Here, David Byrne sings from the point of view of an insurgent who is a bit paranoid and has a problem giving up the creature comforts you lose when you enter into guerilla warfare, not the least of which is giving up music.
The song is remarkably prescient in its theme of technology leading to a society where information is exploited. Corporations and governments were using computers in 1979, and hackers found the flaws. David Byrne drew inspiration from a book he read about computer crimes, which included a story about a guy who forged deposit slips with his bank account number and got patrons to inadvertently put money into his account. Another story was about someone who used a touch-tone phone to break into the General Electric computer network and steal supplies. With the big boys owning this technology but having trouble controlling it, Byrne saw a bleak future. He told NME in 1979: "There will be chronic food shortages and gas shortages and people will live in hovels.
Paradoxically, they'll be surrounded by computers the size of wrist watches. Calculators will be cheap. It'll be as easy to hook up your computer with a central television bank as it is to get the week's groceries. I think we'll be cushioned by amazing technological development and sitting on Salvation Army furniture. Everything else will be crumbling. Government surveillance becomes inevitable because there's this dilemma when you have an increase in information storage. A lot of it is for your convenience - but as more information gets on file it's bound to be misused."
Lyrics Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons Packed up and ready to go Heard of some gravesides, out by the highway A place where nobody knows The sound of gunfire off in the distance I'm getting used to it now Lived on brownstone, lived in the ghetto I've lived all over this town This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around No time for dancing or lovey dovey I ain't got time for that now Transmit the message to the receiver Hope for an answer some day I got three passports, couple of visas You don't even know my real name High on a hillside, the trucks are loading Everything's ready to roll I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime I might not ever get home This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around This ain't no mudd club, or C.B.G.B. I ain't got time for that now
Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit? Heard about Pittsburgh, P A? You oughta know not to stand by the window Somebody see you up there I got some groceries, some peanut butter To last a couple of days But I ain't got no speakers, ain't got no headphones Ain't got no records to play Why stay in college? Why go to night school? Gonna be different this time? Can't write a letter, can't send no postcard I ain't got no time for that now Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock We blended in with the crowd We got computers, we're tapping phone lines I know that all ain't allowed We dress like students, we dress like housewives Or in a suit and a tie I changed my hairstyle so many times now I don't know what I look like You make me shiver, I feel so tender We make a pretty good team Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving You ought to get you some sleep Burned all my notebooks, what good are notebooks? They won't help me survive My chest is aching, burns like a furnace The burning keeps me alive Get your instructions, follow directions Then you should change your address Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day Whatever you think is best Try to stay healthy, physical fitness. Don't wanna catch no disease Try to be careful, don't take no chances You better watch what you say
C_I_A_operatorNovember 28, 2014 at 9:50 AM Chia Cha, When you say a Christian is "saved" what is he saved from? Eternal damnation? What? How can an intelligent person believe such a thing? Has it ever occurred to you that there is no intelligent justification for believing any of the things Judaism, Christianity and Islam claim? They make all these claims but there is no thoughtful reason to believe any of it. It's all just superstition isn't it? Where's the proof?
oh i see i did t answer you, i apologise: Jesus was son of God (took form of human, proof: perfect God-human who did not commit any sin and he confirmed perfect Jewish teaching)... His religion was only religion which was spread against will of government and was producer of normal music, art, architecture which is not retarded and poisoned by non human influences, it created universities also, saved all clean art romans and greeks, and if there were no Jesus, people would never land on moon because science is impossible in eastern anarchy where people do not follow order from Jesus, what is of God to God, what is of King to King... Meaning it is impossible without his abolition of both eastern systems Egyptian/Japanese -where King is God, and Chinese, Muslim, Buddhist, Babylonian, Russian... where King is representative of God on Kings territory (main arbiter in religious matters)... Definition of West is civilisation where Pope is boss in religious matters and King is boss in human matters meaning there is no anarchy... For instance if there would be day when US president would start telling religious leaders in USA what is what really God had on mind, and that this new law which he is giving comes from God through him as he is his representative, and religious leaders would accept that, in that moment USA will cease to become western country and GDP of USA would fall from 52 000 $ per head to about 4 000 new euros and USA would become vassal of China in it s own cold war with EU, same what Russia is today. UK is protected from that because there King do not tell archbishop of Canterbury what to preach (even he listen little too much what people around her are talking). In Russia and Serbia interior ministry is deciding who will be their litlle national pope and under full control of daily politics. That is why you have patriarch of Kiev proclaiming that Putin is Satan, and patriarch of Moscow telling that Poroshenko is Satan, or Serbian patriarch telling that Croats are of Satan.
Great! The Lady Boy Blues.
ReplyDeleteLove'd the video, made me laugh, thanks for that !
ReplyDeleteDr. P, I listened to the lyrics of this for the first time yesterday. Wow. Fantastic video.
DeleteLife During Wartime, 1979
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obAtn6I5rbY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=11272
Here, David Byrne sings from the point of view of an insurgent who is a bit paranoid and has a problem giving up the creature comforts you lose when you enter into guerilla warfare, not the least of which is giving up music.
The song is remarkably prescient in its theme of technology leading to a society where information is exploited. Corporations and governments were using computers in 1979, and hackers found the flaws. David Byrne drew inspiration from a book he read about computer crimes, which included a story about a guy who forged deposit slips with his bank account number and got patrons to inadvertently put money into his account. Another story was about someone who used a touch-tone phone to break into the General Electric computer network and steal supplies. With the big boys owning this technology but having trouble controlling it, Byrne saw a bleak future. He told NME in 1979: "There will be chronic food shortages and gas shortages and people will live in hovels.
Paradoxically, they'll be surrounded by computers the size of wrist watches. Calculators will be cheap. It'll be as easy to hook up your computer with a central television bank as it is to get the week's groceries. I think we'll be cushioned by amazing technological development and sitting on Salvation Army furniture. Everything else will be crumbling. Government surveillance becomes inevitable because there's this dilemma when you have an increase in information storage. A lot of it is for your convenience - but as more information gets on file it's bound to be misused."
Lyrics
Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons
Packed up and ready to go
Heard of some gravesides, out by the highway
A place where nobody knows
The sound of gunfire off in the distance
I'm getting used to it now
Lived on brownstone, lived in the ghetto
I've lived all over this town
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco
This ain't no fooling around
No time for dancing or lovey dovey
I ain't got time for that now
Transmit the message to the receiver
Hope for an answer some day
I got three passports, couple of visas
You don't even know my real name
High on a hillside, the trucks are loading
Everything's ready to roll
I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime
I might not ever get home
This ain't no party, this ain't no disco
This ain't no fooling around
This ain't no mudd club, or C.B.G.B.
I ain't got time for that now
Heard about Houston?
Heard about Detroit?
Heard about Pittsburgh, P A?
You oughta know not to stand by the window
Somebody see you up there
I got some groceries, some peanut butter
To last a couple of days
But I ain't got no speakers, ain't got no headphones
Ain't got no records to play
Why stay in college?
Why go to night school?
Gonna be different this time?
Can't write a letter, can't send no postcard
I ain't got no time for that now
Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock
We blended in with the crowd
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines
I know that all ain't allowed
We dress like students, we dress like housewives
Or in a suit and a tie
I changed my hairstyle so many times now
I don't know what I look like
You make me shiver, I feel so tender
We make a pretty good team
Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving
You ought to get you some sleep
Burned all my notebooks, what good are notebooks?
They won't help me survive
My chest is aching, burns like a furnace
The burning keeps me alive
Get your instructions, follow directions
Then you should change your address
Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day
Whatever you think is best
Try to stay healthy, physical fitness.
Don't wanna catch no disease
Try to be careful, don't take no chances
You better watch what you say
C_I_A_operatorNovember 28, 2014 at 9:50 AM
ReplyDeleteChia Cha,
When you say a Christian is "saved" what is he saved from? Eternal damnation? What?
How can an intelligent person believe such a thing?
Has it ever occurred to you that there is no intelligent justification for believing any of the things Judaism, Christianity and Islam claim?
They make all these claims but there is no thoughtful reason to believe any of it.
It's all just superstition isn't it?
Where's the proof?
oh i see i did t answer you, i apologise:
Jesus was son of God (took form of human, proof: perfect God-human who did not commit any sin and he confirmed perfect Jewish teaching)... His religion was only religion which was spread against will of government and was producer of normal music, art, architecture which is not retarded and poisoned by non human influences, it created universities also, saved all clean art romans and greeks, and if there were no Jesus, people would never land on moon because science is impossible in eastern anarchy where people do not follow order from Jesus, what is of God to God, what is of King to King... Meaning it is impossible without his abolition of both eastern systems Egyptian/Japanese -where King is God, and Chinese, Muslim, Buddhist, Babylonian, Russian... where King is representative of God on Kings territory (main arbiter in religious matters)... Definition of West is civilisation where Pope is boss in religious matters and King is boss in human matters meaning there is no anarchy... For instance if there would be day when US president would start telling religious leaders in USA what is what really God had on mind, and that this new law which he is giving comes from God through him as he is his representative, and religious leaders would accept that, in that moment USA will cease to become western country and GDP of USA would fall from 52 000 $ per head to about 4 000 new euros and USA would become vassal of China in it s own cold war with EU, same what Russia is today. UK is protected from that because there King do not tell archbishop of Canterbury what to preach (even he listen little too much what people around her are talking). In Russia and Serbia interior ministry is deciding who will be their litlle national pope and under full control of daily politics. That is why you have patriarch of Kiev proclaiming that Putin is Satan, and patriarch of Moscow telling that Poroshenko is Satan, or Serbian patriarch telling that Croats are of Satan.