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Talking Heads — Swamp
Album: Stop Making Sense
Avg rating:
6.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1221









Released: 1984
Length: 4:27
Plays (last 30 days): 3
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Now, let me tell you a story
The Devil, he has a plan
Bag of bones in his pocket
Get anything you want
No dust, no rocks
The whole thing is over
All those beauties in solid motion
All those beauties
They're gonna swallow you up

Let's go
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi, hi

One time too many
Too far to go
Hi, we've come to take you home, whoo-oo

When they split those atoms
It's hotter than the Sun
Blood is a special substance
They gonna pray for that man
So wake up, young lovers
The whole thing is over
Watch out, touch monkeys
All that blood
They're gonna swallow you whole

Let's go
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi, hi

What's that? who's driving?
Where we going? who knows?
Hi, we've come to take you home, whoo-oo

How many people do you think I am?
Pretend I am somebody else
You can pretend I'm a old millionare
A millionare washin' his hands
Rattle the bones of dreams that stick out
A medical chart on the wall
Soft violins, hands touch your throat
Everyone wants to explode

Now, when your hands get dirty
Nobody knows you at all
Don't have a window to slip out of
Lights on, nobody home
Click-click, see ya later
Beta-beta, and no time to rest
Picka-picka, risky business
All that blood will never cover that mess

Let's go
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi, hi

So soft, hard feeling
No tricks, let's go
Hi, we've come to take you home, whoo-oo
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi, hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi, hi
Hi, hi-hi-hi-hi-hi
Comments (130)add comment
Frankie-AURORA->Plant and Krause->Charles Daniels->Talking Heads.

Everyone in my loft be dancing.
Posted 3 months ago by sajitjacob    [ Reply ]
Haven't heard this since it was new back in the terradio days as far as I can remember and have missed it here all these years as well.

What a groovy slow motion hook.  Primo.
Posted 1 year ago by kurtster    [ Reply ]
 drewd wrote:
Best Tina Weymouth GIFs | Gfycat



You Bet!!  
Posted 2 years ago by joejennings    [ Reply ]
 acferrad wrote:

Interesting, exactly the same sequence today, 1 year later.  Is the playlist not shuffled, Bill?

The fact that the playlists aren't shuffled is one of the attractions of Radio Paradise.  There's often a reason certain songs are in a set, as laid out in the post you replied to.
Posted 3 years ago by dwhayslett    [ Reply ]
 Grammarcop wrote:

Lost on the River --> Rivers of Babylon --> Take Me To the River --> Swamp. 

I see what you did there, Bill. 



PSD c-c-combo!
Posted 3 years ago by Meolla_Reio    [ Reply ]
 acferrad wrote:

Interesting, exactly the same sequence today, 1 year later.  Is the playlist not shuffled, Bill?



Who cares.... a great segue is a great segue now matter its rotation.
Posted 3 years ago by sunybuny    [ Reply ]
Best Tina Weymouth GIFs | Gfycat
Posted 3 years ago by drewd    [ Reply ]
 acferrad wrote:

Interesting, exactly the same sequence today, 1 year later.  Is the playlist not shuffled, Bill?

My sense is he continually builds new playlists of 5-10 songs, and some songs appear in more than one list. All the lists are shuffled, and new lists appear and probably some lists are tweaked. So sometimes we'll hear the same sequence, but as a whole it's not static or fixed. 
Posted 3 years ago by RabbitEars    [ Reply ]
 Grammarcop wrote:
Lost on the River --> Rivers of Babylon --> Take Me To the River --> Swamp. 

I see what you did there, Bill. 
 
Interesting, exactly the same sequence today, 1 year later.  Is the playlist not shuffled, Bill?
Posted 3 years ago by acferrad    [ Reply ]
 Grammarcop wrote:
Lost on the River --> Rivers of Babylon --> Take Me To the River --> Swamp. 

I see what you did there, Bill. 
 

Posted 3 years ago by dnorton    [ Reply ]
 Grammarcop wrote:
Lost on the River --> Rivers of Babylon --> Take Me To the River --> Swamp. 

I see what you did there, Bill. 
 
