Time Warp
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The Time Warp is a dance featured in the rock musical The Rocky Horror Show and the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, performed during the chorus of the song of the same name. The song is both an example and a parody of the dance song genre in which much of the content of the song is given over to dance step instructions. The dance is one of the major audience-participation activities during screenings of the film and performances of the show. It has become a popular song beyond the reaches of the film and show, and is often played at dances and weddings. Cover versions have been recorded by such artists as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Black Lace, Damian, Groovie Ghoulies, Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, and Sebastian Bach of the heavy metal band Skid Row, as well as an Italian adaptation by Elio e le Storie Tese and a Spanish adaptation by the pop group Timbiriche.
The basic dance step is described in the chorus of the song:
- It's just a jump to the left.
- And then a step to the right.
- With your hands on your hips.
- You bring your knees in tight.
- But it's the pelvic thrust
- That really drives you insane.
- Let's do the time-warp again.
After which the dancers turn around and repeat the same motions.
A tap dance often appears in the middle of the song, but recent versions have replaced it with such diverse substitutes as a Dance Dance Revolution pattern, an air guitar solo, and a rally-like chant.
The song, fourth in the film (after "Science Fiction/Double Feature," "Dammit Janet," and "Over at the Frankenstein Place"), but fifth in the original stage show and 2006-2007 UK tour (Sweet Transvestite precedes it), consists of verses sung by alternating characters, serving as the introduction to two of them, and choruses sung by the chorus of "Transylvanians" (Movie) or "Phantoms" (Musical), and the Criminologist/Narrator (played by Charles Gray in the movie). The characters that sing the verses are, in order, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien in the movie), Magenta (Patricia Quinn in the movie), and Columbia (Little Nell Campbell in the movie). After the second full chorus, Columbia launches into her tap dance (see above).
The order of the solos varies in certain albums. In the movie and Roxy cast album, Columbia's solo is right after Magenta's, then Columbia does her tap dance after a second chorus. The version that has been in stage shows more recently is similar to the movie and Roxy cast, with Columbia singing her solo right after Magenta's, but then she does her tap dance right after her solo, leaving only two choruses. Occasionally, Columbia's solo and tap dance come after the chorus after Magenta's solo.
The song is reprised/revisited briefly at the end of the film, in flashback, and in the show as an encore, led by Dr Frank-N-Furter.
In October 2006, the song was ranked and voted 338 out of 2006 songs featured in the Triple M Essential 2006 Countdown.
[edit] Cover versions
- German psychobilly band Rumble On The Beach included a cover of "The Time Warp" on their 1988 album Rumble.[1]
- A dance pop cover of the song was recorded in 1989 by British music artist Damian. However, Damian's version omits the verses of the song sung by the character of Columbia.
- A techno cover of the song by German group Warp Machine was released in 1997.[2]
- The 2003 tribute compilation The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show featured a cover by The Groovie Ghoulies.
