- published: 23 Jan 2010
- views: 14188139
Talking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass), and Jerry Harrison (keyboards, guitar). Former art school students who became involved in the 1970s New York punk scene, Talking Heads integrated elements of punk, art rock, funk, dance, and world music with avant-garde sensibilities and the anxious stage persona of singer Byrne. The group produced several commercial hits and a number of multimedia projects throughout its career, and often collaborated with other artists, such as musician Brian Eno and director Jonathan Demme.
Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described Talking Heads as "one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s." In 2002, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of the band's albums appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and three of their songs ("Psycho Killer", "Life During Wartime", and "Once in a Lifetime") were included among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Talking Heads were also included at #64 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In the 2011 update of Rolling Stone 's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", the band was ranked at No. 100.
Oh well, I'm dressed up so nice
And I'm doing my best
And I'm starting over
I'm starting over in another place
Lemme tell you a story
A big chief with a golden crown
He's got rings on his fingers
And then he walks up, up to the throne
He's making shapes with his hands
And don't you dare sit back
And don't you dare sit down
And don't you dare speak up
And on the first day we had everything we could stand
Who could've asked for more?
And on a second day there was nothing else left to do
Oh what a day that was
Well there are fifty thousand beggars
Roaming in the streets
And they have lost all their possessions
And they have nothing left to eat
Down come a bolt of lightning
Start an electrical storm
And starts a chain reaction
"Go pull a fire alarm", I said that
I'm dreaming of a city
It was my own invention
I put the wheels in motion
A time for big decisions
And on the first day we had everything we could stand
Oh and then we let it fall
And on a second day there was nothing else left at all
Oh what a day that was
What a day that was
And that's the way it goes
There's a million ways to get things done
There's a million ways to make things work out
Oh well, I'm going right through
And the light came down
And they're rounding them up
From all over town
They're moving forward and backwards
Moving backwards and front
And they're enjoying themselves
Moving in every direction
And if you feel like you're in a whirlpool
You feel like going home
You feel like talking to someone
Who know the difference between right and wrong
And on the first day we had everything we could stand
Oh and then we let it fall
And on a second day there was nothing else left at all
Oh what a day that was
We're going boom, boom, boom and that's the way we live
And in a great big room and that's the way we live
We're going boom, boom, boom and that's the way we live
And in a great big room and that's the way we live
We're going boom, boom, boom and that's the way we live