Talking Heads first appeared on the New York music scene as a trio in 1974. At the time, the band consisted only of Byrne and Frantz, and was initially called The Artistics. By 1975, the band had recorded a demo album for CBS Records and landed a gig opening for the Ramones at CBGB in June 1975, which was the first time the band used the name Talking Heads. The band was signed to Sire Records in late 1976 and the group released their first single, "Love → Building on Fire" in February 1977. In March 1977, the band added Jerry Harrison, formerly of Jonathan Richman's band The Modern Lovers.
Their first album, Talking Heads: 77 was released soon afterward and did not contain the earlier single, although it did include the underground singles Psycho Killer and Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town. Despite being regulars at New York's legendary CBGB, the band only began to break through further with the landmark Brian Eno-produced, 1978 album More Songs About Buildings And Food, an album which continued in the same vein, but with a more accessible style, wittier lyrics, and ultimately better songs. It was a great critical hit with subject matter ranging from home movies to the art world. It also included their cover of Take Me To The River. On the following year's Fear Of Music the band started to dabble in African rhythms, notably on I Zimbra, and more straightforward pop styles, on Life During Wartime and Cities.
1980 brought the band's fourth and most innovative effort Remain In Light. Notable for the single Once In A Lifetime, which became an early MTV staple, Remain In Light saw the band experiment with ambient sounds, fugal structures, polyrhythms, and about everything under the sun to make the body groove. Following this, the group split with Brian Eno, enjoying greater commercial success with 1983's Speaking In Tongues. It took the musical innovations of its predecessor and refined them into pop songs, most notably Burning Down The House, Girlfriend Is Better and This Must Be The Place. This period was topped off with a live album, from Jonathan Demme's documentary, Stop Making Sense. The documentary, with its name taken from a line in Girlfriend Is Better, was a great success, and took their inimitable style to a wider audience.
1985's Little Creatures was an even bigger hit, and exhibited another stylistic shift for the band. It saw the punk styles of '77 almost completely abandoned for simple, three or four chord pop songs. The album produced the singles And She Was, and Road To Nowhere. The following two albums, True Stories and Naked, were both moderate successes, the former producing their biggest radio hits, Love For Sale and Wild Wild Life, and the latter focusing more on Latin influences with hits like (Nothing But) Flowers. After this, a long quiet period followed, with the band eventually officially announcing their break up in 1991. Since the split, Byrne continued his solo career and Weymoth and Frantz continued to record and tour as Tom Tom Club. Weymouth, Harrison and Frantz reunited for an album, "No Talking, Just Head", recorded under the name The Heads in 1996.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The band reunited for a three song performance at the ceremony. Due to personality conflicts between Byrne and the other members, further reunions are unlikely.
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City Of Dreams
Talking Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The dinosaurs did a dance
The Indians told a story
Now it has come to pass
The Indians had a legend
The Spaniards lived for gold
The white man came and killed them
We live in the city of dreams
We drive on the highway of fire
Should we awake
And find it gone
Remember this, our favorite town
From Germany and Europe
And Southern U.S.A.
They made this little town here
That we live in to this day
The children of the white man
Saw Indians on TV
And heard about the legend
How their city was a dream
We live in the city of dreams
We drive on the highway of fire
Should we awake
And find it gone
Remember this, our favorite town
The Civil War is over
And World War One and Two
If we can live together
The dream it might come true
Underneath the concrete
The dream is still alive
A hundred million lifetimes
A world that never dies
We live in the city of dreams
We drive on the highway of fire
Should we awake
And find it gone
Remember this, our favorite town
In "City of Dreams," David Byrne is exploring the historical and cultural layers of the city of New York. He references the Indigenous history of the area, with the line "The Indians told a story, now it has come to pass." The song acknowledges the violence and displacement inflicted upon Indigenous people at the hands of European colonizers, with the line "the white man came and killed them, but they haven't really gone." This verse serves as a reminder that the city we now live in has a complex and often violent history that should not be ignored or forgotten.
The chorus, "We live in the city of dreams, we drive on the highway of fire," captures the energy and intensity of life in a bustling city. The metaphor of the "highway of fire" suggests that life in the city can be both exhilarating and dangerous. The song reflects on the diverse population of the city, with references to German and Southern American immigrants who helped to build the city we know today. The final verse offers a message of hope, reminding us that despite all of the conflict and violence that has occurred throughout history, the dream of a better world is still alive and worth striving for.
Line by Line Meaning
Here where you are standing
Right where you stand currently
The dinosaurs did a dance
Dinosaurs once existed in this very place
The Indians told a story
Native Americans once recounted tales here
Now it has come to pass
All that remains are memories of the past
The Indians had a legend
Indigenous people had a story about this town
The Spaniards lived for gold
Conquistadors searched for riches
The white man came and killed them
Colonialists committed genocide
But they haven't really gone
Their spirits still exist in the land
We live in the city of dreams
Our town is filled with aspirations and hopes
We drive on the highway of fire
Our journey is perilous and challenging
Should we awake
If we ever become aware
And find it gone
And all has disappeared
Remember this, our favorite town
Hold onto the memories of our beloved home
From Germany and Europe
Immigrants from all over the world
And Southern U.S.A.
Came to relocate here in the south
They made this little town here
Together, they built this community
That we live in to this day
Where we continue to reside
The children of the white man
Descendants of white settlers
Saw Indians on TV
Watched Native Americans on television
And heard about the legend
Learned of their story and myth
How their city was a dream
About how their home was a source of inspiration
The Civil War is over
The war between the North and South has ended
And World War One and Two
The two worldwide wars have passed
If we can live together
Only if we can coexist peacefully
The dream it might come true
Our aspirations for harmony could materialize
Underneath the concrete
Despite the urbanization around us
The dream is still alive
Our hopes still remain
A hundred million lifetimes
In endless generations
A world that never dies
An immortal land
We live in the city of dreams
Our home is an expression of our aspirations
We drive on the highway of fire
Our path is unforgiving
Should we awake
Should we become aware
And find it gone
And all is lost
Remember this, our favorite town
Let's never forget our cherished home
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind