Dancing with Our Hands Tied

Last updated

"Dancing with Our Hands Tied"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Reputation
ReleasedNovember 10, 2017 (2017-11-10)
Studio
Length3:31
Label Big Machine
Songwriters
Producers
  • Max Martin
  • Shellback
  • Oscar Holter
Audio
"Dancing With Our Hands Tied" on YouTube

"Dancing with Our Hands Tied" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017). Swift wrote the song with the producers Max Martin, Shellback, and Oscar Holter. An electronic-heavy track, "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" is instrumented with propelling beats, an EDM and future bass refrain, and elements of dubstep, UK garage, drum and bass, and house music. The lyrics are about a forbidden romance. Swift performed the song regularly, as an acoustic number on her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), [1] and twice on the Eras Tour (2023—2024).

Contents

Release and live performances

Taylor Swift's sixth studio album, Reputation was released on November 10, 2017, by Big Machine Records; "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" is the eleventh track on the album. [2] [3] It was twelfth in the setlist for Swift's fifth concert tour, the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), [4] [5] during which she performed the song on the guitar. [6] [7] [a] The Early Registration's Dan Garcia noted that the acoustic performance's altered pace compared to the studio version of the track was a "standout moment". [9]

Swift performed "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" during the "surprise song" act of her next concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023―2024) on two occasions: on guitar at the second Rio de Janeiro concert on November 19, 2023; on guitar in a mashup with "The Albatross" (2024) at the second Dublin concert on June 29, 2024. [10] [11] [12]

Music and lyrics

At 3 minutes and 31 seconds, [2] "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" is an electronic-heavy song, [13] instrumented with propelling beats [14] and a "ravey" EDM and future bass refrain, [15] [16] with influences of dubstep, [17] UK garage, [18] drum and bass, [19] and house music. [20] The song is composed in the key of C minor, [21] set over a fast tempo of 160 beats per minute. [22] The production of the verses incorporates an understated synth bass and percolating synth arpeggiators, and the refrain is accompanied by a bass drop. After the bridge, between 2:45 and 3:11, Swift's vocals reach the upper register of her range, hitting F5 and G5 successively. [22] Rolling Stone 's Rob Sheffield noted the track's implementation of 1980's-style beats were similar to "Take On Me" (1984), [23] and The Independent's Roisin O'Connor opined that the production was reminiscent of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" (1984) and Robyn's "Dancing on My Own" (2010). [24] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that the track's sound was reminiscent of the "AOR-inspired sound" of 1989. [25]

In "Dancing with Our Hands Tied", Swift's narrator details a romantic relationship at 25 years old, comparing it to a forbidden romance and evoking how the lover turns her bed "into a sacred oasis". [23] [26] [27] She is aware of the public perception on her romance: "I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us." [28] [29] Refinery29's Elena Nicolaou noted that the song lyrically resembles "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" (2006) by John Mayer; she noted that both of the song's choruses are about "people intimately dancing through a doomed situation" and that the lyric, "Swaying as the room burned down," creates a lyrical parallel to Mayer's song. [30] Sheffield thought that the narrative resembled Romeo and Juliet more than "Love Story" did. [23]

Critical reception

Sheffield ranked "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" 146 out of 229 among Swift's discography as of June 20, 2023. [23] The Independent 's Roisin O'Connor highlighted the song's vulnerability, noting Swift "can be fragile" in the track. [31] Pitchfork's Jamieson Cox described the song as "featherlight". [26] The Guardian 's Alexis Petridis said the track "fruitfully" returns to the [album-oriented rock]-inspired sound of 1989 (2014). [25]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Reputation [3]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [32] Platinum70,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [33] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [34] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ At the second Tokyo concert, Swift performed "So It Goes..." (2017) in place of "Dancing with Our Hands Tied". [8]

References

  1. ↑ Verrico, Lisa (June 10, 2018). "Pop review: Taylor Swift at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester" . The Times . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Zaleski 2024, p. 143.
  3. 1 2 Swift, Taylor (2017). Reputation (CD liner notes). Big Machine Records. 00843930033102.
  4. ↑ Warner, Denise (May 9, 2018). "Here Are All the Songs Taylor Swift Played on the Opening Night of the Reputation Tour". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  5. ↑ Greene, Andy (November 28, 2018). "Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' Tour: The 10 Best Surprise Moments". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  6. ↑ Warner, Denise (May 9, 2018). "The Best Moments From the Opening Night of Taylor Swift's 'Reputation' Tour". Billboard . Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  7. ↑ Gibson, Kelsie (July 23, 2018). "The 10 Best Moments From Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour". Popsugar . Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Taylor Swift, l'ultima data del 'Reputation Tour': 'Non lo avrei immaginato nemmeno nei sogni più selvaggi' – VIDEO/SCALETTA". Rockol (in Italian). November 22, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  9. ↑ Garcia, Dan (June 2, 2018). "Taylor Swift Brings Pop Perfection to Chicago with the Reputation Tour". The Early Registration. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  10. ↑ Gomez, Dessi (December 9, 2024). "All The Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Played On Her Eras Tour". Deadline . Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  11. ↑ West, Bryan (November 17, 2023). "Fans speculate Taylor Swift's surprise song in Brazil is dedicated to fan who died". USA Today . Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  12. ↑ Iasimone, Ashley (June 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift Debuts 'The Albatross' Live in Mashup With a 'Reputation' Song in Dublin". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  13. ↑ Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  14. ↑ Bassett, Jordan (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift – Reputation Review". NME . Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  15. ↑ Empire, Kitty (November 12, 2017). "Taylor Swift: Reputation Review – Lust, Loss and Revenge". The Observer . Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  16. ↑ Chatterjee, Uppy (November 11, 2017). "Review: Taylor Swift Takes A New Direction With Reputation - But Is It The Right One?". The Music . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  17. ↑ Song, Jane (February 11, 2020). "All 158 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Paste . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  18. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (July 23, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 100 album tracks – ranked". The Independent . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  19. ↑ Rayner, Ben (November 10, 2017). "New album Reputation shows Taylor Swift in love — with the trends: review". The Toronto Star . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  20. ↑ "We Did the Impossible and Ranked Taylor Swift's 50 Best Songs of All Time". Cosmopolitan . October 6, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Taylor Swift "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" Sheet Music in C Minor". Musicnotes. Musicnotes.com. on behalf of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. November 10, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  22. 1 2 Somville & Benoit 2025, p. 278.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Sheffield, Rob (June 20, 2023). "All 229 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone Australia . Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  24. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift's album Reputation might be her best yet". The Independent . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  25. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift: Reputation review – superb songcraft meets extreme drama". The Guardian . Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  26. 1 2 Cox, Jamieson (November 13, 2017). "Taylor Swift: Reputation Album Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  27. ↑ Bruton, Louise (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift: Reputation – Clever Songwriting, Beauty in Tiny Details". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  28. ↑ D'Souza, Shaad (October 18, 2025). "Can Taylor Swift Be an Underdog and the Biggest Pop Star on Earth?: Critic's Notebook" . The New York Times . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  29. ↑ Yahr, Emily (November 10, 2017). "Taylor Swift's Reputation: A track-by-track breakdown of feuds, relationships and Kanye". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  30. ↑ Nicolaou, Elena (November 18, 2017). "Here's What Every Song On Taylor Swift's "Reputation" Is Actually About". Refinery29. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  31. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (November 10, 2017). "What the critics are saying about Taylor Swift's new album". The Independent . Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  32. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  33. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Taylor Swift – Dancing with Our Hands Tied". Radioscope. Retrieved December 12, 2025.Type Dancing with Our Hands Tied in the "Search:" fieldand press Enter.
  34. ↑ "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – Dancing with Our Hands Tied". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved December 12, 2025.

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