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.
www.talking-heads.net
Dream Operator
Talking Heads Lyrics
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You dreamed you were big
You must have been something
A real tiny kid
You wish you were me
I wish I was you
Now don't you wake up
Every dream has a name
And names tell your story
This song is your dream
You're the dream operator
It's bigger than life
You know it's all me
My face is a book
But it's not what it seems
Three angels above
The whole human race
They dream us to life
They dream me a face
And every dream tells it all
And this dream is your story
You dreamed me a heart
You're the dream operator
Shake-it-up dream
Hi-di-ho dream
Fix-it-up dream
Look at me dream
I've been waiting so long
Now I am your dream
Hard to forget
Hard to go on
When you fall asleep
You're out on your own
Let go of your life
Grab on to my hand
Here in the clouds
Where we'll understand
And you dreamed it all
And this is your story
Do you know who you are?
You're the dream operator
And you dreamed it all
And this is your story
Do you know who you are?
You're the dream operator
The lyrics to Talking Heads's song "Dream Operator" speak to the power of dreams and the dreamer's ability to shape their own reality. The song opens with a reflection on childhood dreams, implying that even from a young age, we have the ability to dream big and manifest our desires. The lyrics suggest that the dreamer and the person they are dreaming of wish they could be each other- a nod to the limitless potential of dreams to transcend reality.
The song takes on a surreal quality as it introduces the idea of dream operators- beings who create and control our dreams. The image of three angels dreaming the human race to life adds to the mystical tone of the lyrics. The dreamer is positioned as the dream operator, with the power to shape the dreams of others.
Line by Line Meaning
When you were little
In your younger days
You dreamed you were big
You fantasized being a grown-up
You must have been something
You had great potential even as a child
A real tiny kid
You were physically small at the time
You wish you were me
You admire my current situation
I wish I was you
I envy your past dreams and aspirations
Now don't you wake up
Don't lose sight of your goals
The dream will come true
Your aspirations will be realized
Every dream has a name
All dreams are identifiable
And names tell your story
They reveal your personal narrative
This song is your dream
The music represents your aspiration
You're the dream operator
You're in charge of your own dreams
It's bigger than life
This sensation transcends ordinary existence
You know it's all me
I'm a key component of your fantasy
My face is a book
My facial expressions reveal my emotional state
But it's not what it seems
It's misleading or deceptive in some way
Three angels above
Supernatural beings overlooking humanity
The whole human race
All of humanity
They dream us to life
They give us existence through dreams
They dream me a face
They create a figure for the dream
And every dream tells it all
Each dream has a message
And this dream is your story
This particular dream represents your own experience
You dreamed me a heart
Your subconscious invented an emotional aspect of the dream
Shake-it-up dream
A dream that is dynamic or unexpected
Hi-di-ho dream
A joyful or optimistic dream
Fix-it-up dream
A dream about improving or repairing something
Look at me dream
A dream where you are the center of attention
I've been waiting so long
You've been eager for this experience
Now I am your dream
I'm a manifestation of your subconscious
Hard to forget
Difficult not to recall
Hard to go on
Difficult to continue with daily life
When you fall asleep
During the moment of slumber
You're out on your own
Alone in your own subconscious
Let go of your life
Release control of your ordinary existence
Grab on to my hand
Take hold of me for guidance
Here in the clouds
In a dreamlike state
Where we'll understand
A place of comprehension
And you dreamed it all
You invented the experience
Do you know who you are?
Are you conscious of your true identity?
You're the dream operator
You have control over your own subconscious
And you dreamed it all
You imagined every aspect of the dream
Do you know who you are?
Are you aware of your own psyche?
You're the dream operator
You're in charge of your own dreamscape
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind