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
Slippery People
Talking Heads Lyrics
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You were rollin' over
Fall on your face
You must be having fun
Walk lightly!
Think of a time.
You'd best believe
Put away that gun
And this part is simple
Try to recognize
What is in your mind
God help us!
Help us lose our minds
These slippery people
Help us understand
What's the matter with him? (He's alright!)
I see his face (The lord won't mind)
Don't know no games (He's alright)
Love from the bottom to the top
Turn like a wheel (He's alright)
See for yourself (The lord won't mind)
We're gonna move (Right now)
Turn like a wheel inside a wheel
I remember when
Sittin' in the tub
Pulled out the plug
The water was runnin' out
Cool down
Stop acting crazy
They're gonna leave
And we'll be on our own
Seven times five
They were living creatures
Watch 'em come to life
Right before your eyes
Backsliding!
How do you do?
These slippery people
Gonna see you through
The song "Slippery People" by Talking Heads is a funky and upbeat track that speaks to the idea of losing oneself to the music and letting go of control. The lyrics talk about a time when one falls or slips, but instead of focusing on the negativity, the song encourages the listener to see the situation as an opportunity to have fun. The first stanza is a brief reflection of a moment in time where things may seem like they are not going well but advises to walk lightly and believe in the reality of the moment. The next part of the song suggests the importance of recognizing and detaching yourself from any harmful or negative impulses that may be in your mind, and then calls on God's help to lose our minds before we are helped to understand.
The second verse switches back to the concept of losing control to the music and being led by the slippery people, who are the ones who help us to understand. The singer acknowledges that We're not playing any games, providing a connection between the idea of having fun and giving in to the experience. The chorus of the song is a back-and-forth conversation between the singer and what appears to be a group of followers, with the lyrics encouraging movement and belief in the experience. The song's last verses call on listeners to cool down and put an end to the craziness, as the other people will eventually leave, and we will be alone again; however, there is still an opportunity to see glimpses of living creatures coming to life right before our eyes.
Line by Line Meaning
What about the time?
Can you recall a specific moment?
You were rollin' over
Everything seemed to be going wrong for you
Fall on your face
You failed miserably
You must be having fun
The situation appeared to be amusing to you
Walk lightly!
Be careful with each step you take
Think of a time.
Reflect on various incidents
You'd best believe
It's best to accept and acknowledge the truth
This thing is real
The situation is genuine
Put away that gun
Stop being aggressive and violent
And this part is simple
This aspect is straightforward and uncomplicated
Try to recognize
Attempt to identify and acknowledge
What is in your mind
Your thoughts and feelings
God help us!
May the divine power provide us assistance
Help us lose our minds
Guide us to get rid of our confusion
These slippery people
These individuals who are manipulative and deceitful
Help us understand
Assist us in comprehending the situation
What's the matter with him? (He's alright!)
What's wrong with him? (Nothing!)
I see his face (The lord won't mind)
I know him (It's okay)
Don't know no games (He's alright)
He's honest and sincere
Love from the bottom to the top
We love each other unconditionally
Turn like a wheel (He's alright)
Things keep spinning (He's okay)
See for yourself (The lord won't mind)
Experience it yourself (It's fine)
We're gonna move (Right now)
We'll continue to progress (Immediately)
Turn like a wheel inside a wheel
Spinning within spinning
I remember when
I recall a time
Sittin' in the tub
Relaxing in the bathtub
Pulled out the plug
Drained the water
The water was runnin' out
The water was draining away
Cool down
Calm down and relax
Stop acting crazy
Stop behaving erratically
They're gonna leave
They will depart
And we'll be on our own
We'll be alone
Seven times five
The product of seven multiplied by five
They were living creatures
They were animate beings
Watch 'em come to life
Observe them become animated
Right before your eyes
Directly in front of you
Backsliding!
Regressing
How do you do?
Greetings
Gonna see you through
Will support and assist you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS FRANTZ, CHRISTOPHER FRANTZ, DAVID BYRNE, JERRY HARRISON, TINA WEYMOUTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind