If you get the chance, the video to this is very good. Especially since it was made at the onset of music videos. The video completes the package, it's as if it is meant to be seen together as a project. After questioning how you got to where you are, then it's time to think about where you are going. Here comes a twister is an interesting line. A twister comes out of nowhere and can change everything very quickly. Maybe that's a clue about what's coming next.
All I can say is when this and King Crimson's Discipline came out, my conception of what music could be and communicate completely changed. And I loved it.
I love this song and the video. High school memories for sure. Please go back and watch the video it was on MTV over and over and over again very popular.. When you are at teenage parties late and everybody's buzzed, this was hilarious to see folks imitate the video... Agree, please see this video performance! Enjoyed your reaction even if not new.
I don't care for the rest of the album, but this is, for my money, the Heads' finest song and achievement. I can't count the times I've felt like Byrne does here; lost, without direction in life and with a feeling of floating helplessly through the existence of a midlife crisis. Time waits for no man (or woman, or child). Whether you take charge of your life or wait for it to "happen" at some point, that water keeps running underground. So not only do I find this a highly relatable song, but it also works marvelously well as a humorous reminder to all of us to make the most of things while we still can.
This is one of those rare songs where watching the official video would only have increased the pleasure of encountering the song, Byrne's performance is unforgettable
Normally I recommend listening to album versions before live versions, but Talking Heads is one of the few exceptions. Almost every single Talking Heads fan will tell you about the live show "Stop Making Sense", where you get the best versions of a lot of their songs. You also get to see the band's infectious personality during the performance. And the production is about as good as live production ever gets. Talking Head, for a LOT of us, was a slow burn. You hear a bit of their stuff, and it's enjoyable, then one day something clicks and their music all sounds much more than it was before. You start hearing the really great layers, rhythms, lyrics, and it transcends "good music" to become something great.
You should watch their concert movie “Stop Making Sense”. I always recommend that to people new to the world of THs. It’s one of the greatest concert films ever made and a great primer to their career and sound.
Avoid the movie. Psycho Killer without the bass? 20 random musicians who add nothing to the song, only detract? No, original recordings are so much better.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 also is staged. Sure is not far from the reality, but if people want the real deal, they should listen "the name of this band is Talking Heads"
One of my all time favourites! Just gets better with every listen... And when that massive Velvet Underground organ drone comes crashing in at the end it never fails to fill me with joy!
Yes, there are so many reaction channels that I have come across out there but your is one of the two most informative and enlightening imho. Most of them are just facial expressions, a few exclamations and the conclusion that they (usually) liked what they heard. Thanks to all the people who comment below yours, too; always worth a read.
RE: being in the right mood, the right frame-of-mind: YES! You got it. You never know when something will hit. It's like I've said elsewhere, it's a give-and-take with music; You don't just listen to music, but also, "the music listens to YOU." It's a dance where sometimes you follow, and sometimes, you lead.
The hero is looking at his life, the trappings of consumerism, choices made to lead a comfortable life and he is questioning his life. When he looses the things that hold him down, the money, etc., and just allows himself to follow his subconscious, he can find peace.
One of my first MTV experiences. All those videos are embedded deep in my DNA…and have shaped my musical tastes. I know I am not alone in this phenomena.
One of the things that probably gets overlooked as Brian Eno had a big hand in this one and I think the keyboard part especially and the way it goes with the Rhythm the base and the drums and you got that keyboard part that just keeps repeating less signature Brian Eno on the way it's kind of in a different key from the bassline that's what makes it magic and don't forget that drum beat is really genius as simplistic as it might sound is very deceptive the way a single piece off of the Bass I remember when I first heard this on that I swear it made the hairs on the back of my head stand up
I think you are getting it, a more finessed and deeper dance music. Lots of dance music at the time, a lot just the same beat over sexual lyrics, that’s fine, but Remain… is a finer wine. Very influential. There’s water, at the bottom of the ocean, kills me every time. Especially with the effects added. Yes yes yes, watch the video, blah blah blah, it was a standout in a river goofy, bad, and so so video. TH videos were experimental art pieces. Try something off The Catherine Wheel… a Byrne side project. Peace and dance Music
Those lyrics, indeed; I think that's one of the reasons it sticks in the mind. Byrne apparently wrote them after being inspired by the stream of consciousness-style sermons of late night televangelists, and you can def see a little of that in there. "And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house!" And you you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful wife!""
The best way to appreciate the Talking Heads is by watching the live concert movie « Stop Making Sense », beautifully filmed by Jonathan Demme (director of « the silence of the lambs », mind you). The performance of the band and the art direction of the show is mind-blowing, starting with Byrne alone on the stage with just a guitar and a cassette player doing the best rendition of « Psycho Killer » you’ve ever heard or seen.
That's a great self-insight. Especially here but in most of their work, TH are groove-heavy - Tina & Chris are locked in tight , and the production swirls around them. From the lyrics, it's like water - when watching a river it doesn't move much, but if you get still and watch the water swirl around rocks and obstacles it's still mesmerizing. Most of this album takes the groove as the current, then moves around that as the center, with often subtle changes around the theme. I'm glad you got there.
I don't listen to much Talking Heads, but I come back to this song again and again. Going through stages of my life it holds up. Life becomes a collage of disparate images from the past. It is a series of rooms. I see God as having guided me through all these rooms. Despite all the bad choices I've made, He still loves, forgives. I believe. It's ironic, because David Byrne deliberately recited this using a hucksters televangelist voice (he's said so). This song reminds me of the seeming randomness of life. Hope you have a great day also.
