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
Mr. Jones
Talking Heads Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put a wiggle in your stride
Loosen up
I believe he'll be alright
Changing clothes
Now he's got ventilated slacks
Bouncing off the walls
Mr. Jones is back!
And wind your waist
Tight pants
Got curly hair
Drinking cold beer
From metal cans
Moonshine
And Handi-Wipes!
Mr. Jones is back in town
It's his lucky day
Hold up your hands and shout
Jones is on his way
Pitter pat
Mr. Jones is back in town
Aces high
Now his pants are falling down
He looks so fine
In those patent leather shoes
Mr. Jones, you look tired
I believe you'll be alright
Sales men
Conventioneers
Some rock stars
With tambourines
Short skirts
And skinny legs
Selling bibles
And real estate
It's a big day for Mr. Jones
He is not so square
Mr. Jones will stick around
He's everybody's friend
Fast cars
And motorbikes
I'm sure glad
He's on our side
The Jones Gang
Down at the bar
Watch out, this time
They've gone too far
They call for Mr. Jones
They put him in charge
Mr. Jones will help us out
He's a lucky guy
It is Mr. Jones' Birthday party
For another year
In his hotel room Party favors
It's a holiday
The lyrics of Talking Heads's song Mr. Jones describes the return of the titular character to town, and the various activities and people that are part of his life. The song builds on the idea of Mr. Jones as a larger-than-life figure who brings excitement and energy wherever he goes. The first verse of the song sets the tone for this concept, as it describes Mr. Jones putting a "wiggle in your stride" and "loosening up" upon his arrival. The chorus emphasizes his impact on the town, as people clamor to greet him and shout his name.
The second verse of the song goes into more detail about Mr. Jones's activities and surroundings, including his unconventional wardrobe ("ventilated slacks"), love of beer, and association with various groups like salesmen and rock stars. Through these descriptions, the song builds up Mr. Jones as a charismatic figure who defies categorization and brings together people from all walks of life. The final verse of the song describes Mr. Jones's birthday party, once again highlighting his unique qualities and the sense of celebration and fun that he embodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. Jones
We are talking about Mr. Jones.
Put a wiggle in your stride
Get a little bit of groove in your walk.
Loosen up
Stop being so uptight.
I believe he'll be alright
I think everything will work out for him.
Changing clothes
Putting on a different outfit.
Now he's got ventilated slacks
He has pants with some breathing room.
Bouncing off the walls
Being overly excited.
Mr. Jones is back!
He has returned!
Bulge out
Observe the protrusion.
And wind your waist
Move your hips around.
Tight pants
His pants are snug.
Got curly hair
His hair is curly.
Drinking cold beer
Consuming chilled alcoholic beverages.
From metal cans
The beer is in metal containers.
Moonshine
Illicitly distilled liquor.
And Handi-Wipes!
With disposable towels for your convenience!
Mr. Jones is back in town
He is once again in the area.
It's his lucky day
This is an auspicious occasion for him.
Hold up your hands and shout
Raise your hands and yell in excitement.
Jones is on his way
Mr. Jones is en route.
Pitter pat
The sound of his footsteps.
Mr. Jones is back in town
He has returned to the area.
Aces high
The situation is very good.
Now his pants are falling down
His trousers have fallen.
He looks so fine
He looks great.
In those patent leather shoes
Wearing shiny, dressy shoes.
Mr. Jones, you look tired
You seem fatigued, Mr. Jones.
I believe you'll be alright
I have faith that everything will be okay.
Sales men
Individuals who make a living selling goods.
Conventioneers
People who attend conventions and other gatherings.
Some rock stars
Famous musicians.
With tambourines
Playing a type of hand-held percussion instrument.
Short skirts
Skirts of a shorter length.
And skinny legs
Legs with a small circumference.
Selling bibles
Offering holy texts for sale.
And real estate
Also selling properties and land.
It's a big day for Mr. Jones
This is an important day for him.
He is not so square
He is not boring and predictable.
Mr. Jones will stick around
He will be staying in the area.
He's everybody's friend
He is popular and well-liked by many people.
Fast cars
High-performance automobiles.
And motorbikes
Also riding motorcycles.
I'm sure glad
I am very happy.
He's on our side
He is supportive of our team or group.
The Jones Gang
A group of people with the last name Jones.
Down at the bar
At the local drinking establishment.
Watch out, this time
This time, be careful.
They've gone too far
They have taken things too far and crossed the line.
They call for Mr. Jones
They are summoning Mr. Jones.
They put him in charge
They have given him authority.
Mr. Jones will help us out
He will assist us.
He's a lucky guy
He is fortunate.
It is Mr. Jones' Birthday party
This is a celebration of Mr. Jones' birthday.
For another year
Celebrating the passing of another year of life.
In his hotel room Party favors
Celebrating in his lodging with supplies for a festive atmosphere.
It's a holiday
This is a special occasion.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANGEL FERNANDEZ, CHRIS FRANTZ, DAVID BYRNE, JERRY HARRISON, TINA WEYMOUTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind