Talking Heads, con su estilo único y experimental, dejó una marca indeleble en la historia de la música. Fundada en 1975 en Nueva York, el grupo se destacó rápidamente en la escena musical por su mezcla ecléctica de punk, rock, funk y ritmos africanos. La banda se compuso originalmente de David Byrne (voz y guitarra), Chris Frantz (batería), Tina Weymouth (bajo) y Jerry Harrison (teclados y guitarra).
David Byrne, Chris Frantz y Tina Weymouth se conocieron en la Rhode Island School of Design. Compartían intereses similares en arte y música, lo que los llevó a formar una banda llamada The Artistics. Sin embargo, al mudarse a Nueva York y para alinearse con la vibrante escena punk del CBGB, decidieron cambiar su nombre a Talking Heads.
El 8 de junio de 1975, Talking Heads debutó en CBGB como teloneros de los Ramones. Su actuación llamó la atención del crítico de música del The Village Voice, John Rockwell, quien elogió su frescura. Esta exposición les permitió firmar con Sire Records en 1976.
Su primer álbum, Talking Heads: 77, presentó al mundo su estilo inconfundible. El sencillo "Psycho Killer" se convirtió en un himno y ayudó a establecer su reputación como pioneros del nuevo sonido post-punk.
I see the shapes,
I remember from maps.
I see the shoreline.
I see the whitecaps.
A baseball diamond, nice weather down there.
I see the school and the houses where the kids are.
Places to park by the fac'tries and buildings.
Restaunts and bar for later in the evening.
Then we come to the farmlands, and the undeveloped areas.
And I have learned how these things work together.
I see the parkway that passes through them all.
And I have learned how to look at these things and I say,
(CHORUS)
I wouldn't live there if you paid me.
I couldn't live like that, no siree!
I couldn't do the things the way those people do.
I couldn't live there if you paid me to.
I guess it's healthy, I guess the air is clean.
I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends.
Look at that kitchen and all of that food.
Look at them eat it' guess it tastes real good.
They grow it in the farmlands
And they take it to the stores
They put it in the car trunk
And they bring it back home
And I say ...
(CHORUS)
I say, I wouldn't live there if you paid me.
I couldn't live like that, no siree!
I couldn't do the things the way those people do.
I wouldn't live there if you paid me to.
I'm tired of looking out the windows of the airplane
I'm tired of travelling, I want to be somewhere.
It's not even worth talking
About those people down there.
Goo Goo Ga Ga Ga