Formed in London in 1983, the Wolfgang Press comprised vocalist Michael Allen, guitarist Andrew Gray, and keyboardist Mark Cox. Allen and Cox first teamed in the group Rema Rema, which also featured Adam & the Ants alum Marco Perroni; after reuniting in the short-lived quartet Mass, the duo recruited Gray, and as the Wolfgang Press issued their cacophonous, gloomy debut LP, The Burden of Mules, in 1983. An EP trilogy co-produced by Cocteau Twin Robin Guthrie followed in quick succession: while 1984's Scarecrow was a lighter, more streamlined affair, 1985's Water spotlighted ominously sparse torch songs, and the same year's Sweatbox explored deconstructionist pop. The three EPs were later collected on The Legendary Wolfgang Press & Other Stories.
The Wolfgang Press' second full-length effort, 1986's Standing Up Straight, incorporated industrial and orchestral influences into the mix, while the Big Sex EP's "God's Number" offered a soulful backing chorus, a harbinger of things to come. Indeed, after 1988's hypnotic Bird Wood Cage and its leadoff single, "King of Soul," introduced strong elements of dub, reggae, and R&B, the trio took the full plunge into the dance arena with 1991's Queer, an idiosyncratic outing admittedly inspired by De La Soul's landmark 3 Feet High and Rising; the first single, a surreal cover of the Randy Newman-penned "Mama Told Me Not to Come," was a minor hit. 1995's Funky Little Demons completed the Wolfgang Press' transition into white funk; prior to its release, however, Cox exited the group's ranks.
Kansas
The Wolfgang Press Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who took him by surprise, tippy toes
You can't bury that door 3 times, hide my eyes 4 times
I'm gonna sink my teeth into Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
I reach a higher plain when I speak so slow and hardly breath
I, I must confess I'm gonna see that man again
I'm gonna turn back the clock and set the foot in Kansas
I'm gonna Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
I'm gonna shoot him by the clock, peace time
I'm gonna shoot him in the legs, peace time
You're gonna bury that door, meantime
You're gonna pick him off the floor, 3 times
I, I, I'm a man and I, I, I'm alive
I I must confess I'm gonna carry that man
I'm gonna shake him by the hand
I'm gonna sleep in foreign lands
I'm gonna turn back the clock
I'm gonna Kansas in the spring
I'm gonna Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
The Wolfgang Press's song "Kansas" can be interpreted in different ways, with its lyrics being open to multiple interpretations. However, an interesting perspective on the song could be that it talks about seeking revenge on someone who took advantage and deceived the singer. In the opening lines, the singer asks who shot the person they seek revenge against in the back and took them by surprise. The next lines - "you can't bury that door three times, hide my eyes four times" - could indicate that the person has tried to cover up their actions, but the singer is still determined to follow through with their plans and make them pay.
The chorus of the song repeats the word "Kansas" over and over again as if the place holds some significant meaning. It could be interpreted as either a reference to a real location or a metaphor for a place where the singer seeks to escape reality and find solace. The following lines, "I reach a higher plain when I speak so slow and hardly breathe, they're gonna run out of shapes when they fetch my family" could further support this idea of seeking escape.
The second half of the song seems to continue the theme of revenge with the singer intending to shoot the person in the legs in peace time and bury the door. However, the chorus comes back again, indicating that the concept of "Kansas" may not be strictly related to revenge. Instead, it could be interpreted as a place where the singer can finally let go of their anger and find peace.
Overall, "Kansas" is a song with open-ended lyrics that allows for multiple interpretations. It could be a song about revenge, seeking escape, or finding peace in a disorienting world.
Line by Line Meaning
Who shot him in the back, peacetime
Who killed him when he wasn't at war and was defenseless?
Who took him by surprise, tippy toes
Who attacked him so suddenly, without making any noise?
You can't bury that door 3 times, hide my eyes 4 times
You can't cover up the truth multiple times and hope to hide it from me forever.
I'm gonna sink my teeth into Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
I am determined to uncover the truth and delve deep into the mystery of Kansas.
I reach a higher plain when I speak so slow and hardly breath
I feel a sense of enlightenment when I speak slowly and deliberately, almost as if I'm meditating.
They're gonna run out of shapes when they fetch my family
They won't be able to piece together the truth about Kansas even if they dig up my family's history.
I, I must confess I'm gonna see that man again
I admit that I am obsessed with finding the person responsible for what happened in Kansas and I won't stop until I confront them.
I'm gonna turn back the clock and set the foot in Kansas
I'm going to go back in time and start my investigation from the beginning in Kansas.
I'm gonna shoot him by the clock, peace time
I am determined to bring the person responsible to justice without resorting to violence, even if it takes time.
I'm gonna shoot him in the legs, peace time
I won't cause unnecessary harm to the person responsible, even when I catch them.
You're gonna bury that door, meantime
In the meantime, you can keep trying to hide the truth, but I won't stop looking for it.
You're gonna pick him off the floor, 3 times
When I find the person responsible, they'll have to answer for what they did three times over.
I, I, I'm a man and I, I, I'm alive
I am asserting my existence and ability to take action in the face of what happened in Kansas.
I I must confess I'm gonna carry that man
I will bear the weight of my quest for justice and see it through to the end.
I'm gonna shake him by the hand
I will confront the person responsible for what happened in Kansas and hold them accountable for their actions.
I'm gonna sleep in foreign lands
I am willing to risk everything to get justice for what happened in Kansas, even if it means leaving my home and traveling far away.
I'm gonna turn back the clock
I will start again from the beginning to get to the bottom of what happened in Kansas.
I'm gonna Kansas in the spring
I will return to Kansas in the springtime to continue my investigation.
Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas
The events that took place in Kansas still haunt me and I won't rest until I know the truth.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW KEITH GRAY, MARK ALAN COX, MICHAEL DEREK ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kenmurphy6792
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tfxDnc1b1Q
Talking Heads - Chronology (2011) ----
Tracklist:
Mic Test (The Kitchen, NYC 1976)
With Our Love (CBGB, NYC 1975)
I'm Not In Love (CBGB, NYC 1975)
Psycho Killer (CBGB, NYC, 1975)
Intros Montage (The Kitchen, NYC, 1976)
The Girls Want To Be With The Girls (The Kitchen, NYC, 1976)
Don't Worry About The Government (Old Grey Whistle Test, 1978)
Dressing Room Fan Footage, "Found A Job" (Entermedia Theatre, NYC, 1978)
Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (Entermedia Theatre, NYC, 1978)
Warning Sign (Sproul Plaza, Berkeley, CA 1978)
Artists Only (Saturday Night Live,1979) (Deleted)
Take Me To The River (American Bandstand,1979)
Crosseyed And Painless (Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ 1980)
Animals (Rockpop In Concert, Dortmund, Germany 1980)
Love → Building On Fire (US Festival, San Bernardino, CA 1982)
Cities (Montreux Festival, Montreux, Switzerland 1982)
Burning Down The House (Late Night With David Letterman, 1983)
Life During Wartime (Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, NYC, 2002)
@SNESdrunk
I seriously cannot get enough of this song for some reason
@andrewknoff3188
funny seeing you here, snes drunk
@felomendez91
the bassline
@LucMarchal-uk6nz
I've no more traduction in Franche-Comté,scusi
@LucMarchal-uk6nz
@@andrewknoff3188What?
@fonzisalgado512
The guy running around the barn way to cool if ya ask me ....great song
@nickthepostpunk5766
Pure class: have always thought this song darkly hypnotically, gothily, groovily kick arse - and I absolutely can’t get enough of the Jackie Kennedy dancing for some reason.
@Looms29
One of my fave video clips, and one of my fave bands ever!
@gummy_gamer124
Found my dusty 30 year old stash of Wolfgang LP's, cleaned them up nowplaying them and they are SO good. I am wondering if this song is where my love started? I have no idea when or how it did too many good times.
@lordlycan5035
Absolute classic