Let go, JP. trust the Force. go with the flow. go with the groove. that's where it's at. a complex, multi-layered natural groove. give in to it. and, yes, the entire album is dark, but grooving. it's a masterpiece. This song is completely different in the context of the album than it was on MTV. This album was a revolution.
This was a radio hit and popular song of theirs, so not surprised you heard it. I've always thought the song was about living a mundane life. Have the same routine day after day, but sprinkled with happy events, like going on vacation or a party etc. This is the common life of most people in the world, some more blessed than others, but regardless still mundane. Reminds me of a story I've heard in the past. Orator asks his audience the question "How much would you sell your happiness for?" Audience says they would never sell their happiness Orator says, would you sell it for $10.00, audience response is "hell no" Orator keeps going up in cost until he gets to 1 million dollars, and the audience response is "No" they would never sell their happiness The Orator responds, "Then why do you do it every day of your life?"
This is in my opinion the best song of Talking Heads. The rhythm, the lyrics. This was also the song that all the great looking art school girls danced to with new steps and moves in their innovative costumes. Great days back then!
This was quite a transformation of the band. This was their fourth album. The second album was called ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’ because a critic had said the first album contained songs about buildings and food. You gotta love that sense of humor. If you followed them from the beginning, it all make sense. 😜
Two things to note about this song: the drums and bass are in 4/4, but the verses are in 2beats less (or more) than a multiple of four, so when the song hits the chorus, beat one becomes beat three. Also, the primary voice on the chorus is producer Brian Eno, who has some interesting music of his own, and who also was an early Roxy Music band member.
As they recorded the bassline for this song, there was some kind of an error with the tape machine. So the bassline was slightly delayed. The band (especially Tina) wanted to do it again in right time, but producer Brian Eno suggested them to let it as it was. That's the reason why the groove of this song is so special and unique.
I read in Eno's biography that Byrne and Eno got together in the studio and removed/replaced Weymouth's bass tracks ( I think it was this album). She found out and added them back in without them knowing..
“Same as it ever was …” You can never get that phrase and a lot of these lyrics out of your head if you were listening to FM rock music radio in the 80s. To me DB’s voice here reminds me of a preacher, except he’s not preaching gospel! Ha! It took me awhile to appreciate this and Talking Heads in general, but they eventually grew on me. Never saw them live, but their movie of their live show, “Stop Making Sense,” was brilliant. Highly recommended viewing. They were one of the biggest “new wave” acts. If I’d been 15 instead of 25 in 1980 when this came out I’d probably have liked it sooner. I consciously rebelled against punk and new wave acts that weren’t fronted by vocalists who could really sing well and spoke lyrics, and to some extent I’ll always feel that way, but TH were definitely some of the best of their time.
Justin, you should check out the promo video too, it won't help decipher David Byrne's lyrics but it's a great watch. He presents the song in the style of a preacher or a shaman, with erratic body jerks and hand gestures, as if he's possessed. He based it on archive footage of ceremonies , some of which are intercut in the background, which David used for his own choreography. The video is directed so innovatively with the use of very early digital effects.
Fact. This song ages like a fine Cabernet. It is as deep and mystical as it is tongue and cheek. This was a reflection of a moment in time. The audacity of the artists was literally burning down the house, but in a good way.
Hi JP. Dave here, a bit Hot And Bothered in sweltering London. How did I get to where I am now? At my age, that's a very long story! This is my favourite Talking Heads song, and the opening is one of the most distinctive in all of modern music. Hasn't that keyboard groove been sampled many times?
I saw them in live in 1981 and the place was jumping. You could not possibly stand still. Even the security guards were moving. Don't take the music serious with TH. It's all about the vibe, the fun.
Just to give an example of how influential this song has become, awhile back I went to the record label ECM website and landed on a page within their site that apparently they had stopped using, and on it was the line "Well, how did I get here?", and proceed to offer their current menu to get one on the page one was searching for. That a classy European jazz/classical/new music label would quote a Talking Heads lyric on their website makes me smile and my heart soar with delight. (After looking for it, it seems to have been deleted.)
LMAO!!!! David is a genius!!!! Most of the lyrics in music today is repetitive.....but David and The Talking Heads are chanting!!!! This group is Active!!!!
Love this song! There’s a really cool story behind the music video, which is awesome, and according to Wikipedia this album was inspired by Fela Kuti, so that inspired me to check him out a while ago and then I was super excited when you listened to him so thanks for all the great videos!
Side 1 of Remain in Light is very upbeat and quirky. Once you get into Side 2 (which begins with Once in a Lifetime), you'll find the songs more subdued as it goes along. Enjoy the ride.
Brian Eno's influence as a producer in the sound is unmistakable and should definitely be mentioned. His collaboration with David Byrne came to a highpoint on 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' from one year later. You should definitely check that album out, specifically the track 'Regiment'.
Bush of Ghosts came out after Remain. Eno was probably the best producer of the 80s and 90s in part because he became the 5th member of the groups he helped: TH, U2, James etc.
Having seen hundreds and hundreds of live concerts, I can safely say that Talking Heads Bassist Tina Weymouth is my all time favorite female Rock artist. She is ALL abou the music, not getting attention or trying to be some "Glam Girl". Tina is a musician and and artiste. The BEST.
