David Byrne was born in Dumbarton, Scotland. Two years later, his parents moved to Hamilton, Ontario, and then to Arbutus, Maryland. Before high school, David Byrne already knew how to play the guitar, accordion, and violin. He was rejected from his middle school's choir because they claimed he was "off-key and too withdrawn." From a young age, he had a strong interest in music. His parents say that he would constantly play his phonograph from age three and he learned how to play the harmonica at age five. In his journals he says, "I was a peculiar young man — borderline Asperger's, I would guess." As revealed by Tina Weymouth in the commentary for the concert film Stop Making Sense, Byrne is left handed but plays guitar right handed.
He graduated from Lansdowne High School in southwest Baltimore County. Byrne started his musical career in a high school duo named Bizadi with Mark Kehoe. Their repertoire consisted mostly of songs such as "April Showers," "96 Tears," "Dancing On The Ceiling," and Frank Sinatra songs. Byrne then attended the Rhode Island School of Design (during the 1970–71 term) and the Maryland Institute College of Art (during the 1971–72 term) before dropping out and forming a band called "The Artistics" with fellow RISD student Chris Frantz. The band dissolved within a year, and the two moved to New York together with Frantz's girlfriend Tina Weymouth. Unable to find a bass player in New York, Frantz and Byrne persuaded Weymouth to learn to play the bass guitar.
After some practice and playing together they founded the group Talking Heads which had its first gig in 1975. Multi-instrumentalist Jerry Harrison joined the group in 1977. The band released 8 studio albums before going into hiatus in 1988. David Byrne desired to go solo, but it took 3 years to announce that the band was breaking up in 1991. A brief reunion for a single "Sax and Violins" in 1991 occurred before again dissolving. The band was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, when they reunited to play 4 tracks.
During his time in the Talking Heads, Byrne took on outside projects, collaborating with Brian Eno during 1979 and 1981 on the album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, which attracted considerable critical acclaim due to its early use of analogue sampling and found sounds. Following this record, Byrne focused his attention on Talking Heads. My Life in the Bush of Ghosts was re-released for its 25th anniversary in early 2006, with new bonus tracks. In keeping with the spirit of the original album, two of the songs' component tracks were released under Creative Commons licenses and a remix contest site was launched.
Rei Momo (1989) was the first solo album by Byrne, after leaving Talking Heads, that features mainly Afro-Cuban, Afro-Hispanic, and Brazilian song styles including popular dances including merengue, Cuban Son, samba, mambo, cumbia, cha-cha-chá, bomba, and charanga. His third solo album Uh-Oh (1992) followed that featured a brass-section and was driven by catchy tracks such as "Girls on My Mind" and "The Cowboy Mambo (Hey Lookit Me Now)". His fourth solo album, titled davidenryb (1994), was a more proper rock record, with Byrne playing most of the instruments on it, leaving percussion for session musicians. "Angels" and "Back in the Box" were the two main singles released from the album. The first one entered the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, reaching #24. For his fifth studio effort the emotional Feelings (1997), Byrne employed a brass orchestra called Black Cat Orchestra. His sixth Look into the Eyeball (2001) continued the same musical exploration of Feelings, but was compiled of more upbeat tracks, like those found on Uh-Oh.
Grown Backwards (2004), released by Nonesuch Records, used orchestral string arrangements, and includes two operatic arias as well as a rework of X-Press 2 collaboration "Lazy". He also launched a North American and Australian tour with the Tosca Strings. This tour ended with Los Angeles, San Diego and New York shows in August 2005.
Byrne and Eno reunited for his eighth album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (2008).
He assembled a band to tour worldwide for the album for a six-month period from late 2008 through early 2009 on the Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour.
In September 2012, Byrne and St. Vincent released a collaborative album, Love This Giant.
In 1981, Byrne partnered with choreographer Twyla Tharp, scoring music he wrote that appeared on his album, The Catherine Wheel for a ballet with the same name, prominently featuring unusual rhythms and lyrics. Productions of The Catherine Wheel appeared on Broadway that same year. In Spite of Wishing and Wanting is a soundscape David Byrne produced for the Belgian choreographer Wim Vandekeybus's dance company Ultima Vez.
In 1991, Byrne released a classical instrumental album The Forest, where some of the tracks were already featured as a score for 1988 Robert Wilson theatre piece of the same name.
His work has been extensively used in movie soundtracks, most notably in collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su on Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Score. In 2004, Lead Us Not Into Temptation (music from the film "Young Adam") included tracks and musical experiments from his score to Young Adam. Byrne also wrote, directed, and starred in True Stories, a musical collage of discordant Americana released in 1986, as well as producing most of the film's music. Byrne also directed the documentary Île Aiye and the concert film of his 1992 Latin-tinged tour titled Between the Teeth. He was chiefly responsible for the stage design and choreography of Stop Making Sense in 1984. Byrne added "Loco de Amor" (Crazy for Love) with Celia Cruz to Jonathan Demme's 1986 film Something Wild.
Byrne wrote the Dirty Dozen Brass Band-inspired score for Robert Wilson's Opera The Knee Plays from The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down. Some of the music from Byrne's orchestral album The Forest was originally used in a Wilson-directed theatre piece with the same name. The Forest premiered at the Theater der Freien Volksbühne, Berlin in 1988. It received its New York premiere in December 1988 at BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The Forestry Maxi-single contained dance and industrial remixes of pieces from The Forest by Jack Dangers, Rudy Tambala, and Anthony Capel.
In late 2005 Byrne and Fatboy Slim began work on Here Lies Love, a disco opera or song cycle about the life of Imelda Marcos, the controversial former First Lady of the Philippines. Some music from this piece was debuted at Adelaide Festival of Arts in Australia in February 2006 and the following year at Carnegie Hall on February 3, 2007.
In 2008 Byrne released Big Love: Hymnal – his soundtrack to season two of Big Love. These two albums constituted the first releases on his personal independent record label Todo Mundo.
Byrne and Brian Eno provided the soundtrack for the film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
Byrne has contributed songs to five AIDS benefit compilation albums produced by the Red Hot Organization: Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter, Red Hot + Rio, Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin, Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon, and Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip. Byrne appeared as a guest vocalist/guitarist for 10,000 Maniacs during their MTV Unplugged concert, though the songs in which he is featured were cut from their following album. One of them, "Let the Mystery Be", appeared as the fourth track on 10,000 Maniacs' CD single "Few and Far Between". Byrne worked with the "Queen of Tex-Mex", Tejano superstar Selena, writing, producing and singing a song ("God's Child (Baila Conmigo)"), included on Selena's last album, "Dreaming of You", before her death. Byrne was the host of Sessions at West 54th during its second of three seasons and collaborated with members of Devo and Morcheeba to record the album Feelings in 1997.
In 2001 a version of Byrne's single "Like Humans Do", edited to remove its drug reference, was selected by Microsoft as the sample music for Windows XP to demonstrate Windows Media Player (not included in SP2 installs).
In 2002, he co-wrote and provided vocals for a track, "Lazy" by X-Press 2, which reached number 2 in the United Kingdom and number 1 on the U.S. Dance Charts. Byrne said in an interview in BBC Four Sessions's coverage of his Union Chapel performance that "Lazy" was number 1 in Syria. The track later featured with orchestral arrangements on his Grown Backwards (2004) album.
In 2006, his singing was featured on "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter" on The Cosmic Game by Thievery Corporation.
He is featured on the tracks "Money" and "The People Tree", on N.A.S.A.'s 2009 album The Spirit of Apollo. Also in 2009, David Byrne appeared on HIV/AIDS charity album Dark Was the Night for Red Hot Organization. He collaborated with Dirty Projectors on the song "Knotty Pine". In the same year, Byrne performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. He also was a signator of a letter protesting the decision of the Toronto International Film Festival to choose Tel Aviv as the subject of its inaugural City-to-City Spotlight strand.
In 2007, David Byrne provided a cover of The Fiery Furnaces' song "Ex-Guru" for a compilation to celebrate the 15th birthday of Thrill Jockey, a Chicago-based label.
In 2008, Byrne and his production team turned the Battery Maritime Building, a 99-year-old ferry terminal in Manhattan, into a playable musical instrument. The structure was connected electronically to a pipe organ and made playable for a piece called "Playing the Building". This project was previously installed in Stockholm, Sweden in 2005, and later at the London Roundhouse in 2009. It bears similarities to a series of installations created by New Zealand and Detroit based artists Alastair Galbraith and Matt De Genaro, which were recorded on their 1998 record Wire Music and on the 2006 follow-up Long Wires in Dark Museums, Vol. 2. Byrne says that the point of the project was to allow people to experience art first hand, by creating music with the organ, rather than simply looking at it.
In April 2008, Byrne took part in the Paul Simon retrospective concert series at BAM performing "You Can Call Me Al" and "I Know What I Know" from Simon's Graceland album.
In 2008 Byrne collaborated with The Brighton Port Authority, composing the music and singing the lyrics for "Toe Jam".
In May 2011, Byrne contributed backing vocals to the Arcade Fire track "Speaking in Tongues" which appeared on the deluxe edition of their 2010 album The Suburbs.
In March 2013 he will debut a fully staged production of his 2010 concept album Here Lies Love at New York's Public Theater directed by Tony Award Nominee Alex Timbers following it's premiere at MoCA earlier in the year.
Byrne founded the world music record label Luaka Bop in 1990. It was originally created to release Latin American compilations, but it has grown to include music from Cuba, Africa, the Far East and beyond, releasing the work of artists such as Cornershop, Os Mutantes, Los De Abajo, Jim White, Zap Mama, Tom Zé, Los Amigos Invisibles and King Chango.
In 2005, Byrne initiated his own internet radio station, Radio David Byrne. Each month, Byrne posts a playlist of music he likes, linked by themes or genres. Byrne's playlists have included African popular music, country music classics, Vox Humana, classical opera, and film scores from Italian movies.
In 2006, Byrne released Arboretum, a sketchbook facsimile of his Tree Drawings, published by McSweeney's. Byrne is also a visual artist whose work has been shown in contemporary art galleries and museums around the world since the 1990s. Represented by the Pace/MacGill Gallery in New York, he has also created public art installations, many of them anonymously. In 2010 his original art work was in the exhibition The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.
While working on the film True Stories, Byrne met costume designer Adelle Lutz whom he married in 1987. They have a daughter, Malu Abeni Valentine Byrne, born in 1989. Byrne and Lutz divorced in 2004. Byrne had a relationship with the artist Cindy Sherman from 2007 to 2011.
Although a resident of the United States since childhood, Byrne is a British citizen,[26] and only recently[clarification needed] applied for U.S. citizenship. He lives in New York City.
Cycling [edit]
Byrne is known for his activism in support of increased cycling, and for having used a bike as his main means of transport for most of his life, especially cycling around New York. He has a regular cycling column in the New York Times, and does not own a car.
He says that he cycled when he was in high school and returned to it as an adult in the late 1970s. He likes the freedom and exhilarating feeling cycling gives him. He has written widely on cycling, including a 2009 book, Bicycle Diaries. In August 2009, he auctioned his Montague folding bike in order to raise money for the London Cycling Campaign.
In 2008, Byrne designed a series of bicycle parking racks in the form of image outlines corresponding to the areas in which they were located, such as a dollar sign for Wall Street and an electric guitar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Byrne worked with a manufacturer that would construct the racks in exchange for the chance to sell them later as artworks, and the racks remained on the streets for about a year.
His most recent release, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, is also his first collaboration with Brian Eno in 30 years. You can stream the full album or download an MP3 at EverythingThatHappens.com.
David maintains a frequently updated journal/blog. A detailed official bio and discography are available on his website.
His song "Like Humans Do" was featured in many installations of Microsoft Windows XP.
What a Day That Was
David Byrne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I'm dressed up so nice
An' I'm doin' my best
Yes I'm startin' over
Startin' over in another place
Lemme tell you a story
Big chief with a golden crown
And then he walks up, up to the throne
He's makin' shapes with his hands
An' don't you dare sit down
Now don't you dare sit back
And don't you dare speak up!
[Chorus]
And on the first day, we had everything we could
hold
Oh and then we let it fall
And on the second day, there was nothing else left
to do
Oh what a day that was.
There are 50,000 beggars
Roaming in the streets
They have lost all their possessions
They have nothing left to eat
Down come the bolts of lightning
Now an electrical storm
Starts a chain reaction
Go pull a fire alarm
I'm dreaming of a city
It was my own invention
And I put the wheels in motion
A time for big decisions
[Chorus]
Oh a day that was
Oh that's the way it goes
There's a million ways, to get things done
Three's a million ways, to make things work out.
Well I'm going right through
And the light came down
Well they're roundin' 'em up
from all over town
They're movin' forward and back
They're movin' backwards and front
And they're enjoying themselves
Moving in every direction
So if you feel like you`re in a whirlpool
You feel like going home
And if you feel like talking to someone
Who knows the difference between right and wrong
[Chorus]
We're goin' boom boom boom
That's the way we live
And in a great big room and
That's the way we live.
In "What a Day That Was," David Byrne is dressed up and starting over in another place. He tells the story of a big chief with a golden crown, who walks up to the throne while making shapes with his hands. No one is allowed to sit back, sit down, or speak up. On the first day, they had everything they could hold, but on the second day, there was nothing left to do. There are 50,000 beggars roaming in the streets who have lost all their possessions and have nothing left to eat. An electrical storm starts a chain reaction, and a fire alarm is pulled. Byrne is dreaming of a city of his own invention, and it's time for big decisions. They're moving in every direction, and if you feel like you're in a whirlpool and want to go home, or if you want to talk to someone who knows the difference between right and wrong, Byrne says that's the way they live, boom boom boom, in a great big room.
The song is featured in the 1984 concert movie "Stop Making Sense," a film documenting a live performance by Talking Heads. Byrne performed "What a Day That Was" on his album "The Catherine Wheel," which was a soundtrack to a modern dance piece. Tina Weymouth does not perform on the song, making it one of the few Talking Heads tracks to feature no bass guitar. Leon Pendarvis plays the prominent piano heard throughout the song. Keyboardist Bernie Worrell provides some of the song's soaring background vocals. Jerry Harrison plays guitar on the song. Byrne's performance of "What a Day That Was" on "Stop Making Sense" features him solo on acoustic guitar, with a rhythm loop played on a boombox. It is the only song in the movie to feature no other musicians. The song has been covered by Rufus Wainwright, The Waterboys, and Willie Nile.
Chords: G, C, F, G7.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm dressed up so nice
I've made the effort to look good today.
An' I'm doin' my best
I'm trying as hard as I can.
Yes I'm startin' over
I'm beginning anew.
Startin' over in another place
I'm starting fresh in a different location.
Lemme tell you a story
Allow me to relate a tale.
Big chief with a golden crown
A leader with powerful status and wealth.
He's got rings on his fingers
He displays his wealth in jewelry he wears.
And then he walks up, up to the throne
He makes his way to his position of power.
He's makin' shapes with his hands
He is gesticulating intensely.
An' don't you dare sit down
You must not take a seat.
Now don't you dare sit back
You can't relax.
And don't you dare speak up!
You must remain silent.
[Chorus]
The repetition of the phrase 'what a day that was' signifies the unpredictable nature of life.
And on the first day, we had everything we could hold
Initially, we possessed all we could desire.
Oh and then we let it fall
Eventually, we lost our grip on these things.
And on the second day, there was nothing else left to do
After the first day, no further options were available.
Oh what a day that was.
What a day it was indeed.
There are 50,000 beggars
Many homeless and impoverished citizens exist.
Roaming in the streets
They wander about aimlessly.
They have lost all their possessions
They have been stripped of their belongings.
They have nothing left to eat
They are starving.
Down come the bolts of lightning
A storm is brewing.
Now an electrical storm
A storm characterized by lightning and thunder.
Starts a chain reaction
This storm has an impact on everything around it.
Go pull a fire alarm
This is an emergency situation; pull the fire alarm to alert people.
I'm dreaming of a city
I have an imaginary location I've created in my mind.
It was my own invention
I created this fictional city myself.
And I put the wheels in motion
I started making this city a reality.
A time for big decisions
A moment requiring important choices.
[Chorus]
Once again, 'what a day that was' reflects the surprises and changes in life.
Oh a day that was
What happened that day was noteworthy.
Oh that's the way it goes
Such events and changes are inevitable in life.
There's a million ways, to get things done
There are endless methods to accomplish objectives.
Three's a million ways, to make things work out.
Even small changes can make significant differences.
Well I'm going right through
I'm pushing forward full force.
And the light came down
A moment of clarity and understanding occurred.
Well they're roundin' 'em up
People are being gathered together for something important.
from all over town
People are coming from different locations.
They're movin' forward and back
Individuals are constantly in motion in different directions.
They're movin' backwards and front
People are moving in all directions, including backwards.
And they're enjoying themselves
People find joy and amusement in this flurry of activity.
Moving in every direction
There is no single direction anyone is heading.
So if you feel like you’re in a whirlpool
If you feel overwhelmed by the chaos of life,
You feel like going home
If you are yearning for familiar surroundings,
And if you feel like talking to someone
If you desire someone to talk to,
Who knows the difference between right and wrong
Someone who has a clear sense of morality.
[Chorus]
The repeated phrase reinforces the unpredictable nature of existence.
We're goin' boom boom boom
We're experiencing frequent, rapid changes.
That's the way we live
That's how life is for us – always changing.
And in a great big room and
These changes take place on a large, open stage.
That's the way we live.
Life is unpredictable and always changing, but that's just how it is.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind