David Byrne and Annie Clark of St. Vincent began working together in late 2009, using a process that Byrne had previously used on his 2008 collaboration with Brian Eno, "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today." The Who Songfacts reports that Love This Giant was recorded in Hoboken, New Jersey over a two-year period and features 10 songs co-written by the two musicians, with each one fully penning one additional track.
The duo had previously played together live at a St. Vincent show and on the album Here Lies Love.
The duo worked with a digital promotions company to distribute the promotional single "Who" and create embeddable widgets to stream the album. They toured to promote the album with a backing band that includes eight brass players (led by Kelly Pratt of Bright Moments), St. Vincent's keyboardist Daniel Mintseris, and My Brightest Diamond's drummer Brian Wolfe. Like Byrne's previous Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour, the performers engaged in complex choreography onstage while performing
For more details about the album, please visit: http://lovethisgiant.com/
Lightning
David Byrne & St. Vincent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it moves too quick for a picture
There's a funny lightning 'round the corner
Hiding but I'm too smart just to catch it with gloves and rubber
So I stay put right here, watching the sky for tears
Let the fools and cowboys roar to wrecks
But if I should wake up and find my home's in half
Blame nature
I guess I have to laugh
And if I should wake up and find my bed
Has moved six inches, six closer to the west
But this funny lightning I wanna invite in if I could learn how to teach it
I salt the corners of my room because, because a ghost can never be too careful
And if I should wake up and find my home's in half
Who did it?
Oh nature, I hope you have a laugh
And if I should wake up and find my bed has
Moved twelve inches, twelve closer to my god
Whip crash there's a flash and I'm back to wanting more
The crack is movin' up the wall
Whip crash there's flash and I'm back to wanting more
I can't help thinking this is war
Whip crash there's a flash and I'm back to wanting more
The crack is movin' up the wall
Whip crash there's flash and I'm back to wanting more
I can't help thinking this is war
"Lightning" is a song by David Byrne and St. Vincent that speaks of the inexplicable force of nature expressed through lightning. The song begins with them referring to the funny lighting that's too quick for capturing a picture. It threatens to strike, but hides around corners. Byrne compares himself to a ghost and salts the corners of his room to keep it away. Byrne admires the power of the lighting yet feels unable to control it. The second half of the song speaks of the destruction brought by the storm and how it can shift the ground, destroy homes, and move beds.
The song's overall theme is the sheer power of nature and how insignificant humans are in the grand scheme of things. It speaks of the raw yet destructive beauty of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a funny lightning, threatening with striking
There's an odd and unusual storm brewing that poses a great danger
But it moves too quick for a picture
This storm is moving too fast to be captured or understood
There's a funny lightning 'round the corner
The storm is lurking around the corner, ready to strike
Hiding but I'm too smart just to catch it with gloves and rubber
The storm is hiding, but the artist is too wise to attempt to catch it with protective gear
So I stay put right here, watching the sky for tears
The artist is choosing to remain in place, monitoring the storm and waiting for it to pass
Let the fools and cowboys roar to wrecks
Others may act recklessly during the storm, but the singer prefers to be cautious
But if I should wake up and find my home's in half
If the storm causes severe damage to the singer's home
Who is it?
The artist wants to know what or who caused the destruction
Blame nature
The artist ultimately places the blame for the destruction on the natural storm
I guess I have to laugh
The artist must try to find humor in the situation, despite the devastating circumstances
And if I should wake up and find my bed
If the storm causes a less severe disruption to the singer's life
Has moved six inches, six closer to the west
The storm has caused a shift in the artist's surroundings
But this funny lightning I wanna invite in if I could learn how to teach it
Despite the danger, the singer finds the storm intriguing and would like to understand it better
I salt the corners of my room because, because a ghost can never be too careful
The singer takes precautions to protect themselves from potentially harmful supernatural forces while remaining in their home during the storm
Who did it?
The singer continues to question the cause of any damage caused by the storm
Oh nature, I hope you have a laugh
The artist accepts nature's power and humor in the destructive potential of the storm
Whip crash there's a flash and I'm back to wanting more
Despite the danger, the artist is drawn to the excitement of the storm
The crack is movin' up the wall
The storm is causing physical damage in the singer's surroundings
I can't help thinking this is war
The storm feels like a battle that the singer is fighting, even though they cannot control it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNIE CLARK, DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind