Listen to the lyrics. He *finds himself* at a place he doesn’t recognize. His agency is stripped, time/water simply carries him and he tries to figure out what’s happening and who he is. Well, the weird moves are illustrative of this: he is at the mercy of the music that moves him and carries him; it’s strange and disorienting. He fights it, but then accommodates it. Yet, it’s unpleasant and disquieting... unless you let go and just... sing (see the end).
I think the dancing is just metaphoric for repeating the same patterns. Getting stuck in reciprocal cycles of nonsense & going through life without ever stopping to think about it & do some "soul searching"/or reevaluation of our circumstances.
It's also targeting older generations for the closed-mindedness, similar to modern "ok boomer" memes. It might not be as noticeable today, but it was very obvious when this video came out that the glasses and bow tie he is wearing were way, way out of style even when this video was filmed, dating back at least 20 years prior. The type of stuff an older teacher might wear... or a talking head on tv...
I always thought this song was about realizing one day where your life has taken you. It may feel like you don't know how you got there but in the end its always been this way. The change is slow but it should be no surprise.
I don't know the original meaning of the hand-down-the-arm tapping (as it appeared in the video behind him), but I always took it to signify time passing. Day after day, year after year or, since there are always four taps, season after season.
My interpretation is the song and music video is a display of middle class monotony The lyrics talk about the superficial things people in middle class life have and desire. Middle class monotony is also portrayed by most of the music video being him wearing a business suit on a white background. The eccentric dances he makes is him mimicking the rituals in the background to portray mindless repetition. The lyrics are also based on gospel preachers. The water is a metaphor for time and being on autopilot, "letting the days go by, letting the water take you down". The end of the music video is him sinking into the "water". The mannerisms could also be a portrayal of someone losing their mind to the monotonous life, emphasized by the background dancers being just him copied and moving identically. TLDR large mood
Ya but it's also specifically targeting older generations for having and preaching a false sense of security and fulfillment. It was obvious to young people in the early 80's that the glasses, bow tie and cut of his suit had all fallen out of style decades prior to this video. Heck they even predate Woodstock. They were the types of stuff that might be worn by an older teacher clinging to his past and his outdated beliefs, never considering the possibility that it might all one day fall apart due to circumstances beyond our control, or that we might someday simply lose interest due to personal growth.
The arm chopping was breaking down his experiences ! Telling you how not take life for granted ! And make enough ! Enough and not try to set the world on fire
Talking Heads David Byrne: lead vocals, guitar Jerry Harrison: keyboard, guitar Tina Weymouth: bass Chris Frantz: drums Check out “The Great Curve” by them. It will blow your mind! th-cam.com/video/LqTyfMDnK-k/w-d-xo.html
I'd say give it another chance. Check out a live performance. The band has a lot of members actually, all playing instruments at once and coming together somehow in a way that doesn't seem right, but it's right. Basically, it's like tripping on acid after an 8 ball, downing half a bottle of vodka and inhaling a big balloon of laughing gas
Oddly enough, this song reminds me of my father. I always laughed at the song as a young boy but as he was passing and I was working and visiting him I would hear this song and it all hit me...this song is life...I love you dad
This is one of those videos that happened because of MTV! A lot of the younger generation don’t understand what MTV really was. I was about 11 when MTV premiered and all the artists suddenly had to come up with music videos that everyone would want to actually watch so they were all trying to outdo each other to make something that would catch the tv viewers attention so we ended up with some really whacky stuff! Think of artists like Robert Palmer! And don’t worry, we didn’t understand the point of half of the videos ourselves!
You just have to ignore the fact that he looks like he's having a seizure & vibe to the music. You should check out Girlfriend Better (live). It is so funky.
**** My Cousin Jack told me about Talking Heads around 1980. I watch the video and Did Not Get It. I was into Blues, Boogie and Rock and this was just too far out for my tastes. Since then I have re-watched this video many, many times. It Is Genius! Simply Amazing! Yes my tastes have changed but David Byrne is a Genius! Same as it ever was!
Lyric videos would probably be better for 1st reactions to Talking Heads. They were very artsy visually. The song itself is actually quite deep. LIfe During Wartime would be a good one to check out. The live version also has weird visuals ;)
Their live stuff is great but I lean toward the studio version when it comes to Life During Wartime. The upbeat performances of the live version don't match the melancholy lyrics.
Your reaction is priceless! I was the same way when I first saw that video years ago ... "Huh?" I seriously felt pity for this guy making a fool of himself and not caring how he looks to others. Those movements didn't have any meaning ... I think he just wanted to make the most facetious and ridiculous video ever and get the audience asking "why is he moving like he's got multiple seizures?" And he achieved it. He wanted to stop making sense. I don't think he was imitating or mocking pastors like some of the comments below suggested because the song doesn't have anything to do with them. It's just a horrible video for a unique song.
singer did this from a ridiculous tv evangelical view lol singer "Burns" got inspired watching late night tv evangelical preachers....loll mooshanda malicka! LOL
I'll ruin this band for you (I like this band) , something you won't be able to un-hear, if you keep reading don't say you weren't warned... He sounds like Robin Williams... Lol
Listen to the lyrics. He *finds himself* at a place he doesn’t recognize. His agency is stripped, time/water simply carries him and he tries to figure out what’s happening and who he is. Well, the weird moves are illustrative of this: he is at the mercy of the music that moves him and carries him; it’s strange and disorienting. He fights it, but then accommodates it. Yet, it’s unpleasant and disquieting... unless you let go and just... sing (see the end).
You get it bro 👍
One of the most innovative, and influential groups ever. Absolutely love them.
I love them but not everyone gets them. Wait till he hears B52s.
They are brilliant and clever
Try stop making sense.. they are an acquired taste but fun
Talking Heads one of the GOATS of New Wave.
He's emulating the moves made by faith healers.
The "dance moves" are things that possessed people do during religious ceremony and they sing the same way preachers deliver speeches.
The whole video was inspired by televangelists and faith healers
Perfect answer! nailed it!
Started with " ...what in the world am I watching ?!?! "
couple minutes later , singing along and smiling . That's the talking heads
THE 80's were some STRANGE TIMES...SO GLAD I was there to witness it...😛
same here
Me too! It was so much fun and such a great variety of music!
Hell yes!!
Dear god, I love Tina Weymouth’s bass grooves
So underrated. This line is particularly brilliant. Reson why its sampled so much.
David Byrne is very eclectic. A musical savant. Watch some of TH's live stuff. Especially from their Italy tour from the early 80's. Amazing stuff.
I think the dancing is just metaphoric for repeating the same patterns. Getting stuck in reciprocal cycles of nonsense & going through life without ever stopping to think about it & do some "soul searching"/or reevaluation of our circumstances.
It's also targeting older generations for the closed-mindedness, similar to modern "ok boomer" memes. It might not be as noticeable today, but it was very obvious when this video came out that the glasses and bow tie he is wearing were way, way out of style even when this video was filmed, dating back at least 20 years prior. The type of stuff an older teacher might wear... or a talking head on tv...
It works better if you stop analyzing every move and just embrace the weirdness.
Also one of the first ever videos MTV played.
It’s a great song Rich, but it’s definitely a grower. Listen to Burning Down the House by them.
Agree!
Performance art with great music. Plain and simple.
It’s delightfully weird! That’s the talking heads.
They’re as much performance artists as musicians. ❤️
That’s just who David Byrne is😂😂😂
Burning down the house! Please watch that one!
I always thought this song was about realizing one day where your life has taken you. It may feel like you don't know how you got there but in the end its always been this way. The change is slow but it should be no surprise.
I don't know the original meaning of the hand-down-the-arm tapping (as it appeared in the video behind him), but I always took it to signify time passing. Day after day, year after year or, since there are always four taps, season after season.
You may ask yourself, "What is that strange move I've never seen?".
"You may say to yourself 'My God! What have I done?'..." - this was a reference to Capt Robert Lewis dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
Talikng Heads were definitely more than one person, whatever David Byrne says. Check out their Stop Making Sense film.
My interpretation is the song and music video is a display of middle class monotony
The lyrics talk about the superficial things people in middle class life have and desire. Middle class monotony is also portrayed by most of the music video being him wearing a business suit on a white background. The eccentric dances he makes is him mimicking the rituals in the background to portray mindless repetition. The lyrics are also based on gospel preachers. The water is a metaphor for time and being on autopilot, "letting the days go by, letting the water take you down". The end of the music video is him sinking into the "water". The mannerisms could also be a portrayal of someone losing their mind to the monotonous life, emphasized by the background dancers being just him copied and moving identically.
TLDR large mood
Ya but it's also specifically targeting older generations for having and preaching a false sense of security and fulfillment. It was obvious to young people in the early 80's that the glasses, bow tie and cut of his suit had all fallen out of style decades prior to this video. Heck they even predate Woodstock. They were the types of stuff that might be worn by an older teacher clinging to his past and his outdated beliefs, never considering the possibility that it might all one day fall apart due to circumstances beyond our control, or that we might someday simply lose interest due to personal growth.
How are the lyrics about gospel preachers? I didn't hear anything about them.
You are watching greatness...
Baptising and cleansing people under water
The background voice is Brian Eno!
Serious musicians who don't take themselves too seriously
Fantastic band 😀
The arm chopping was breaking down his experiences ! Telling you how not take life for granted ! And make enough ! Enough and not try to set the world on fire
Mr. Doc Rich, you got the message! LOL Lettin' the days go by....
This hear is why i have been clean of drugs for the past 5 years
The chopping of the forearm looks like almost a sign language description of the passing of days.
check out the faith healers especially of yesterday.T he ones who moved around during the depression and after.
Talking Heads
David Byrne: lead vocals, guitar
Jerry Harrison: keyboard, guitar
Tina Weymouth: bass
Chris Frantz: drums
Check out “The Great Curve” by them. It will blow your mind!
th-cam.com/video/LqTyfMDnK-k/w-d-xo.html
God I love this song
I'd say give it another chance. Check out a live performance. The band has a lot of members actually, all playing instruments at once and coming together somehow in a way that doesn't seem right, but it's right. Basically, it's like tripping on acid after an 8 ball, downing half a bottle of vodka and inhaling a big balloon of laughing gas
The move was him walking into a wall to illustrate futility...
See, you let go and went the flow.
I believe it is Interpretive dance... A lot of GenX'ers will instantly recognize the arm chop thing...
It was the 80's bro... the moves were just quirky jerky gimmicks for a simple but brilliant dude. David Byrne is an awesome talent 👍
No matter what you r going through......Stay 🛐 but keep on moving! EXISTENTIALISM in the time of COVID19
Oddly enough, this song reminds me of my father. I always laughed at the song as a young boy but as he was passing and I was working and visiting him I would hear this song and it all hit me...this song is life...I love you dad
Amazing video
This is one of those videos that happened because of MTV! A lot of the younger generation don’t understand what MTV really was. I was about 11 when MTV premiered and all the artists suddenly had to come up with music videos that everyone would want to actually watch so they were all trying to outdo each other to make something that would catch the tv viewers attention so we ended up with some really whacky stuff! Think of artists like Robert Palmer! And don’t worry, we didn’t understand the point of half of the videos ourselves!
You just have to ignore the fact that he looks like he's having a seizure & vibe to the music. You should check out Girlfriend Better (live). It is so funky.
Was JUST listening to that
This was New Wave music, or art rock.
it's dada (absurdism) - The words were inspired by TV-evangelists. Best video ever.
You got it Doc. Just give in to it.
This song from down in out in Beverly Hills
david the singer said he was inspired by tv preachers for the video lol
I love this guy’s reaction
**** My Cousin Jack told me about Talking Heads around 1980. I watch the video and Did Not Get It. I was into Blues, Boogie and Rock and this was just too far out for my tastes. Since then I have re-watched this video many, many times. It Is Genius! Simply Amazing! Yes my tastes have changed but David Byrne is a Genius! Same as it ever was!
From a African dance
Wow....Time out😂😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
I love this song!!
When alternative music wasn't mainstream.
When alternative was in fact, alternative
@@Vitorio582 120 minutes
Lyric videos would probably be better for 1st reactions to Talking Heads. They were very artsy visually. The song itself is actually quite deep. LIfe During Wartime would be a good one to check out. The live version also has weird visuals ;)
Their live stuff is great but I lean toward the studio version when it comes to Life During Wartime. The upbeat performances of the live version don't match the melancholy lyrics.
Your reaction is priceless! I was the same way when I first saw that video years ago ... "Huh?" I seriously felt pity for this guy making a fool of himself and not caring how he looks to others. Those movements didn't have any meaning ... I think he just wanted to make the most facetious and ridiculous video ever and get the audience asking "why is he moving like he's got multiple seizures?" And he achieved it. He wanted to stop making sense. I don't think he was imitating or mocking pastors like some of the comments below suggested because the song doesn't have anything to do with them. It's just a horrible video for a unique song.
Watch the Tom Tom club
The weird hand movements are religious rituals from around the world
try " gitlfriend is better" by talking heads
Afropop! This song is African!
I know....weird huh? Was laughing at your reaction
Clou9NJ (Clou9) dropped another song "Woke" off his new album today. You should react to it. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
What a Great Anti Drug Ad lol
try "up all night" by talking heads
You should also react to Royce da 5'9 la leakers freestyle #100
Please react to Talking heads- Psycho Killer
The man and his wits end losing it …
You gotta react to Psycho Killer by Talking Heads
You should react to black thought funk flex freestyle
I see it as are you happy with your present life? And is there possibly something better out there.
You should check out a song by sabaton called bismarck
doc please react to juice wrld- dark place, it’s one of his saddest songs and i’d love to see your reaction
he was making fun of televagelist
ayo u should react to AC/DCs new single! Music video is out and everything!
😂
singer did this from a ridiculous tv evangelical view lol singer "Burns" got inspired watching late night tv evangelical preachers....loll mooshanda malicka! LOL
Pls react to mick Jenkins - Dehydration
Live is way better
I'll ruin this band for you (I like this band) , something you won't be able to un-hear, if you keep reading don't say you weren't warned... He sounds like Robin Williams... Lol
You should branch out to a new genre. Listen to
Billy Strings. Try dust in a baggie.
Can you please react to UK deep bars by UK drill insider? Would be a great watch
hindue
I don't like it