Back

albums centered around an emotion are really really cool. i know two albums centred around fear: Now You Are One Of Us and Fear of Music. they are both some of the best albums i've ever heard. Fear of Music is literally my favorite talking heads album. that says a lot. it's only (minor) flaw to me is how I Zimbra doesn't really fit in the album that well imo. I'm probably just not looking at it in the right direction, but i think it'd go better in a different album (Remain in Light, perhaps), or maybe just at a different place in the album. [A FEW MINUTES PASS]


I Zimbra

Actually okay. I Zimbra works okay, sorta.
it takes the idea you come in to talking heads with so far (we can communicate via talking and words and stuff) and smashes it.
that's bad way to describe it. it basically serves as a sign that says "hey! things are different now".

Mind

If that's the case then Mind serves as the technical-opener. the song that follows that up with "this is what this album is gonna be like instead."
and it sure does a good job at that. it has the repetition, it has that vague despising feeling, it completely lacks any feeling of control over the situation, it's perfect for it.

Paper

Paper is one of the weaker songs in the album but it is good. it has a more narrative structure which is cool/ it keeps up the repetition thing, while less so. and paper is a very cool symbol for temporary things that people act as permanent. people act like the things people put on paper are incredibly important and temporally-strong, but some rays pass right through. and starting the song with this:

Hold on to that paper
Hold on to that paper
Hold on because it's been taken care of
Hold on to that paper

& ending it with this:

Don't think I can fit it on the paper
Don't think I can fit it on the paper
Go ahead and rip up, rip up the paper
Go ahead and tear up, tear up the paper

was a great move. at the end, the "character" the song is "about" gives up with paper. he just rips up, tears up the paper. great song, p underrated

Cities

Cities is good but i don't know how to read into it. it feels straightforward to me. im sure it's not, but i mean. Talking Heads listing pros and cons of cities. it keeps up the vibe. that's really all i can say. it's good.

Life During Wartime

it's about war.
okay maybe Cities is straightforward. this one is straightforward too.
i have to say, I like how in the ending it just keeps going, it just repeats (:eyes:) on and on, assumedly forever. fits the theme well

Memories Can't Wait

Memories Can't Wait! i chose this song for Rose when i matches TH songs to HS characters as a major stretch, and now they have unfortunately been majorly associated in my head.
it's a really good song...
it also has the repeating, see fig. 1


These memories can't wait...
These memories can't wait...
These memories can't wait...
These memories can't wait...
These memories can't wait...
These memories can't wait...
These memories can't wait...

(testament to how much i love this song: i wanted to paste some more lyrics, i just screenshotted the entire 2nd verse, chorus, and outro. lol.)
it really says so much about, well, Memories. so much about how sure things can end, but their memory often doesn't. other people can go home, everybody else can split, I'll be here all the time, I can never quit.
but it's not the same, and it gets more so as time goes on. it fades from your mind until it's gone.

Air

Air, to me, is about something sucking. not like Popsicle is about something sucking. it's just about life being rough.
Genius user newyorkcitycopsainttosmart said David Byrne said “I wanted to make a sad song that wasn’t about love. What it’s like to be sad.". i'm not sure whether i can trust Genius User newyorkcitycopsainttosmart, but i'll accept that as a semi-truth, personally.
It's about being in such a horrible state even the air can hurt you.
you have no comfort. there's nothing that isn't attacking you, all the time
some people (Genius User ju_aba) see Air representing love, in that it seems so beautiful but it can break your heart and hurt you.
some people (Genius User Alekazam) see it in a way similar to Animals, criticizing a hypothetical person who has run out of worries and stressors and decides to claim that air itself is a danger to us, to pull themself out of goallessness.
some people (Genius User rotaryghost) say the song is about autism.
i say all of those things work, sorta (maybe not Alekazam's i think the air is actually hurting him. in the way that if you were launched from a cannon at an incredibly high speed your skin would be damaged.)

Heaven

this one is much better in stop making sense imo, btw. incomparably. but nonetheless.
ok so apparently David Byrne was taking a lot of cocaine at the time which makes sense because from what i know about drugs. they often have not fun moments. moments where Too Many Things are Happening.
so, to tie it back in, some people may see this song as someone fearing heaven, but i do not at all.
I truly believe heaven may be a place where nothing ever happens.
A place where there is a party, everyone is there, and everyone will leave at exactly the same time.
A place where when this kiss is over, it will start again. It will not be any different, it will be exactly the same.

Animals

i like this one a lot
he says a swear word in it
i think this one is about bigotry from paranoia. satirizing it by having the group bigoted against (?) be animals. like racoons or something.
it's honestly p simple. just replace "animals" with a group of your choice and boom.
the outro is really good. i have to mention that. repetition, again. the chanting also lends to the paranoia of it all.
good song

Electric Guitar

widely considered the worst song on the album. decent song overall. prob satirizing the wide fearful response to rock music in America. not much to say, really.

Drugs

we're finally at the homest
retch. This song is REALLY good. better than cities and life during wartime imo. it captures an emotion so well. It takes a beautifully terrifying photo of it and puts it in a little cage, for fear of it escaping.
charged up. electricitiy. kinda wooden. barely moving. study motion.
The boys are making a big mess
This makes the girls start to laugh
I don't know what they're talking about

it really does feel like amphetamines
and that's it!
oh wait i forgot about

Dancing for Money

i can't say anything about it you have to listen to it

and now that's it! fear of music, baby!