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
Papa Legba
Talking Heads Lyrics
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You'll be, mm-mm-mm-mm, magnet for love
You'll feel, hmm, light in your body
Now I'm gonna say, gonna say these words:
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo
It might hm-hi-hi-hi...It might rain fire
Now I'm gonna call,
Gonna call on Legba.
Get yourself a sign
Get your love and desire.
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempou
Papa Legba,
Come and open the gate.
Papa Legba,
To the city of camps.
Now, we're your children
Come and ride your horse
In the night
In the night
Come and ride your horse
There is a queen
Of six sevens and nines
Dust in your garden
Poison in your mind
There is a king
That will steal your soul
Din't let him catch you,
Don't let him get control.
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo
Papa Legba,
Come and open the gate
Papa Legba,
To the city of camps
Now, we're your children
Come and ride your horse
In the night
In the night, come and ride your horse
In the night
In the night, come and ride your horse
In the night
In the night, come and ride your horse
The lyrics of Talking Heads’ song “Papa Legba” offer a blend of different themes, from magic to religion, from love to money, from freedom to caution. The song opens with a promise - “You'll be a magnet for money, you'll be a magnet for love.” The upbeat, seemingly cheerful lines then take a turn as the chorus refers to the voodoo loa or spirit, Papa Legba. They call for his presence as the key to breaking through the monotony of time, and for him to open the gate to the city of camps, where freedom awaits. Thereafter, the song delves into a warning, suggesting the potential forces that might derail one from that path of freedom; there's a queen of six sevens and nines, a metaphor for gambling, and a king who will steal your soul. The final chorus, followed by the repetition of “In the night, in the night, come and ride your horse,” serves as an invitation to let go of control and ride toward whatever the future holds.
On one level, the song is about the spirit world of voodoo, and it borrows liberally from this tradition. Papa Legba is a spirit that acts as an intermediary between the living and the dead, and the lyrics suggest that he is the gatekeeper to the realm beyond. The verses that follow the chorus feature lines such as “Dust in your garden, poison in your mind,” which are typical of voodoo legends that connect malaise to magic. On a secondary level, the song might be about the diverse forces that shape one’s life, from religion to love to money, and the ways in which one can battle the monotony of these forces to break through to a place of genuine freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll be, hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm, magnet for money
You will attract lots of money.
You'll be, mm-mm-mm-mm, magnet for love
You will attract lots of love.
You'll feel, hmm, light in your body
You will feel light and free in your body.
Now I'm gonna say, gonna say these words:
I am about to speak these words.
It might hmm-mmm-mm-mm...It might rain money
It is possible that lots of money will suddenly appear.
It might hm-hi-hi-hi...It might rain fire
It is possible that there will be a destructive event.
Now I'm gonna call, Gonna call on Legba.
I am going to summon Legba.
Get yourself a sign, Get your love and desire.
Find a sign to help you get what you want.
Papa Legba, Come and open the gate.
Legba, please open the gate.
Papa Legba, To the city of camps.
Legba, take us to the city of camps.
Now, we're your children Come and ride your horse In the night In the night
We are your followers, please come take us with you on your horse at night.
There is a queen Of six sevens and nines Dust in your garden Poison in your mind
There is a dangerous queen who brings chaos and bad thoughts.
There is a king That will steal your soul Din't let him catch you, Don't let him get control.
There is a dangerous king who will take control of you if you are not careful.
Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo Rompiendo la monotonia del tiempo
Breaking the monotony of time.
In the night In the night, come and ride your horse
At night, come ride with Legba.
In the night In the night, come and ride your horse
At night, come ride with Legba.
In the night In the night, come and ride your horse
At night, come ride with Legba.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind