it charted at number 12 in the UK.