Misc. Monday Song (12.26.05)

Artist: Talking Heads
Song: Road to Nowhere (4:20)
Album: Little Creatures

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Briefly: While I don't especially like to make such sweeping statements, the Talking Heads may very well be my favorite band. I couldn't comprehend anyone listening to them and not having enjoying themself. Very simply, the Talking Heads just make me happy. And the great thing about this band, for me, is that at any time I'm listening to them, any song can jump out at me as incredible. This happened recently with "Road to Nowhere".

Why?: Little Creatures followed up the landmark live album Stop Making Sense. Its sound is more comparable to their first couple of albums than Speaking In Tongues and Remain In Light. While I still enjoy the two albums that followed this one, True Stories and Naked, this may have been the last great one. Certainly more poppy than the frantic rhythms of previous few albums, Little Creatures is also more simple, stripped down to mostly the four members of the band. "Road to Nowhere" is the most epic song on the album, and it opens with an a capella verse that sounds much bigger than it actually is. And then the song just rolls forward, propelled by the marching drums. This song certainly sounds more like their previous work than anything else on the album, but it also sounds just right where it is at the end of the album.

Further listening:
Little Creatures by Talking Heads
Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads

Lyrics:

Well we know where we’re goin’
But we don’t know where we’ve been
And we know what we’re knowin’
But we can’t say what we’ve seen
And we’re not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it out

We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride

I’m feelin’ okay this mornin’
And you know
We’re on the road to paradise
Here we go, here we go

We’re on a ride to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride

Maybe you wonder where you are
I don’t care
Here is where time is on our side
Take you there, take you there

We’re on a road to nowhere
We’re on a road to nowhere
We’re on a road to nowhere

There’s a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right

And it’s very far away
But it’s growing day by day
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right

They can tell you what to do
But they’ll make a fool of you
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right

We’re on a road to nowhere...