I was a TH fan from shortly after their first album release seeing them live in 1978. When I first played this song what struck me was the bass line but also the high fluttering notes sounded to me like an alarm, sounding an warning! This was an important time for me, just after I graduated college. It made me think about what I was doing and to try to make decisions intentionally rather than going along with what was expected of me. I can't say I've always been successful in that but that alarm bell still goes off to warn me when I'm being lazy. The water images are from some culture Byrne was studying at the time. I forget what it was, I should read about it again.
At the time this was really different, the use of rhythm/percussion with Byrne's unique vocal style was a breath of fresh air. I still love it. If you like Remain In Light and a bit of Afro Beat Angélique Kidjo has done a great version of the whole album.
Aahhh... I see the Heads are finally growing on you! Congrats & welcome :) The moment you announced this track, my first thought was 'there's no way you haven't heard this before,' so thanks for being honest about that after the track finished. And isn't it great? This is Art Rock, not Prog Rock, so you're not going to get the same progression and change we expect with Genesis and Yes, but this is just as good in its own way, and just as important in the history of music. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
Hi Justin, Like many of the records you listen to, the impact they had on thheir original fans is very much dependant on ehen they were released and the ages of the fans listening to them. When this record was released in 1980 there was absolutely nothing that sounded anything like it -no ond had even heard thd phrase "afrobeat" , never mind knowing what it sounded like. To combine it with a pop sensibility, along with the off kilter vocal delivery and cut and paste lyrics of David Byrne was really something back then. I can still remember where I was the first time I heard it, it's impact was such on me. Love your channel.Proper insight as opposed to all those other fakers.Keep it up
It cannot be understated the influence that Brian Eno had as producer of this album. I can hear it plainly. Another such album that was a huge turning point for a band, as this was for Talking Heads, is "Unforgettable Fire" by U2, also produced by Brian Eno. So, you need to listen to some Brian Eno. "Another Green World" and "Before and After Science" are albums of the era. Try "King's Lead Hat" from "Before and After Science". The title is an anagram for Talking Heads. Brian Eno was masterful.
A departure from the previous tracks, but deffo the best on the album, imho. Longtime favourite of mine. And ditto to watching the video, It's great. You'll also hear the original song. This's a remix, there's a few unnecessary tweeks here, i feel, but still really good. Re the vid/visuals, at first glance his movements looks a little odd, but entertaining. A couple, he mimics footage behind him. But most, from an interview of his i read, he's emulating some nutty US televangelist he'd seen. A top track.
the best from these guys and very famous I might add is the concert "Stop Making Sense"... I highly recommend this one just check it out!! Saludos Justin!.
What band can make you dance and groove with a song whose lyrics deal with the ultimate doubt of a man about existence, who's totally losing it (at least that's my humble interpretation)? Talking Heads can! 👏🤘
You have GOT to watch the Video of this song, and of ""Burning Down the House". And then, your soul will benefit from watching both songs in the "Stop Making Sense" concert movie. David Byrne is one of the few musicians as fascinating as Peter Gabriel, in concert.
Here's my Christmas parody of this song, entitled "Once In A Yuletide": You may find your elf hiding on a workshop shelf And you may find your elf with the reindeer out in the barn And you may find your elf behind the stick of a toy whirly-o-gig And you may find your elf in a Barbie doll house With a Barbie doll wife And you may ask your elf, "Elf...what's going on here?" Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas come again Watching the year go by/ Christmas what and Christmas when Into the flying sleigh/ after the toys are made Once in a Yuletide/ Santa Claus will ride again And you may ask your elf What is your problem? And you may ask your elf Where is that toy whirly-o-gig? And you may tell your elf This is not your Barbie doll house! And you may tell your elf This is not your Barbie doll wife! Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas come around Watching the year go by/ Christmas lost and Christmas found Into the flying sleigh/ after the toys are made Once in a Yuletide/ Santa's coming to your town Jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells... jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells... Jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells... Jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells... Reindeer are soaring, and reindeer are glowing There are reindeer all across the Arctic circle Carry the reindeer, marry the reindeer Behoove the reindeer all across the Arctic circle! Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas Day commence Watching the year go by/ Christmas past and future tense Into the sky we go/ into the swirling flurries Under the Christmas tree/ there are presents to dispense Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas Day arrive Watching the year go by/ Christmas three and four and five Into the flying sleigh/ giving the toys away Once in a Yuletide/ Christmas spirit is alive And you may ask your elf Did I get every house? And you may ask your elf Where did this Christmas go to? And you may ask your elf Is this good? Is this fun? And you may say to your elf MY GOD!...BLESS EVERY ONE! Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas passing by Watching the year go by/ Christmas low and Christmas high Into the flying sleigh/ riding the snowy currents Under the Christmas tree/ presents dazzle every eye Watching the year go by/ one more Christmas stocking hung Watching the year go by/ Christmas old and Christmas young Into the sky again/ after the toys are gone Once in a Yuletide/ one more carol to be sung Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells Hear what the sound tells Joy coming into us Songs coming out of us Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells Jingle the jingle bells After the season's gone Jingle the jingle bells Then a new year comes Here comes the new year (Watching the year go by) jingle the jingle bells, jingle the jingle bells (Watching the year go by) jingle the jingle bells, jingle the jingle bells (Once in a Yuletide) Christmas off and Christmas on (Watching the year go by) Christmas Day has come and gone (Watching the year go by) Christmas Day has come and gone
Yes this was the song that put them on the map with the help of MTV, very accessible and future albums would be more so. For me thought this is their best, experimental and layered, lots of rhythm (which normally I'm not big on but theirs is interesting) and weird lyrics. The whole album has a world music groove that was fresh at the time of release, not so much now for youngsters like Justin.
Strong Brian Eno influence on this track (and those are his background vocals on the track). I agree that at the time, this album felt like a new kind of "party music" (as you say) - a more sophisticated, aware party music, but still very danceable.
I only put this kind of music on when I’m doing things in my house. I don’t sit down to listen to this music. If you want to listen to these songs, look for the mtv videos; they’re quite funny. This was a hit here in Europe.
Now you're getting into Brian Eno-produced Talking Heads music. Great stuff. When you have the time, please check out another collaboration with Eno, entitled "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts". I think that you'd also appreciate Brian Eno's post Roxy Music-period solo albums "Another Green World" (1975) and "Before and After Science" (1977). P.S. Brian Eno also worked with David Bowie in the "Berlin Trilogy series" of albums in the late 70s : "Low", "Heroes" and "Lodger". Enjoy!
During the course of the whole album in general, you’ll find fast rhythms contrasting slow melodic vocals, and the exact opposite, slower rhythms with rapid vocals. I love this interplay. If you like this, a great album to explore is Sons And Fascination by Simple Minds ( before their commercial success). Great rhythms, great vocals, and great vibes. Thanks Justin! 👍🏻👍🏻
A new direction for the channel - just carry on with stuff around the house, with music on in the background that you're not really paying close attention to. Subconscious Reactions!
I remember this coming out when I was a kid. It utterly blew my mind, as did the video. I only got around to hearing the rest of the album quite recently, and I felt much the same as JP, though he seems to be coming around to it now. I just couldn't get around the fact that almost every song has a single riff and doesn't develop. That's fine for an individual song. But for a whole album... it leaves me feeling cheated. I honestly don't understand why the album is considered a classic. But this song.... yes, yes, and yes.
Watch Live In Rome. You’ll understand. Bernie Worrell, from Parliament, and Adrian Belew, from Zappa, Bowie and King Crimson pitch in. Then go back to Fela Kuti. You’ll understand even more. Full on African party deepness. This is a lyric I don’t necessarily understand literally, but it resonates anyway.
The water is time -- it flows the same all the time, but is different each moment... Moments of Alienation, when you try to grasp that all is New, right now. If you are very successful, What is all this Stuff around me? If the money is gone -- How did this happen? It helps to understand if you know that Byrne has admitted that he has a bit of Asbergers.
I first experienced this song on MTV, with David Byrne as the really tense college professor. The video cut a verse somewhere, because it's a minute shorter at 3.5 minutes.
This is a well played song and a very good song. The dance groove is strong in their music, at least in the songs I have listened to. I wonder if they influenced Manfred Mann's Earth Band's "Somewhere in Afrika" album or if that is just because they both draw from the same roots. Sometimes life is a river. Sometimes a river is life. If a river is a metaphor for life, is life a metaphor for river? Thanks for the watery review. Have a wonderful day. See you folks again tomorrow.
Byrne modeled the cadence and vocal structure of the verses on a televangelist that he saw. As others have mentioned the video is an important piece of this song and helps pull it all together.
If you get the chance, the video to this is very good. Especially since it was made at the onset of music videos. The video completes the package, it's as if it is meant to be seen together as a project. After questioning how you got to where you are, then it's time to think about where you are going. Here comes a twister is an interesting line. A twister comes out of nowhere and can change everything very quickly. Maybe that's a clue about what's coming next.
All I can say is when this and King Crimson's Discipline came out, my conception of what music could be and communicate completely changed. And I loved it.
Adrian Belew on both records.
For me it was this album and David Bowie's Scary Monsters. I heard them both the same evening, back to back. Mind blown.
@@Hartlor_Tayley Oh, he wasn't THAT bad.
I echo the suggestion that you watch the official video thst came with this. When it was released: it adds another dimension
Brilliant song, unique and catchy with thought provoking lyrics.
I love this song and the video.
High school memories for sure.
Please go back and watch the video it was on MTV over and over and over again very popular..
When you are at teenage parties late and everybody's buzzed, this was hilarious to see folks imitate the video...
Agree, please see this video performance!
Enjoyed your reaction even if not new.
I don't care for the rest of the album, but this is, for my money, the Heads' finest song and achievement.
I can't count the times I've felt like Byrne does here; lost, without direction in life and with a feeling of floating helplessly through the existence of a midlife crisis.
Time waits for no man (or woman, or child). Whether you take charge of your life or wait for it to "happen" at some point, that water keeps running underground.
So not only do I find this a highly relatable song, but it also works marvelously well as a humorous reminder to all of us to make the most of things while we still can.
This is one of those rare songs where watching the official video would only have increased the pleasure of encountering the song, Byrne's performance is unforgettable
Normally I recommend listening to album versions before live versions, but Talking Heads is one of the few exceptions.
Almost every single Talking Heads fan will tell you about the live show "Stop Making Sense", where you get the best versions of a lot of their songs. You also get to see the band's infectious personality during the performance. And the production is about as good as live production ever gets.
