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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People Like Us
Talking Heads Lyrics
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Papa couldn't afford to buy us much
He said be proud of what you are
There's something special 'bout people like us
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love.
Someone to love.u
I was called upon in the third grade class
I gave my answer and it caused a fuss
I'm not the same as ev'ryone else
And times were hard for people like us
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing as big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
What good is freedom?
God laughs at people like us
I see it coming
Like coming down from above
The clouds roll by and the moon comes up
How long must we live in the heat of the sun
Millions of people are waitin' on love
And this is a song about people like us
People like us
(Who answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love.
Someone to love.
Someone to love.
Someone to love.
The song "People Like Us" by Talking Heads is a poignant commentary on class differences and the expectations and limitations that come with belonging to a certain social class. The lyrics reveal the perspective of someone who grew up in a lower class family, struggling to make ends meet. The opening stanza sets the stage for the rest of the song, as the singer explains that their father could not afford to buy them much. However, rather than feeling ashamed, the father encourages his child to be proud of who they are, hinting at a certain sense of pride that exists among people who belong to the same social class.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "people like us" three times, emphasizing the idea that there is something unique and special about people in this social group. However, the lyrics also suggest a sense of resignation to this fact, as if the people in this group are resigned to their lot in life and don't expect to be able to climb the social ladder. This is reinforced by the line "We don't want freedom, we don't want justice, we just want someone to love," which encapsulates the idea that life is not about political or social freedom, but rather about finding love and connection with others.
The final stanza of the song is particularly striking, as it references the idea that God laughs at people like us, suggesting that there is some external force that is holding people in this social group back. The song ends on a poignant note, with the refrain "someone to love" repeated three times, emphasizing the idea that despite all of the struggles and limitations that come with belonging to a certain social class, love and connection with others is what ultimately matters.
Line by Line Meaning
In 1950 when I was born
The singer was born in 1950.
Papa couldn't afford to buy us much
The singer's father couldn't spend much money on them.
He said be proud of what you are
The singer's father advised them to be proud of who they are.
There's something special 'bout people like us
The singer's father conveyed that there's something unique about them.
People like us (Who will answer the telephone)
The singer refers to people like them who answer the phone when it rings.
People like us (Growing as big as a house)
The singer refers to people like them who easily put on weight.
People like us (Gonna make it because)
The singer refers to people like them who will succeed in life.
We don't want freedom
The singer and people like them don't care about freedom.
We don't want justice
The singer and people like them are not seeking justice.
We just want someone to love.
All the singer and people like them want, is to have someone to love.
I was called upon in the third grade class
The singer was asked a question in his third-grade class.
I gave my answer and it caused a fuss
The singer's answer created controversy.
I'm not the same as ev'ryone else
The singer feels that they are different from everyone else.
And times were hard for people like us
The singer believes that times were tough for people like them.
What good is freedom?
The singer believes that freedom is not important.
God laughs at people like us
The singer feels that God is mocking people like them.
I see it coming
The singer sees a change coming.
Like coming down from above
The change is inevitable.
The clouds roll by and the moon comes up
The night has arrived.
How long must we live in the heat of the sun
The singer questions how much longer they must suffer.
Millions of people are waitin' on love
There are millions of people in need of love.
And this is a song about people like us
The song is dedicated to people like the singer.
Someone to love.
All the singer wants is someone to love.
Someone to love.
All the singer wants is someone to love.
Someone to love.
All the singer wants is someone to love.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind