How Did I Get Here? Talking Heads Vocal ANALYSIS of "Once In A Lifetime"

I'll admit, the first time I heard Talking Heads, I just didn't get it. "Life During Wartime" was so quirky, fun and uplifting with an absolutely devastating and crippling theme that I was lost for most of the analysis. But I got it, and I'm starting to understand the genius that is David Byrne!
Join professional opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff, as she listens to Talking Heads perform "Once In A Lifetime" for the first time.
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Performed by Talking Heads - Words and Music by David Byrne
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I definitely recommend watching the original video without interruptions. Here's the link: • Talking Heads - Once i...
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Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons.
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[@AllHailDiskordia]

The concert movie "Stop Making Sense" is one of the best things ever made

[@SubroutineLtd]

I watched it obsessively first time around and I still think this is true. As a piece of complete music film it is right up there with the greats. Effectively the entire music set is built in real time starting with Byrne coming on with an acoustic guitar and a cassette machine. It is a collection of footage from the tour and I think the only bit that was dubbed was at the very end when David Byrne says to the crowd... 'does anyone have any questions?' The extras on the original DVD (not seen the recent remaster) are very odd but funny.

[@thembill8246]

Absolutely. And this clip is a perfect example of why. The first 85% of the song is a single shot. Nobody would ever do that in a concert film today

[@JakePicci]

I can't even listen to the studio version of Burning Down The House. I have to listen to the live version from Stop Making Sense.

[@jasonwolfkill2527]

"Stop Making Sense" is THE best concert film ever made. I will fight and die on this hill.

[@blindleader42]

Top candidate for best concert film of all time.

[@metalmark1214]

Elizabeth, the opera singer asking "How did I get here?" She's doing another vocal analysis. Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

[@KenRoerden]

Stop making sense Mark. Say something once, why say it again.

[@bobbybobbatunday9959]

She got here by taking it to the river.

[@daisypooch4034]

Hey, atleast she's not Burning down the house.😂

[@mr.puckerie4800]

And She Was.... On the Road to Nowhere

[@majorgruber5925]

She's living on nuts and berries.

[@methodmask]

The song is an existential crisis. The singer suddenly finds himself in the middle of a life, with a house, a wife, a car, etc. But he has no idea how he ended up where he is. The days have just gone by, same as they ever were, and suddenly he's here. And he wonders what else there could be, where else he could go. (Where does that highway lead to?) It's a realization that you only have one lifetime, and if you don't pay attention, every day will be the same as it ever was and it'll be over and you won't know what happened.

[@joycemacdonald2394]

Agreed @methodmask - my #1 song of all time for the message (and the music, but message first), it's my cell phone ring tone for frequent reminders

[@SKOOKM]

Agree to disagree. It's mainly about finding new places to find water, such as underground or at the bottom of the ocean.

[@johntaylor9988]

Exactly. A mid life crisis. Wake up one day to find yourself in a mundane life having let day after day go by without seizing them, doing what is expected of you, never engaging in anything, sleeping through life. Every day same as it ever was, same as the one before. Letting time drift by like water into the past. Then you wake to your existential crisis; MY GOD HOW DID I GET HERE?

[@jeffmiller9778]

I often think this is something that men feel more strongly than women (I could be wrong). Just like Roger Hodgson sings in 'Take the Long Way Home' - "When you look through the years and see what you could have been" or when Thoreau writes "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation". Or the trope of the high school jock who wakes up 20 years later and wonders where it all went. Also, Elizabeth has missed the point of "My God what have I done!'. It's not the elation of making the top 10 in something it's the despair of not reaching whatever goals you had set for life

[@johntaylor9988]

@@jeffmiller9778 agreed. Perhaps Elizabeth has not felt that as she seems to reach for the stars and get there. Those of us who only made the moon realize we had potential we let slip away like water until it is too late and realize what we wasted; the most precious things time and youth. I know it myself. Outwardly it doesn’t look it I am a doctor and live my ideals in treating others with respect. Inwardly I compromised out of anxiety and could have been so much more. I’m 60 and for years have been wrestling inside with the My god what have I done demon.

[@ericdeaver3051]

The “my god what have I done?!” line is not spoken in victory but horror…

[@themessenger2948]

It's spoken in confusion.

[@scionofdorn9101]

@@themessenger2948You’re both right. It’s a sort of midlife crisis in song form. And being an old fart, I completely relate. Life seems like it happens when you’re not looking. You blink and suddenly it’s decades later, and you’re not sure how it got past you so fast. You don’t know where it’s going next, you can barely process where it’s already been, but you know it happens all too fast, and your time is suddenly so much shorter than you expected. And more often than not, it hasn’t gone where you hoped it would.

[@RayC234]

@@scionofdorn9101 You are so right.

[@mysterysurf4554]

You may be looking at the original album credits regarding the supporting vocals. But for this, the band includes Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt on backup vocals.

[@grizfan93]

and they were magnificent.

[@Biomirth]

Thank you for updating this. They were mixed in quite heavy in this version and it's wonderful because the main line and the harmonies are fairly interchangeable in terms of the overall impact of the song.

[@danielrubinow9674]

Well, Lynn Mabry was one of the Brides of Funkenstein, so yeah.

[@Garryck-1]

@@Biomirth - They were mixed in TOO heavily. Backing singers should NOT be drowning out the lead vocalist. I can't even watch the rest of this.. they're destroying a magnificent arrangement.

[@danrudnick5252]

This performance, Stop Making Sense, deserves to be watched in full. It flows in a way that doesn't hit you when you watch it broken up.

[@bipolarbear7325]

Amen!

[@ichirofakename]

A remastered version is coming out soon in theatres, I believe. It will be a must-see.

Agree, but this is an analysis with comments. You have to interrupt to explain. You can watch the original video if you prefer a not interrupted version.

[@cornbredx]

@@ichirofakename I feel like that released before already (A24 produced it). It's on HBO Max. But maybe they're releasing it again due to demand. It is... very good. Even today.

[@ichirofakename]

@@cornbredx I bet you're right.

[@eauhomme]

The original concept for this song was reportedly inspired by a middle-of-the-night sermon heard on a radio. The exaggerated speaking was mimicking the preacher, who kept on saying "You may find yourself..." and "you may ask yourself..."

[@dkhnova]

You can hear something like that in "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts"

[@pubearoo]

Elizabeth should do a live show where she watches this movie. Start to finish with a live breakdown

[@JamesHawleyOtt]

I support this. I love every minute of this concert-film.

[@goosebump801]

Yes!! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@vaportrails7943]

This is one where the studio version is the thing you really need to listen to. A very brilliant and influential production by Brian Eno. They did their best to reproduce it here, but it’s not quite the same. Byrne sings all the harmonies on the record. The music video is also very famous, and would give you an even bigger dose of Byrne’s performance style. 🙂

[@nicholaschupka4150]

100% This live album contains my favorite versions of all the tracks EXCEPT this one. What they captured in the studio for this song was simply magic. Beautiful.

[@manonthemoog]

If anyone can remember way back when MTV used to play music videos, this song was in HEAVY rotation. I prefer the studio version, too. The into is an organ played thru a digital delay - I figured out how to play it once. The live version is a synthesizer playing triplets using an arpeggiator. Its a hard song to pull off. Something about it is simply lost when played live. One thing I love about the live version is the really powerful visual of the side lighting throughout and especially the shot of the two singers leaning backward, gradually moving forward just in time to sing.

[@Diamond_Skies]

THIS! She's not getting the experience of how the song was presented to the world originally. And in this version, the backing singers really dominate, which kind of bugs me. It is distracting.

[@billebrooks]

@@Diamond_Skies This is my favorite performance of the song. However, I did see this version first, before I saw the original video. Byrne's body movements are so much more extreme than in the official video.

[@marialupinacci5283]

I'm fairly certain you can hear Brian Eno's voice singing in the background on the original version of the song.

[@ajmell7]

My pick for the most profound pop song ever, capturing that moment when you look back at your life and the bizarre and unpredictable chain of events that got you to wherever you are. "Well.... How did I get here?" Who knows?

[@Deguello23]

"Look where my hand was!"

[@radbarij]

Contingency is a helluvathing. Now consider your line of ancestors.

[@thembill8246]

@@ajmell7 considering the basically random nature with which he wrote the lyrics, just imitating a random Faith preacher he heard on the radio, and then mumbling a chorus until it generally formed phrases... Profound isn't the word that I would use.

[@jddelvec1870]

Also in the Movie… for this song they just stayed on him the whole time until the end…great choice.

[@christianwilliamson9752]

Wise indeed

[@paulschirf9259]

After "Stop Making Sense" was released on video I'd regularly throw it into the VCR at a video store that I worked at. People would walk into the store and stand in front of the screen and stare at it for at least 20 minutes, memorized by the performance. Later, my friends and I would use elements from the show when talking about each other. "Andy will be late, again" while making the chopping motion down their forearm. "Bill has another girlfriend..." - and everyone makes the chopping motion down their forearm.

[@skyhawk_4526]

I'm convinced David Byrne is a genius. His performances are truly mesmerizing. His on-stage performances are like a cross between a southern Baptist minister giving a fiery sermon and an astrophysicist giving a PhD dissertation. The song lyrics are too. It crosses all boundaries and yet reaches all with both its profoundness and uniqueness.

[@nagoranerides3150]

David Byrne is convinced David Byrne is a genius. Not necessarily wrongly but he has an unpleasant tendency to deny or ignore anyone else's creative space. So many bands have lead singers who forget that what went in the final song is not what they first brought to the band. Days of collaboration and jamming in the studio with creative musicians but it's somehow still "my song".

[@opencarry3860]

He is actually, well beyond 140.

[@EmilySmirleGURPS]

@@nagoranerides3150 He actually got his brain put on the right way around after the band broke up because of his behaviour. He admits it took like a decade and a bit to fix himself. The nice thing about being a jerk is that it's a curable condition.

[@blakerbnsn]

And you may ask yourself, MY GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE!

[@anthonymarcello1265]

All. The damn. Time.

[@singaporesammy]

Speaking of Oppenheimer.

[@Shamanator]

There are *many* ways to think of what that lyric means.

[@StevenTyree-sl2nx]

@@singaporesammy Best comment ever!

[@robindix7501]

😂 yeah, it's like crossing the Rubicon River by Caesar. Once in a lifetime...then you realise 😮🎉😱😣🤯my God, what have I done...

[@TrashWerewolf]

David Byrne actually graduated with a degree in Arts and I believe that's how he approaches his music. He approaches songs as individual art exhibits rather than music and the result is what you see on display in the entire "Stop Making Sense" concert film.

[@stevenboettcher4796]

I don't think Byrne graduated. In Frantz memoir he seemed to suggest that Byrne dropped out.

[@lilirishgrl]

Very interesting thanks for sharing that tidbit

[@KaninTuzi]

Jim Morrison had a similar approach

[@grahamnunn8998]

Still an incredible intellectual which guess made it hard to work with him but fascinating for us! I must get around to reading "How Music Works".

[@lynnboling7990]

Very cool 3 of the members went to Rhode Island school of design.( art college)

[@SpiderMcGee]

Not just because it's my favorite song in the whole world, but "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" is well worth a listen. It was never a hit, but it's been covered countless times by so many different artists.

[@8642ls]

It really is one of the most beautiful songs ever!

[@tomswift3482]

You need to watch the entire movie of this concert - it truly is like pictures at an exhibition, each song a piece of art, from beginning to end, resulting in a complete mural. A process from start to finish - chaotic order.

[@feanrassilmaril579]

You MUST SEE entire show! Its a whole.

[@josephebaronzzi3197]

The whole concert was filmed as a movie and truly is a work of art

[@blindleader42]

@@josephebaronzzi3197 Well, four concerts and a day or three in the empty theater. A great concert film isn't just a matter of filming a concert.

[@oceanblue2doorjl961]

I saw this film as a 15 year old in 1984. My older brother, who was a huge Talking Heads fan took me and it changed my thoughts on music forever. I just watched it for the first time since then a week ago, when I came across it accidentally on MAX. It is still one the best 'concert films' ever made. As much as I would love Elizabeth to break down all the songs individually, I must encourage her to set aside two hours and watch it in context from start to finish. It is simultaneously a visual and musical masterpiece. And I would hate for her to miss out on the experience to give us bits of it for content. It's to important a moment in music to be missed.

[@user-scott-pearce]

Letting the days go by, I find myself with a once and a lifetime chance of listening to Elizabeth analyze The Talking Heads.

[@1monki]

These movements were planned performance art. He filmed himself working out different moves while putting these performances together. This is a complete art piece.

[@mxspokes]

The members of the band Talking Heads were students at Rhode Island School of Design so they're very visually oriented as well.

[@bipolarbear7325]

I just realized Elizabeth hasn't seen the big suit yet! 😮 She's got a lot of smiles coming. 😁

[@grahamokeefe9406]

There's a character arc that runs through the whole concert, too. He starts of as the "Psycho Killer" guy, very nervous and freaked out, and by the end of the show, he's singing Al Green gospel music. But he also steps into different characters for different songs, but there's sort of a base character that runs through the whole thing. "Performance art" was a big thing in the 80s, and Byrne was into it, for sure. You should definitely watch the whole Stop Making Sense movie. It works really well both as a concert and as a film.

[@moirasoma2863]

Amen!

[@pillmuncher67]

The moves were co-choreographed by legendary choreographer Toni Basil. Yes, the one who also sang "Hey Mickey". She's 80 years old and still dances every day. Look her up!

[@brianmiller1077]

She was in "Head", the Monkees' movie

[@clintatk]

Go Toni! ❤

[@Megalojohn33]

She also choreographed and danced in David Bowie's Glass Spider Tour.

[@Johnny_Socko]

I question some of Jonathan Demme's directorial decisions, such as holding on a close-up of Byrne for this entire song, thus missing the movement of all of the other performers. That is an all-too-common pitfall among live show directors. (Demme still delivered some great images for most of the movie though.)

[@CoastPropertyBuyers]

Fascinating 😮

[@SubCultureMEDIAHilbert]

I've always gotten a 'getting baptised' feeling from this song. It is amazing. These guys are mind blowing.

[@timbuktuesday]

I highly recommend watching this entire concert. It’s on hbo max. Every time I’ve watched it, I wanted to get up and dance. “Its like 60 minutes on acid”- David Byrne

[@Terri.46]

"There is water at the bottom of the ocean"

[@VintageWanderer]

Favorite line

[@bigchunkybubbles]

A koan: Remove the water from the bottom of the ocean.

[@thembill8246]

David Byrne is a perfect example of how being neurospicy can be a superpower.

[@larryross9492]

"Neurospicy" Wonderful word.

[@MarcelNL]

This performance reminds me of the movie Falling Down.

[@uzazil]

Elon Musk as well

[@thembill8246]

@@uzazil uh...no. his superpower is apartheid.

[@uzazil]

@@thembill8246 That was his father's. He has aspbergers, which is why he can do so much at the same time. All successful people are assholes, it's how the become successful. But the face he created PayPal, sold it to create tesla and space x and all the other companies to actually better mankind for better or worse is commendable.

[@BlackRoseImmortal]

The late 70's and early to mid 80's were just a renaissance of new music

[@greghubbard4714]

Did you know that David Byrne won an Oscar for his work on the score for "The Last Emperor" (1988)?

[@aTofuJunkie]

David Byrne's book, "How Music Works" explains how live performance and studio performances differ depending on the venue and audience. It's very much a MUST READ or listen on audio book narrated by David himself. The book is also a biography on himself and the band.

[@PeterMoore66]

Tina Weymouth isn't singing. The female backing singers are Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt. Jerry Harrison, Steve Scales, and Alex Weir also provide backing vocals during the concert - but I'm not sure I can hear them on this track...

[@garyakirsch]

Ahh. Another head need.

[@garyakirsch]

Nerd

[@rasmichael]

Preach brother. Mabry and Holt were a perfect match for those concerts. And proved their aerobic prowess too.

[@jthompson5341]

The Talking Heads are a band to listen to over and over again and all of their catalog, a truly inspiring and beautiful band

[@cosmoissleeping]

David Byrne said the vocals were inspired by old time radio preachers. So your comparison to MLK Jr, a preacher, and to church is very apt

[@imaybesometime]

I'm fascinated by his control of his hands and shadowthrowing, particularly on the face - he knows exactly how it will look from the camera angle and he adjusts for it, and plays with it.

[@scottishguard]

"Burning down the house" is probably their most popular and well-known. And a must listen, if you're exploring the Talking Heads.

[@jaime7203]

Also Wild Wild Life

[@dirk111]

@@jaime7203and Psycho Killer! Those plus Once in a Lifetime get the most radio play these days, on the rare occasions I hear Talking Heads played at all.

[@pj4433]

Got to be psycho killer. There are many as;eats to analyse

[@stuartcook2464]

What about Road to Nowhere?

[@joshuavanderhei4213]

I think another song to check out in this vein of music would be Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club. Husband and wife duo of Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth from the talking heads. Very interesting vocals throughout. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@sean---the-other-one]

To watch the entire Stop Making Sense concert is absolutely something that should be done many times in a lifetime. It is totally innovative, and you would think that it would be hard to create anything as wonderfully original again. And then you would need to watch David’s recent concert movie American Utopia where he brings together an incredibly talented set of musician/vocalist/performers who use technology and pushes them to near their limits to put on a performance that is truly industry changing. Once you realise exactly what is happening, how he changes the concept of a stage and a concert, it’s like opening a door that can never be closed.

[@CalmLikeABomb76]

"David Byrne's American Utopia" is a mindblowing performance, and a must-see. I wish i had the chance to watch it live back when they did it on Broadway. He's a genious!

[@PJKaszas]

Yes, that’s fantastic!

[@buca505]

“Stop making sense” is one of the biggest concert movie ever made, and you reaction on both Talking Heads live songs is from that movie. From first song “PsychoKiller” to the end, you one day must watch all, it is just too good as musical performance not to be seen. You can make Patreon movie party and watch and listen that masterpiece, and later edit some songs or reactions for YT. You were on right path with Martin Jr Luther, David watch the hours of TV evangelist at the end of 1970’s, so that he can create a person moves and vocals for this song, cause when he wrote lyrics, he recognized that it could be preached in song. Geniality, pure geniality. Keep on good work Elizabeth ✌️👍

[@omfgitskalynn]

This song is so amazing. I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it yet, but he actually ran around the studio before recording these vocals so he would sound like an out of breath preacher delivering a sermon. You would love his book How Music Works!

[@JimBliss23]

7:45 "Anyone else think he looks like Cillian Murphy? Dude, you just won an Oscar." Actually, David Byrne won his Oscar in 1987 :-)

[@lockyalexander1120]

That’s a paddlin’

[@orwelles]

Loved how you discussed music, singing, talking, and philosophy so seamlessly intertwined together. One of your best reactions!

[@marcsummers2836]

The 'head-slap' thing is mimicking a faith-healer

[@brianboye8025]

Or it dramatizes the thought "Same as it ever was" hitting you hard enough to open your mind. Eternity? Nothing really changes? Everything is change?

[@The80sCat]

Roxy Music so deserves your analysis. "More Than This" is one of my all time favorite songs.

[@TheAwetist802]

and Mother of Pearl!!

[@lesleygraham5927]

Love Roxy Music❤❤❤

[@m.ericwatson968]

David Byrne is a genius, knew that back in the day and wasn't ever a huge fan...dude is genius, the whole ensemble are brilliant

[@HybridCult]

The backing vocals are so powerful because they are The brides of Dr. Funkenstein. Part of the Parliament/Funkadelic family. Also Bernie the keyboardist is a genuine legend who is also in those groups

[@louiscassis3426]

I think David is saying that many of us let the days go by. Not seizing the moment.

[@Ethelred77]

Reminds me of Su casa es mi casa from Infectious Grooves, in which they sing 'the ticking you hear is your life passing you by' repetitively. Sooo depressing! 😅

[@Shamanator]

I think the genius of good lyrics like this song has is its ability to potentially mean many things depending upon one's perspective.

[@lantose]

@@Shamanator i do think he had a fairly direct message to deliver and most of the comments are very similar, but yes, there are different variations of said message. Life (time) never stops and before you know it you’ve gone to college, got married, bought a house, had kids and now they ate married and it seems like yesterday! We do have to make more out of our lives and check off the bucket list items!

[@CitizenScorn]

Many have already said it, but... 'STOP MAKING SENSE'!!! Its an amazing introduction to them, and also just so happens to be one of, if not the best, live concert "documentaries" of all time. Keep up the great work 🤘

[@BobSakamoto]

A mark of brilliance is when a performance raises more questions than it answers and moves beyond "this is the way it is". My takes: the "limbo" pose was when life beat him down until he almost collapsed - but he made his way back up. And the "what have I done?" was a cry of anguish/regret from something remembered. Tremendous, cerebral lyrics, and always a proper amount of funk backing.

[@Grosstradamus]

This is the most Brian Eno sounding talking heads track. I love it.

[@coordinatezero]

"I Zimbra" comes pretty close!

[@ambsquared]

Watch the whole concert. My favorite from it is “Girlfriend is Better”. When he gets to the lyric “Stop Making Sense” I get producer guy from Pitch Meeting saying, “That’s the name of the movie!” playing in my head now.

[@HybridCult]

Yes! My personal favourite too. I get that "they said the name of the movie" feeling from it everytime.

[@oceanblue2doorjl961]

The open, 'Psycho Killer', with just a boom box and Byrne on the guitar, is such a haunting piece. It really sets the tone for the whole performance - you just know you're witnessing something profoundly, amazingly different.

[@coordinatezero]

I remember when this first came out on VHS and my trying-to-be-hip parents rented it... about 35 minutes in, I hear them calling me from the TV room. When I get there, they are looking perplexed and uncomfortable. "You don't like the music?" "The music is fine, but ... when does the plot start?"

[@SchrijverMarcel]

Wow wow wow wow wow. Wow.

[@craigslue]

This is such a great concert/movie. I have probably watched it 50 times and certain songs 100's times. He's so much fun to watch and the entire band is just so entertaining and put on a great show.

[@chrisinsley5880]

I have never commented on your channel until now......I am amazed at your analysis of this song and performance. I grew up listening to Talking Heads and a bunch of other ground breaking bands in that era. I thank-you for your perspective on what is so fascinating about this performance and you are spot on! David Byrne is special but I have to say the entire band was a magic combination! I'm glad the Talking Heads were going off when I was dialed into the music so heavily.

[@user-du6zo7zp2k]

This show was genius, a real piece of performance art with some great songs

[@leilanikiyabupomeranz5775]

Just so you know, Tina doesn’t sing for Talking Heads. But only for Tom Tom Club. You should check that out. It’s also in “Stop Making Sense”.

[@DavithBothain]

I would definitely second the Tom Tom Club recommendation -- but maybe not for their performance on "Stop Making Sense". "Genius of Love" is a great song, but the version from that concert is pretty raw compared to the studio version.

[@richardtodd6843]

So did Byrne have a sex change and assume Tina's identity for the chorus of "The Good Thing"?

[@Johnny_Socko]

Tina definitely sang background on some Talking Heads tracks.

[@cornbredx]

Fun fact: I believe she learned bass guitar in the 70s only because Talking Heads needed a bassist and she had never played it before. She is now widely considered one of the greatest bassists of all time.

[@Scott_Forsell]

There is water at the bottom of the ocean. It's so stupidly obvious it makes you question how you perceive reality. If you haven't the full film of this concert, I highly recommend. It introduces new sound elements organically. First it's just David Byrne on the stage and they bring in each new instument and player bit by bit. And Demme captured it quite beautifully. Most times for music it's a head-on static camera pointed at the singer with rest of the band kinda in the background. Cue close-up of a drum or a guitar. Look, they're playing this. It's very formulaic. Seeing a side shot of a set of folks going absolutely ape shit directly at the audience is viscerally thrilling. We need more of that and less static one shots.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Dang, Elizabeth, that is one of your best reactions yet! Just hit so many areas and so much fun. ❤

[@-R.Gray-]

I used to wonder if it was a coincidence that with his short hair Byrne used to remind me more of Anthony Perkins of Psycho than your typical rock star - and one of their big hits was "Psycho Killer".

[@robosock380]

That's a great song. Just hearing it mentioned in your comment I know it's going to be stuck in my head for hours.

[@ChrisLegner-qp1yh]

In every way, an iconic song and performance. If anything, has grown is stature as it has aged.

[@metheus108]

As I said on the last Talking Heads reaction, they met at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) so a lot of their performance is actually that, performance. For this song he specifically studied and took influence from revival preacher styles for his vocal delivery. Thanks!

[@Serai3]

David Byrne built the lyrics of this song on the research he did watching recordings of preachers and politicians. It's a sermon on modern life, how we fall into the rhythm of life and get pulled down into the water of ordinary days, time going by without our feeling it. His movements were developed watching rituals from different religions, especially Caribean faiths like Voudoun and Candomble, and faith-healing gatherings. If you watch the original music video of the song, you'll see clips from some of those rituals playing in the background as Byrne joins in the movements of the celebrants. (He eventually became a priest in the Candomble religion.)

[@BruceMatthews-dc7db]

The "talking hand" reminds me of you! I never much questioned it in the RUSH video until you were so entertained by it. So, now, when I see it, it reminds me of Elizabeth.

[@Cainte77]

Kicks me back to my childhood watching "Down and out in Beverly Hills" loved that movie and the song was fitting

[@DavidLindes]

Was wondering if others would think of this, too. I love this song on its own, but I also love it in the context of that film. And Elizabeth, if you see this: Would recommend giving it a watch, if only to add an additional layer of context for this song. :)

[@victorialovatt976]

Yes! The song placement at the end the end of the film is just perfect. I love when movie soundtracks get it bang on

[@enajd9552]

Yes! Best concert film ever. Every time I watch it either at home or ‘live’.

[@MarkWilliams50]

Once when David Byrne was asked to describe himself...he is quoted to say: "I'm not a completely comfortable person" Got to see Talking Heads way back in 1977. One great concert. Loved a lot of their songs as well as when they became the Tom Tom Club.

[@DrZaius3141]

David Byrne being unapologetically on the autism spectrum is such a powerful sight to behold. Love him.

[@lewismaddox4132]

In this live version there is an even greater emphasis on, "Time isn't after us, time isn't holding us!" We are not prisoners of time. We are released from time's constraints. Being concerned about time passing is as futile as to, "Remove the water, carry the water! Remove the water, from the bottom of the ocean!" If you wanna get into the whole Oppenheimer thing, he does that too. The song is called, "Swamp". And yes, these are all from the same show. They are from a Jonathan Demme documentary called, Stop Making Sense.

[@Eniral441]

I loved this group back in the day, but I've never heard this song live. Thank you for sharing this.

[@tommc4916]

The gentleman on the keyboards at the intro is the LEGENDARY Bernie Worrell.

[@DanielBurke-h9w]

They first performed at CBGB’s opening for the Ramones. Epic punk scene back in the day. Blondie will always be my favorite though

[@jefffredenburg7231]

Country, Bluegrass, and blues

[@user-td4zp4gq2p]

Mom kicked my ass for sneaking off on the subway to see Talking heads, Blondie and the Ramones at CBGB's as a kid!😂😅

[@mkang8782]

The Talking Heads have such an amazing catalogue. I really think you would enjoy "Road to Nowhere", "And She Was", and "Burning Down the House".

[@rickdeckard6294]

Talking Heads is my favorite band and Stop Making Sense is by far my favorite concert movie. It should be watched in its entirety. I hope someday Elizabeth takes the time to do so. It will give Elizabeth a lot of perspective and clarity for future analysis.

[@kovie9162]

I can't get over the fact that this movie was released nearly 40 years ago. Where did all that time go? I don't know how relevant and known it is to people who today are the age I was when it came out, probably not at all for the most part for a generation for whom time began the day they were born (it was certainly not that way with my generation). But back then it was such a massive musical and cultural phenomenon, before pop, rock and hip hop music festivals like Glastonbury, Coachella and Lollapalooza were a thing. Damn I'm getting old.

[@stotes57]

I "forced" my 30 something y/o daughter to watch the movie. As a hip-hop / R&B fan, she just didn't get it, and didn't appreciate the choreography.

[@lisakaz35]

"Where did the days go by?" always seemed like "How did my life go by?" as in how did it get away from me.

[@thembill8246]

@@lisakaz35 "where did the days go by?" Is not a line in this song whatsoever. It's "letting the days go by," and it was, like most of his lyrics in the Eno period of Talking Heads, pretty randomly selected. They had the groove, and mumbled a melody until they formed it into something vaguely cohesive. Listen to an outtake from the previous album called "Dancing for Money," to hear how they wrote lyrics, in a song that never ended up going anywhere

[@lisakaz35]

@@thembill8246 My take is how I interpreted the song circa 1984 or 1985. We didn't have the internet to decide what the lyrics were.

[@kennethbarber438]

exactly. Letting the days go by. "An unexamined life is not worth living" Socrates

[@lisakaz35]

@@kennethbarber438 Yes. That's what's I'm getting at. TY.

[@wojopf88a]

David Byrne bring his characters to life in every song! Great live shows!

[@Sues-ub4iv]

Loved (and still do) the music of Talking Heads and David Byrne. Saw both as a band and David Byrne on a solo tour and loved the live performances.

[@jonnyrebb]

David is basically doing the same "dance moves" that he did in the original music video for this song. You should check it out. You'll also understand the whole opening sounding like flowing water.

[@Cadinho93]

Talking Heads were like a combination of New Wave & performance art. David Byrne is a TRUE artist, in every sense of the word. You need to be in that kind of mindset. He's really a musical genius, imo. Also, the lyrics are actually quite deep and meaningful. Reflecting on your life and all the decisions you made, then still asking yourself. How did I get here?

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

I find him an absolute genius, and I'm so grateful to finally dive into his catalogue. This one in particular has left me particularly stunned and introspectively thinking about life and my own why!

[@Cadinho93]

@@TheCharismaticVoiceI am glad you find him a genius and he sure is one. I also can't wait to see you dig into more of the Talking Heads music category. You will find some of the greatest songs ever written and gems as well. The time always comes to find different styles that you will love and want to listen to again.

[@AllHailDiskordia]

Talking Heads were such a great band

[@ram7021]

One of my favorite David Byrne quotes: "Lyrics are just a way to get people to listen to music longer than they would normally."

[@davydatwood3158]

You have a much more positive interpretation than I do. I hear a lament for not taking the once-in-a-lifetime chance, ("what have I done?" sounds like despair, not exultation) and being stuck with nothing better to do but run out the clock watching the days go by. I suppose that's illustrative of how our different lives have gone.

[@user-qq73r44]

Nice. The Stop Making Sense concert movie is awesome. And I never have paid attention to the behind the scenes stuff, so I’m probably the last person to know that the drummer and the woman playing bass were the ones behind Tom Tom Club.

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

I heard that this concert was the go-to, so I've been focusing the live performances from it!

[@user-qq73r44]

@@TheCharismaticVoice oh yeah, I didn’t watch the preview, so probably it doesn’t include the other people I mentioned, but that’s ok.

[@RunawayKiwi]

@@user-qq73r44 It does! Tom Tom Club was Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz's side project, and they perform Genius of Love near the end of the film (while David Byrne has a costume change).

[@jocgo]

@@TheCharismaticVoiceyes this performance is possibly the best concert film ever. Every song in this film would make an interesting conversation about singing and performance. Out of curiosity have the Kinks hit your radar yet? Lots of interesting stuff from them. You would particularly enjoy their song Have a cuppa tea.

[@randywissler9923]

​​@@jocgoit's definitely up there, but as far as concert films go, I would have to put The Bands The last Waltz as the top one!! That's a band the Elizabeth should most definitely react to!! The Weight, up on cripple creek, the night they drove ol Dixie down from said concert film.

[@blakerbnsn]

I'm not sure if I ever brought up one of my all time favorite bands from the same era as the Talking Heads. Have you ever heard of a band from New Zealand called Split Enz? They were the precursor to Crowded House and it's some of the most quirky and beautifully weird music. But the best vocal has to be Neil Finn doing "Message to my Girl". The original recording is amazing but there are tons of live performances out there. TAKE A DEEP DIVE DOWN TO NEW ZEALAND!

[@stevenporter8740]

Split Enz were awesome!

[@peterwindle4453]

I remember reading somewhere that David Byrne drew inspiration from religious evangelism for some of the concert movements, so, you have got it spot on...

[@9Nitengale]

Even his newest stuff sounds great. And still physically active while he performs. He's 72. David Byrne is just a fascinating artist. He paints, writes, he's just well rounded with a heavy dash of odd.

[@peterbrown2112]

One of the best concerts I had the privilege to attend! Completely exhausted afterwards!

[@Parula06]

Same! One of the best of my life

[@victorialovatt976]

Aw you lucky spuds

[@user-rv6dz8gv5l]

Was there as well. Saw them many times. Genius,

[@davidcrandon2329]

Just saw the re-re-release at the Pantages last month. The band and director said we were all dancing and singing louder and more than the original concert! About 30 people were there that were also there 40 yrs ago.

[@bagofcatsbagofcats1105]

adding to everything that's been already said in comments, the concert movie 'Stop Making Sense' is iconic as film too. The long intro from credits to the start of Psycho Killer, all done in just a single uninterrupted 2 minutes long take before the first edit cut. The whole movie is, as the concert, intense, without relief cuts to close ups or pans of the public, or backstage scenes. Both innovative until then in film history

[@airbrushaaron666]

The Stop Making Sense live performance is great, but the official video is amazing, mainly due to the dance David choreographed with Toni Basil.

[@bobbybobbatunday9959]

Overall, the studio recordi g with music video is better. This and Take Me to the River are the two songs from the show that lost something live. The rest of the concert elevated the original songs

[@rieskorin2027]

Oh yuur! Wondered if anyone would name check Toni Basil LoL My niece was named after the Oh Mickey track she did 😂

[@briangpz]

A great band from my youth. They didn't get much radio play, but MTV really helped to get their music out there.

[@Biomirth]

I feel like you would really like David Byrne in person or in continued detail. He is indeed a bushwhacker, a brush-cutter, a wanderer, a bolt of cloth of a color never to be seen again. At the rate you're watching The Talking Heads you should be ready for his independent post-Heads music by 2093. At least that will keep us on our toes! (Please do more, sooner!).

[@cmiles97x38]

So many great songs but you need to treat yourself to the Concert movie "Stop Making Sense", really great and shows what a great band he has behind him. As I've gotten older I have grown to love "Road to No Where"

[@jamiemacdonald436]

Yay! Teaser videos are back!! 😊

[@neogeoha1464]

I've always been attracted to different/unique things in all aspects of life, and The Talking Heads are unique in the world of music. They are one of my favorites.

[@FrecklefaceSwag]

As somebody who drinks a lot, I'm loving how drunk she is in her latest videos!! Seriously, it brings out an honesty in her analysis of these other singers.

[@jadawa85]

Perhaps I’m a pessimist, but I always interpreted the lyrics more as a commentary on not being mindful or purposeful. Just letting things happen without intention leading up to the “My God! What have I done?” moment when you realize you’ve been “letting the days go by”, perhaps wasting them and missing out on those once in a lifetime opportunities.

[@goblinqueen4991]

I agree. I think she's putting too positive a spin on things here, but that may just be her personality. Or it could reflect the "positivity" thing going on now online. Either way, this has always seemed to be pretty negative to me.

[@DJHolte]

Well, there's positivity in both interpretations. In yours (which I happen to share), that sudden realization can be the impetus for change, the spark that lights the way toward a new direction. Many positive things are born out of people yearning to be released from negative things.

[@99sheepy]

If you're looking to do another David Byrne reaction, he did some shows about 10 yrs ago with St. Vincent. She's quirky, he's quirky, and they are great together. Maybe check out a live performance of the song Who, from 2012-ish, with the huge horn section backing them up.

[@GLiC]

I love that you are using all of the live versions from Stop Making Sense. the Talking Heads are the TRUTH. a real deal rock n roll band, whos music lives and breaths in the moment. magical group.

[@michaelstaples1230]

I love David b. But I am so impressed with what you see in this performance. Your analysis has its own musical gestalt to it. It literally brought me to tears. It is every bit as creative as the what it is analyzing, creating a creative whole between the two artistic colors.

[@wanderer0617]

I'm glad to see you reacting to the Talking Heads again! "Well, how did I get here?" 😅

[@HellenKillerProject]

"Stop Making Sense" starts out with him and a beat box. As the show continues more and more instruments and members are added until there is a full band. Pretty creative and interesting way to build a show. It is very much like Neil Young and Crazy Horse did with "Live Rust" without the Ewoks doing the stage work... Starting solo and building the band bit by bit.

[@ibeetellingya5683]

This song helped me embrace the opportunities that jarring surrealism provides for re-evaluating priorities, finding direction, and fostering personal growth. It was fun and nostalgic for me to see you experience their art, and interesting to learn from you what's going on musically and vocally, which further enriches the experience.

[@MarkAdolph-xz6or]

This song, just the audio, made me a Taking Heads fan. This performance and this whole concert film made me a Head head.