Talking Head, for a LOT of us, was a slow burn. You hear a bit of their stuff, and it's enjoyable, then one day something clicks and their music all sounds much more than it was before. You start hearing the really great layers, rhythms, lyrics, and it transcends "good music" to become something great.
Talking Heads concerts became part music part performance art. Lots of fun.
You should watch their concert movie “Stop Making Sense”. I always recommend that to people new to the world of THs. It’s one of the greatest concert films ever made and a great primer to their career and sound.
Avoid the movie. Psycho Killer without the bass? 20 random musicians who add nothing to the song, only detract? No, original recordings are so much better.
@@princeofcupspoc9073 also is staged. Sure is not far from the reality, but if people want the real deal, they should listen "the name of this band is Talking Heads"
One of my all time favourites! Just gets better with every listen... And when that massive Velvet Underground organ drone comes crashing in at the end it never fails to fill me with joy!
Yes, there are so many reaction channels that I have come across out there but your is one of the two most informative and enlightening imho. Most of them are just facial expressions, a few exclamations and the conclusion that they (usually) liked what they heard. Thanks to all the people who comment below yours, too; always worth a read.
Thank you Altair :)
RE: being in the right mood, the right frame-of-mind: YES! You got it. You never know when something will hit.
It's like I've said elsewhere, it's a give-and-take with music; You don't just listen to music, but also, "the music listens to YOU." It's a dance where sometimes you follow, and sometimes, you lead.
And then the twister comes. Great reaction.
It really does take time to appreciate these songs...you'll just grow to love it the more you hear it.
Banger. Classic. One of my favourites of all time.
You provide something other channels don't; maturity and intelligence. Thanks dude.
Love this...David is a few days younger than me & saw him on a TV clip recently & he still has the groove, my fav TH album ❤
The hero is looking at his life, the trappings of consumerism, choices made to lead a comfortable life and he is questioning his life. When he looses the things that hold him down, the money, etc., and just allows himself to follow his subconscious, he can find peace.
One of my first MTV experiences. All those videos are embedded deep in my DNA…and have shaped my musical tastes. I know I am not alone in this phenomena.
One of the things that probably gets overlooked as Brian Eno had a big hand in this one and I think the keyboard part especially and the way it goes with the Rhythm the base and the drums and you got that keyboard part that just keeps repeating less signature Brian Eno on the way it's kind of in a different key from the bassline that's what makes it magic and don't forget that drum beat is really genius as simplistic as it might sound is very deceptive the way a single piece off of the Bass I remember when I first heard this on that I swear it made the hairs on the back of my head stand up
This is quintessential Heads Yes like with a number of bands , you have to be in the mood
I think you are getting it, a more finessed and deeper dance music.
Lots of dance music at the time, a lot just the same beat over sexual lyrics, that’s fine, but Remain… is a finer wine. Very influential.
There’s water, at the bottom of the ocean, kills me every time. Especially with the effects added.
Yes yes yes, watch the video, blah blah blah, it was a standout in a river goofy, bad, and so so video. TH videos were experimental art pieces.
Try something off The Catherine Wheel… a Byrne side project.
Peace and dance Music
A finer wine indeed!
Watching The Official Video With This One Is A Must..Truth!!
Those lyrics, indeed; I think that's one of the reasons it sticks in the mind. Byrne apparently wrote them after being inspired by the stream of consciousness-style sermons of late night televangelists, and you can def see a little of that in there.
"And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house!"
And you you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful wife!""
Wow! I never heard he made this comment but I instinctively felt he was emulating preaching like a televangelist. Well done, David Byrne!.
Follows along from My Life In the Bush of Ghosts. "HELP ME SOMEBODY!"
This one just isn't the same without the accompanying video. One of my earliest memories from when MTV first went on the air. It always made me laugh.
The best way to appreciate the Talking Heads is by watching the live concert movie « Stop Making Sense », beautifully filmed by Jonathan Demme (director of « the silence of the lambs », mind you).
The performance of the band and the art direction of the show is mind-blowing, starting with Byrne alone on the stage with just a guitar and a cassette player doing the best rendition of « Psycho Killer » you’ve ever heard or seen.
That's a great self-insight. Especially here but in most of their work, TH are groove-heavy - Tina & Chris are locked in tight , and the production swirls around them. From the lyrics, it's like water - when watching a river it doesn't move much, but if you get still and watch the water swirl around rocks and obstacles it's still mesmerizing. Most of this album takes the groove as the current, then moves around that as the center, with often subtle changes around the theme. I'm glad you got there.
Talking Heads were responsible for their part in forming what we now call the 80's sound. Quirky and wonderful.
I don't listen to much Talking Heads, but I come back to this song again and again. Going through stages of my life it holds up. Life becomes a collage of disparate images from the past. It is a series of rooms. I see God as having guided me through all these rooms. Despite all the bad choices I've made, He still loves, forgives. I believe.
It's ironic, because David Byrne deliberately recited this using a hucksters televangelist voice (he's said so).
This song reminds me of the seeming randomness of life.
Hope you have a great day also.
Let go, JP. trust the Force. go with the flow. go with the groove. that's where it's at. a complex, multi-layered natural groove. give in to it. and, yes, the entire album is dark, but grooving. it's a masterpiece. This song is completely different in the context of the album than it was on MTV. This album was a revolution.
Talking Heads were pioneers for us rockers who hated disco. We were able to dance to punk/ new wave. Check out Life During Wartime.
This was a radio hit and popular song of theirs, so not surprised you heard it. I've always thought the song was about living a mundane life. Have the same routine day after day, but sprinkled with happy events, like going on vacation or a party etc. This is the common life of most people in the world, some more blessed than others, but regardless still mundane. Reminds me of a story I've heard in the past.
Orator asks his audience the question "How much would you sell your happiness for?"
Audience says they would never sell their happiness
Orator says, would you sell it for $10.00, audience response is "hell no"
Orator keeps going up in cost until he gets to 1 million dollars, and the audience response is "No" they would never sell their happiness
The Orator responds, "Then why do you do it every day of your life?"
This is in my opinion the best song of Talking Heads. The rhythm, the lyrics. This was also the song that all the great looking art school girls danced to with new steps and moves in their innovative costumes. Great days back then!
This was quite a transformation of the band. This was their fourth album. The second album was called ‘More Songs About Buildings and Food’ because a critic had said the first album contained songs about buildings and food. You gotta love that sense of humor. If you followed them from the beginning, it all make sense. 😜
I think this was my intro to TH back in the day. THIS SONG IS TOP TIERX10.
Brilliant song from one of the top albums of all time. 😎
I was about 16 years old when I heard this for the first time and I saw the video at the same time and it blew my mind. I loved it immediately.
This was one of the first big music videos that got play on MTV, and helped establish the station.
This song from down and out in Beverly hill and played at hall fame singing at show
Need to see this as live performance . There is a great performance video.
One of my fave songs of all time.
Two things to note about this song: the drums and bass are in 4/4, but the verses are in 2beats less (or more) than a multiple of four, so when the song hits the chorus, beat one becomes beat three. Also, the primary voice on the chorus is producer Brian Eno, who has some interesting music of his own, and who also was an early Roxy Music band member.
As they recorded the bassline for this song, there was some kind of an error with the tape machine. So the bassline was slightly delayed. The band (especially Tina) wanted to do it again in right time, but producer Brian Eno suggested them to let it as it was. That's the reason why the groove of this song is so special and unique.
I like how you talk about music and lyrics. This is a classic.
Ty MJP :)
Tina is a huge backbone of this group. She's one of the reasons I started learning bass myself. :-)
I read in Eno's biography that Byrne and Eno got together in the studio and removed/replaced Weymouth's bass tracks ( I think it was this album). She found out and added them back in without them knowing..
Bingo.. Just enjoy
“Same as it ever was …” You can never get that phrase and a lot of these lyrics out of your head if you were listening to FM rock music radio in the 80s. To me DB’s voice here reminds me of a preacher, except he’s not preaching gospel! Ha! It took me awhile to appreciate this and Talking Heads in general, but they eventually grew on me. Never saw them live, but their movie of their live show, “Stop Making Sense,” was brilliant. Highly recommended viewing. They were one of the biggest “new wave” acts. If I’d been 15 instead of 25 in 1980 when this came out I’d probably have liked it sooner. I consciously rebelled against punk and new wave acts that weren’t fronted by vocalists who could really sing well and spoke lyrics, and to some extent I’ll always feel that way, but TH were definitely some of the best of their time.
Good review! They get better and better in repeat listenings!
Justin, you should check out the promo video too, it won't help decipher David Byrne's lyrics but it's a great watch. He presents the song in the style of a preacher or a shaman, with erratic body jerks and hand gestures, as if he's possessed. He based it on archive footage of ceremonies , some of which are intercut in the background, which David used for his own choreography. The video is directed so innovatively with the use of very early digital effects.
....this song? puts a smile on the face :D
For me, it's about the same ecstatic, trance-like state that brings me, bodily, into the music.
Fact. This song ages like a fine Cabernet. It is as deep and mystical as it is tongue and cheek. This was a reflection of a moment in time. The audacity of the artists was literally burning down the house, but in a good way.
I think Speaking in Tongues is really really going to hit different with you! Would be a prayer answered!🙏❤️ Their most dynamic album too imo
Hi JP. Dave here, a bit Hot And Bothered in sweltering London. How did I get to where I am now? At my age, that's a very long story! This is my favourite Talking Heads song, and the opening is one of the most distinctive in all of modern music. Hasn't that keyboard groove been sampled many times?
I saw them in live in 1981 and the place was jumping. You could not possibly stand still. Even the security guards were moving. Don't take the music serious with TH. It's all about the vibe, the fun.
Just to give an example of how influential this song has become, awhile back I went to the record label ECM website and landed on a page within their site that apparently they had stopped using, and on it was the line "Well, how did I get here?", and proceed to offer their current menu to get one on the page one was searching for. That a classy European jazz/classical/new music label would quote a Talking Heads lyric on their website makes me smile and my heart soar with delight. (After looking for it, it seems to have been deleted.)
LMAO!!!! David is a genius!!!! Most of the lyrics in music today is repetitive.....but David and The Talking Heads are chanting!!!! This group is Active!!!!
Yes, the official video is a must! Really entertaining, lol!
Love this song! There’s a really cool story behind the music video, which is awesome, and according to Wikipedia this album was inspired by Fela Kuti, so that inspired me to check him out a while ago and then I was super excited when you listened to him so thanks for all the great videos!
Side 1 of Remain in Light is very upbeat and quirky. Once you get into Side 2 (which begins with Once in a Lifetime), you'll find the songs more subdued as it goes along. Enjoy the ride.
Brian Eno's influence as a producer in the sound is unmistakable and should definitely be mentioned. His collaboration with David Byrne came to a highpoint on 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' from one year later. You should definitely check that album out, specifically the track 'Regiment'.
Bush of Ghosts came out after Remain. Eno was probably the best producer of the 80s and 90s in part because he became the 5th member of the groups he helped: TH, U2, James etc.
Great song. Great album. Check out the movie Stop making sense, where this and many other great TH tracks are performed brilliantly.
Having seen hundreds and hundreds of live concerts, I can safely say that Talking Heads Bassist Tina Weymouth is my all time favorite female Rock artist. She is ALL abou the music, not getting attention or trying to be some "Glam Girl". Tina is a musician and and artiste. The BEST.
I was a TH fan from shortly after their first album release seeing them live in 1978.
When I first played this song what struck me was the bass line but also the high fluttering notes sounded to me like an alarm, sounding an warning!
This was an important time for me, just after I graduated college. It made me think about what I was doing and to try to make decisions intentionally rather than going along with what was expected of me. I can't say I've always been successful in that but that alarm bell still goes off to warn me when I'm being lazy.
The water images are from some culture Byrne was studying at the time. I forget what it was, I should read about it again.
At the time this was really different, the use of rhythm/percussion with Byrne's unique vocal style was a breath of fresh air. I still love it. If you like Remain In Light and a bit of Afro Beat Angélique Kidjo has done a great version of the whole album.
Aahhh... I see the Heads are finally growing on you! Congrats & welcome :) The moment you announced this track, my first thought was 'there's no way you haven't heard this before,' so thanks for being honest about that after the track finished. And isn't it great? This is Art Rock, not Prog Rock, so you're not going to get the same progression and change we expect with Genesis and Yes, but this is just as good in its own way, and just as important in the history of music. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
Hi Justin,
Like many of the records you listen to, the impact they had on thheir original fans is very much dependant on ehen they were released and the ages of the fans listening to them.
When this record was released in 1980 there was absolutely nothing that sounded anything like it -no ond had even heard thd phrase "afrobeat" , never mind knowing what it sounded like.
To combine it with a pop sensibility, along with the off kilter vocal delivery and cut and paste lyrics of David Byrne was really something back then.
I can still remember where I was the first time I heard it, it's impact was such on me.
Love your channel.Proper insight as opposed to all those other fakers.Keep it up
Thanks Steve! Appreciate that context :D
It cannot be understated the influence that Brian Eno had as producer of this album. I can hear it plainly. Another such album that was a huge turning point for a band, as this was for Talking Heads, is "Unforgettable Fire" by U2, also produced by Brian Eno.
So, you need to listen to some Brian Eno. "Another Green World" and "Before and After Science" are albums of the era. Try "King's Lead Hat" from "Before and After Science". The title is an anagram for Talking Heads. Brian Eno was masterful.
A departure from the previous tracks, but deffo the best on the album, imho. Longtime favourite of mine. And ditto to watching the video, It's great. You'll also hear the original song. This's a remix, there's a few unnecessary tweeks here, i feel, but still really good. Re the vid/visuals, at first glance his movements looks a little odd, but entertaining. A couple, he mimics footage behind him. But most, from an interview of his i read, he's emulating some nutty US televangelist he'd seen. A top track.
Looking forward to the next Anderson Bruford Waksman Howe video!
the best from these guys and very famous I might add is the concert "Stop Making Sense"... I highly recommend this one just check it out!! Saludos Justin!.
What band can make you dance and groove with a song whose lyrics deal with the ultimate doubt of a man about existence, who's totally losing it (at least that's my humble interpretation)? Talking Heads can! 👏🤘
Excellent song! One of the Talking Heads greats!
You have GOT to watch the Video of this song, and of ""Burning Down the House".
And then, your soul will benefit from watching both songs in the "Stop Making Sense" concert movie. David Byrne is one of the few musicians as fascinating as Peter Gabriel, in concert.
Here's my Christmas parody of this song, entitled "Once In A Yuletide":
You may find your elf hiding on a workshop shelf
And you may find your elf with the reindeer out in the barn
And you may find your elf behind the stick of a toy whirly-o-gig
And you may find your elf in a Barbie doll house
With a Barbie doll wife
And you may ask your elf, "Elf...what's going on here?"
Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas come again
Watching the year go by/ Christmas what and Christmas when
Into the flying sleigh/ after the toys are made
Once in a Yuletide/ Santa Claus will ride again
And you may ask your elf
What is your problem?
And you may ask your elf
Where is that toy whirly-o-gig?
And you may tell your elf
This is not your Barbie doll house!
And you may tell your elf
This is not your Barbie doll wife!
Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas come around
Watching the year go by/ Christmas lost and Christmas found
Into the flying sleigh/ after the toys are made
Once in a Yuletide/ Santa's coming to your town
Jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells...
jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells...
Jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells...
Jingle the jingle bells...jingle the jingle bells...
Reindeer are soaring, and reindeer are glowing
There are reindeer all across the Arctic circle
Carry the reindeer, marry the reindeer
Behoove the reindeer all across the Arctic circle!
Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas Day commence
Watching the year go by/ Christmas past and future tense
Into the sky we go/ into the swirling flurries
Under the Christmas tree/ there are presents to dispense
Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas Day arrive
Watching the year go by/ Christmas three and four and five
Into the flying sleigh/ giving the toys away
Once in a Yuletide/ Christmas spirit is alive
And you may ask your elf
Did I get every house?
And you may ask your elf
Where did this Christmas go to?
And you may ask your elf
Is this good? Is this fun?
And you may say to your elf
MY GOD!...BLESS EVERY ONE!
Watching the year go by/ watching Christmas passing by
Watching the year go by/ Christmas low and Christmas high
Into the flying sleigh/ riding the snowy currents
Under the Christmas tree/ presents dazzle every eye
Watching the year go by/ one more Christmas stocking hung
Watching the year go by/ Christmas old and Christmas young
Into the sky again/ after the toys are gone
Once in a Yuletide/ one more carol to be sung
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
Hear what the sound tells
Joy coming into us
Songs coming out of us
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
Jingle the jingle bells
After the season's gone
Jingle the jingle bells
Then a new year comes
Here comes the new year
(Watching the year go by) jingle the jingle bells, jingle the jingle bells
(Watching the year go by) jingle the jingle bells, jingle the jingle bells
(Once in a Yuletide) Christmas off and Christmas on
(Watching the year go by) Christmas Day has come and gone
(Watching the year go by) Christmas Day has come and gone
The Eno influence is strong in this one.
Yes this was the song that put them on the map with the help of MTV, very accessible and future albums would be more so. For me thought this is their best, experimental and layered, lots of rhythm (which normally I'm not big on but theirs is interesting) and weird lyrics. The whole album has a world music groove that was fresh at the time of release, not so much now for youngsters like Justin.
One of the most 'fun and dance' tune I know.
Strong Brian Eno influence on this track (and those are his background vocals on the track). I agree that at the time, this album felt like a new kind of "party music" (as you say) - a more sophisticated, aware party music, but still very danceable.
I only put this kind of music on when I’m doing things in my house. I don’t sit down to listen to this music.
If you want to listen to these songs, look for the mtv videos; they’re quite funny.
This was a hit here in Europe.
Fabulous track.
Now you're getting into Brian Eno-produced Talking Heads music. Great stuff. When you have the time, please check out another collaboration with Eno, entitled "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts". I think that you'd also appreciate Brian Eno's post Roxy Music-period solo albums "Another Green World" (1975) and "Before and After Science" (1977). P.S. Brian Eno also worked with David Bowie in the "Berlin Trilogy series" of albums in the late 70s : "Low", "Heroes" and "Lodger". Enjoy!
This album is just incredable you will enjoy it the more you listen to it. This song is amazing
One of the best songs of all time bar none imo
Wow some consider this song their best. There is some thing about it is a wonderful stuff looking forward to your reactions love you
A wild and awesome tune !
During the course of the whole album in general, you’ll find fast rhythms contrasting slow melodic vocals, and the exact opposite, slower rhythms with rapid vocals. I love this interplay.
If you like this, a great album to explore is Sons And Fascination by Simple Minds ( before their commercial success). Great rhythms, great vocals, and great vibes. Thanks Justin!
👍🏻👍🏻
A new direction for the channel - just carry on with stuff around the house, with music on in the background that you're not really paying close attention to. Subconscious Reactions!
I can wear a GoPro and just clean the house and listen to music :D
@@JustJP Do it - at least once. It'll be funny.
I remember this coming out when I was a kid. It utterly blew my mind, as did the video. I only got around to hearing the rest of the album quite recently, and I felt much the same as JP, though he seems to be coming around to it now. I just couldn't get around the fact that almost every song has a single riff and doesn't develop. That's fine for an individual song. But for a whole album... it leaves me feeling cheated. I honestly don't understand why the album is considered a classic. But this song.... yes, yes, and yes.
Now we're cooking with fire
Watch Live In Rome. You’ll understand. Bernie Worrell, from Parliament, and Adrian Belew, from Zappa, Bowie and King Crimson pitch in. Then go back to Fela Kuti. You’ll understand even more. Full on African party deepness. This is a lyric I don’t necessarily understand literally, but it resonates anyway.
One of the best from Talking Heads. Live version from Stop Making Sense is the best version followed closely by Kermit the Frog’s cover.
Welcome back to the Reagan/Thatcher years! I somehow hate it there, but I can't help returning.
The water is time -- it flows the same all the time, but is different each moment... Moments of Alienation, when you try to grasp that all is New, right now. If you are very successful, What is all this Stuff around me? If the money is gone -- How did this happen? It helps to understand if you know that Byrne has admitted that he has a bit of Asbergers.
TALKING HEADS "FLOWERS"...SARCASM AT IT'S VERY BEST.
I first experienced this song on MTV, with David Byrne as the really tense college professor. The video cut a verse somewhere, because it's a minute shorter at 3.5 minutes.
This is a well played song and a very good song. The dance groove is strong in their music, at least in the songs I have listened to. I wonder if they influenced Manfred Mann's Earth Band's "Somewhere in Afrika" album or if that is just because they both draw from the same roots.
Sometimes life is a river. Sometimes a river is life. If a river is a metaphor for life, is life a metaphor for river? Thanks for the watery review. Have a wonderful day. See you folks again tomorrow.
THE TUBES - WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM LIFE
Byrne modeled the cadence and vocal structure of the verses on a televangelist that he saw. As others have mentioned the video is an important piece of this song and helps pull it all together.