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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Heaven
Talking Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To get to the bar
The name of the bar
The bar is called heaven
The band in heaven
They play my favorite song
Play it one more time
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
There is a party
Everyone is there
Everyone will leave
At exactly the same time
It's hard to imagine that
Nothing at all
Could be so exciting
Could be this much fun
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
When this kiss is over
It will start again
It will not be any different
It will be exactly the same
It's hard to imagine
That nothing at all
Could be so exciting
Could be this much fun
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
The song "Heaven" by Talking Heads is a commentary on the monotony of daily life and the search for something more fulfilling. The first verse describes the common human desire to escape mundane reality and find enjoyment in leisure activities such as drinking at a bar. However, the name of the bar being called "Heaven" suggests that this escape is meant to be an otherworldly experience, an escape to somewhere that promises much more than the daily grind.
The focus then shifts to the music being played by a band in heaven. The repetition of the request to play the favorite song one more time and all night long suggest that the singer is trying to hold on to this escape for as long as possible. The lyrics then repeat the chorus, emphasizing the idea that heaven is a place where nothing ever happens. This paradoxical statement highlights the monotony of this idealized escape.
The final verse again emphasizes the theme of repetition and sameness. The idea that the kiss will start again and be exactly the same amplifies the idea that the singer is searching for a way to break away from monotony, yet feels trapped in cycles of sameness. Overall, "Heaven" is a poetic commentary on the human desire to escape, and the realization that even those escapes can become monotonous and unfulfilling in their own right.
Line by Line Meaning
Everyone is trying
Everyone is making an effort to accomplish something.
To get to the bar
They are trying to reach a specific destination - the bar.
The name of the bar
The bar's name is significant or noteworthy in some way.
The bar is called heaven
The bar's name is heaven.
The band in heaven
There is a musical group playing in this bar.
They play my favorite song
The band is performing a song that the singer particularly enjoys.
Play it one more time
The singer wants to hear the song again.
Play it all night long
The artist wants to listen to the song continuously for the entire evening.
Heaven
This is a repeated reference to the bar's name - heaven.
Heaven is a place
The name 'heaven' refers to a location of some sort.
A place where nothing
The location is devoid of any significant activity or events.
Nothing ever happens
The location is entirely uneventful.
There is a party
Even though nothing significant ever happens in heaven, there is currently a celebratory gathering occurring there.
Everyone is there
A large group of people is present at the party.
Everyone will leave
All of the attendees will depart.
At exactly the same time
They will all leave simultaneously.
It's hard to imagine that
The artist finds it challenging to believe or comprehend something.
Nothing at all
The singer is emphasizing the absolute lack of anything of significance.
Could be so exciting
Despite the lack of activity in heaven, the singer finds the place thrilling or entertaining.
Could be this much fun
In the absence of any significant occurrences or events, the artist is still having a great time in heaven.
When this kiss is over
The current activity is a romantic kiss between two individuals.
It will start again
The kiss will occur once more.
It will not be any different
The repeated kiss will be identical to the previous one.
It will be exactly the same
The upcoming kiss will be a perfect replica of the previous one.
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Byrne, Jerry Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind