Despite some of the seemingly frivolous turns of phrase in this song and th… Read Full Bio ↴Despite some of the seemingly frivolous turns of phrase in this song and throughout Speaking in Tongues, the wariness of the frightening world that we have come to expect Talking Heads to report on has not been forgotten. “Making Flippy Floppy”, like the later “The Facts of Life” from Naked, paints human interaction, stripped of all its nuance, as being basically programmed from birth.

The song suggests, to use an oxymoron, that we are naturally mechanical.

Making Flippy Floppy
Talking Heads Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nothing can come between us
Nothing gets you down
Nothing strikes your fancy
Nothing turns you on
Somebody is waiting in the hallway
Somebody is falling down the stairs
Set someone free, break someone's heart
Stand up help us out

Ev'rything is divided
Nothing is complete
Ev'rything looks impressive
Do not be deceived
You don't have to wait for more instructions
No one makes a monkey out of me
We lie on our backs, feet in the air
Rest and relaxation, rocket to my brain

Snap into position
Bounce till you ache
Step out of line
And you end up in jail
Bring me a doctor
I have a hole in my head
But they are just people
And I'm not afraid
Doctor Doctor
We have nothing in our pockets
We continue
But we have nothing left to offer
Faces pressed against the window
Hey! they are just my friends
Check this out don't be slick
Break our backs it goes like this . . .

We are born without eyesight
We are born without sin
And our mama protects us
From the cold and the rain
We're in no hurry
sugar and spice
We sing in the darkness
We open our eyes (open up)

I can't believe it
And people are strange
Our president's crazy
Did you hear what he said
Business and pleasure
Lie right to your face
Divide it in sections
And then give it away

There are no big secrets
Don't believe what you read
We have great big bodies
We got great big heads
Run-a-run-a-run it all together
Check it out - still don't make no sense
Makin' flippy floppy
Tryin to do my best
Lock the door

We kill the beast
Kill it!

Overall Meaning

The song "Making Flippy Floppy" by Talking Heads features cryptic and thought-provoking lyrics that challenge societal norms and question the status quo. The opening lines of the song suggest that the singer is addressing someone who is not easily swayed or influenced by external factors. The repetition of the word "nothing" emphasizes the themes of simplicity and resistance to societal pressures. However, the lyrics quickly switch to a series of fragmented phrases that are harder to decipher. It's unclear who the "somebody" waiting in the hallway is or why they are falling down the stairs. The lines "set someone free, break someone's heart" seem to suggest that the singer is urging the listener to take action, but it's not clear what that action should be or what the consequences will be.

The chorus of the song offers more abstract statements about the human experience. The lines "Everything is divided, nothing is complete" suggest that life is never whole or perfect. The singer warns against being deceived by appearances, saying "Everything looks impressive, do not be deceived." The second half of the chorus includes phrases like "snap into position" and "bounce till you ache" that suggest a sense of urgency and discomfort. The line "Bring me a doctor, I have a hole in my head" might be literal or metaphorical, but it highlights the confusion and chaos that the singer is feeling.

The final section of the song includes more political and social commentary. The lines "Our president's crazy, did you hear what he said? Business and pleasure lie right to your face" suggest disillusionment with leaders and society as a whole. The repetition of the phrase "makin' flippy floppy" could represent the chaos and confusion of daily life or the futility of trying to make sense of it all. The last line, "Lock the door, we kill the beast," is a call to action that could be interpreted in a number of ways. Overall, "Making Flippy Floppy" is an enigmatic song that invites listeners to draw their own conclusions and meanings.

Line by Line Meaning

Nothing can come between us
There's no obstacle that can keep us apart

Nothing gets you down
You remain optimistic in any situation

Nothing strikes your fancy
You're hard to please

Nothing turns you on
You're not sexually aroused by anything

Somebody is waiting in the hallway
Someone is eager to join us

Somebody is falling down the stairs
Someone is experiencing a sudden, unfortunate fall

Set someone free, break someone's heart
Freeing someone can have unintended consequences, like heartbreak

Stand up help us out
We need your support and help to overcome our struggles

Everything is divided
Society is fractured and incomplete

Nothing is complete
Everything has some sort of deficiency or incompleteness

Everything looks impressive
Things can appear good on the surface but may be deceiving

Do not be deceived
Don't trust appearances

You don't have to wait for more instructions
You're not a puppet and have the freedom to act on your own

No one makes a monkey out of me
You won't let anyone manipulate or disrespect you

We lie on our backs, feet in the air
We're lying down and relaxing

Rest and relaxation, rocket to my brain
Relaxation can be uplifting

Snap into position
Prepare for action

Bounce till you ache
Getting active until it hurts

Step out of line
Behaving inappropriately or breaking rules can lead to punishment

And you end up in jail
Breaking rules can lead to imprisonment

Bring me a doctor, I have a hole in my head
I need medical attention for a serious injury

But they are just people, and I'm not afraid
No matter how powerful someone seems, they're still human

Doctor Doctor, we have nothing in our pockets
We're broke and need help

We continue, but we have nothing left to offer
We're running out of resources

Faces pressed against the window
People are watching but can't enter

Hey! They are just my friends
Don't worry, they're not strangers

Check this out, don't be slick
Don't be too clever and overlook this

Break our backs, it goes like this . . .
Working hard and enduring to reach a goal

We are born without eyesight
We're born ignorant of the world

We are born without sin
We're born pure and blameless

And our mama protects us from the cold and the rain
Our mothers care for us and provide for us

We're in no hurry, sugar and spice
We're enjoying life's pleasures

We sing in the darkness, we open our eyes (open up)
Overcoming difficult situations and seeing the world more clearly

I can't believe it, and people are strange
People's actions and beliefs can be hard to understand

Our president's crazy, did you hear what he said
Political leaders can be unpredictable or irrational

Business and pleasure, lie right to your face
People can be deceitful, even in friendly settings

Divide it in sections, and then give it away
Dividing things up can simplify distribution or create fairness

There are no big secrets, don't believe what you read
The truth isn't always obvious, and rumors can be false

We have great big bodies, we got great big heads
People are physically impressive, but that doesn't make them great

Run-a-run-a-run it all together, check it out - still don't make no sense
Trying different things in different ways still won't make sense

Makin' flippy floppy, tryin to do my best
Struggling to find the right way to do things

Lock the door, we kill the beast (Kill it!)
Overcoming difficult problems requires teamwork and determination

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS FRANTZ, CHRISTOPHER FRANTZ, DAVID BYRNE, JERRY HARRISON, TINA WEYMOUTH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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