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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Houses in Motion
Talking Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without style and grace
Wearing shoes with no socks
In cold weather
I knew my heart
Was in the right place
I knew I'd be able
To do these things
And as we watch him
Digging his own grave
It is important to know
That was where he's at
He can't afford to stop
That is what he believe
He'll keep on digging
For a thousand years
I'm walking a line
I'm thinking about empty motion
I'm walking a line
Just barely enough to be living
Get outta the way (no time to begin)
This isn't the time (so nothing was done)
Not talking about (not many at all)
I'm turning around (no trouble at all)
You notice there's nothing around you, 'round you
I'm walking a line
Divide and dissolve
Never get to say much
Never get to talk
Tell us a little bit
But not too much
Right about then
Is where she give up
She has closed her eyes
She has give up hope
I'm walking a line
I hate to be dreaming in motion
I'm walking a line
Just barely enough to be living
Get outta the way (no time to begin)
This isn't the time (so nothing was done)
Not talking about (not many at all)
I'm turning around (no trouble at all)
I'm keeping my fingers behind me, 'hind me
I'm walking a line
Divide and dissolve
I'm walking a line
I'm visiting houses in motion
I'm walking a line
Just barely enough to be living
Get outta the way (no time to begin)
This isn't the time (so nothing was done)
Not talking about (not many at all)
I'm turning around (no trouble at all)
Two different houses surround you, 'round you
I'm walking a line
Divide and dissolve
The lyrics to Talking Heads' "Houses in Motion" are a complex and introspective meditation on the state of being caught between opposing forces. The opening lines suggest a feeling of being out of place, of not quite fitting in with the prevailing style and climate; the image of wearing shoes with no socks in cold weather speaks to a sense of discomfort and displacement. The singer then shifts focus to an unspecified "him," whom they observe digging his own grave. This image is a metaphor for a self-destructive mindset, the belief that one must always be pushing forward, always striving for something more, even if it means working oneself to death. The repetition of the phrase "walking a line" is a nod to the idea of straddling opposing forces, of trying to find a balance between contradictory impulses.
The second verse similarly juxtaposes images of stasis and movement, of being both in motion and stuck in place. The singer laments the fact that they "never get to say much" and can only "tell us a little bit, but not too much." The final lines of the verse, which describe a woman giving up hope, suggest a feeling of despair and disillusionment. The refrain "I'm walking a line" ties the whole song together, reinforcing the idea of being caught between opposing forces and striving to maintain equilibrium.
Line by Line Meaning
For a long time I felt
I've been feeling this way for quite some time now
Without style and grace
I have no sense of fashion or elegance
Wearing shoes with no socks
I dress inappropriately for the weather
In cold weather
It's especially uncomfortable when it's chilly out
I knew my heart
I was certain of my beliefs and intentions
Was in the right place
I was confident that I was doing the right things
I knew I'd be able
I was positive that I could achieve anything
And as we watch him
As we observe this person
Digging his own grave
Engaging in self-destructive behavior
It is important to know
It is crucial to understand
That was where he's at
That's their current situation
He can't afford to stop
They feel obligated to continue their harmful behavior
That is what he believe
They genuinely think that what they're doing is necessary or beneficial
He'll keep on digging
They'll persist with their destructive habits or mindset
For a thousand years
Indefinitely, without end
I'm walking a line
I'm balancing between two opposing forces or actions
I'm thinking about empty motion
I'm considering the futility of my actions
Just barely enough to be living
I'm barely getting by
Get outta the way (no time to begin)
I don't have the luxury of hesitating or delaying
This isn't the time (so nothing was done)
It's not the right moment, so nothing is accomplished
Not talking about (not many at all)
There isn't much to discuss or mention
I'm turning around (no trouble at all)
I'm changing direction without difficulty
You notice there's nothing around you, 'round you
I'm realizing that there's nothing significant in my surroundings
Divide and dissolve
Splitting apart and disappearing
Never get to say much
I don't get many opportunities to speak
Never get to talk
I don't often hold conversations with others
Tell us a little bit
Share a small portion of information
But not too much
Don't reveal too many details
Right about then
At that precise moment
Is where she give up
She loses all hope at that point
She has closed her eyes
Her despair is causing her to shut everything out
I'm hating be dreaming in motion
I dislike feeling like I'm not actually accomplishing anything
I'm keeping my fingers behind me, 'hind me
I'm hiding something or holding back
I'm visiting houses in motion
I'm exploring different possibilities or options
Two different houses surround you, 'round you
There are two opposing choices or paths to take
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE, CHRIS FRANTZ, TINA WEYMOUTH, JERRY HARRISON, BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind