 It sums up his state of mind, his feeling of isolation after the success of his album "The River", and his frustrations of trying to write a hit single.Six takes of "Dancing in the Dark" were recorded on February 14, 1984, at The Hit Factory, and after 58 mixes, work was completed on March 8, 1984.The 12-inch single was released May 9, 1984, and was the highest-selling 12-inch single in the US that year.