And throw in that one of the more popular talking heads songs was take me to the river so following the Al Green version with a talking heads song Bill gets even more segue brownie points!
Posted 3 years ago by bluematrix    [ Reply ]
Lost on the River --> Rivers of Babylon --> Take Me To the River --> Swamp. 

I see what you did there, Bill. 
Posted 4 years ago by Grammarcop    [ Reply ]
A better song than their cover of Take Me to the River, which is impossible to ever do anyway.  Love this swamp blues married to rock and roll and their special brand of angsty rhythym.
Posted 4 years ago by cely    [ Reply ]
 max_p wrote:
saw that the big suit routine was recently  revived by the innovator Kanye West.
 

Yeah, that really does make him such an "innovator"...
Posted 5 years ago by 123heyaho!    [ Reply ]
 max_p wrote:
saw that the big suit routine was recently  revived by the innovator Kanye West.
 

"innovator"? lol
Posted 5 years ago by BCarn    [ Reply ]
Posted 5 years ago by islander    [ Reply ]
 h8rhater wrote:

Apples and oranges. 

Besides it's neither.  

Clearly it is The Last Waltz. (tongue in cheek)
 
All 3 Are Stupendous! 
S.R.T.S
S.M.S
& the L.W
Posted 5 years ago by surfrider4life    [ Reply ]
saw that the big suit routine was recently  revived by the innovator Kanye West.
Posted 5 years ago by max_p    [ Reply ]
 mlcarroll wrote:

Led Zep's "The Song Remains the Same" got it beat by a mile.


 
Apples and oranges. 

Besides it's neither.  

Clearly it is The Last Waltz. (tongue in cheek)
Posted 5 years ago by h8rhater    [ Reply ]
Ok...as I predicted David Byrne would creep up after the wonderful Al Green 'Take Me To The River'. At least it was a clever follow up as 'Swamp'. Points given even if it's reluctant.
Posted 6 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
I don't know why or how this came into my mind listening to this song...

"Swamp thang - I think I love you!"
Posted 6 years ago by Stephen_Phillips    [ Reply ]
Saw this when it was released on the big screen in a funky old movie theater in Ithaca, NY. Ah...that's how you watch a movie worth watching. Not on some small screen phone! And stay off my lawn, you kids!
Posted 7 years ago by Ropes    [ Reply ]
Who remembers Chicory Tip? {#Laughing}
Posted 7 years ago by markybx    [ Reply ]
One of the many highlights from a great concert film.
Posted 7 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
Memory/Flashback. Summer 1985. On a very noisy and very vibrating DC3 returning to Florida from the Bahamas following a debaucherous 2 week "field-trip" (for which I actually received college credit!).  Thoroughly sunburned, mosquito bitten, and sleep-deprived, and somebody actually manages to play this song on the plane above the engine noise, and we all were dancing in the aisles and anywhere else we could. I actually wondered about the integrity of the plane with the rocking we were doing. Classic memory, and I see that I already gave this a solid eighter. Ahhh, youth. Right on.
Posted 7 years ago by mlcarroll    [ Reply ]
This classic stuff is when Byrne was truly in his element. 

Click click- see ya later 
Posted 7 years ago by zurcronium    [ Reply ]
Cool looking suit. I think its either silk or linen. 
Posted 7 years ago by idiot_wind    [ Reply ]
okay, now I don't even want to work...... just move & groove to all this good music!!
Posted 7 years ago by CathyJones    [ Reply ]


why?

Posted 7 years ago by sfyi2001    [ Reply ]
Great party album Burning down the house!
Posted 7 years ago by fitmartin    [ Reply ]
One of my favorite RP segues - Al Green to the THeads.  Thanks!
Posted 8 years ago by FatPants    [ Reply ]
 CaffeineSam wrote:
They're just heads, how are they even collect the air to make their vocal chords vibrate ?

 
They took that name seeing TVnew's people on TV 'cause we see only their head when they talk...So they look like ''talking heads''. 
Posted 8 years ago by Actuel    [ Reply ]
This is AWE some!
Posted 8 years ago by fitmartin    [ Reply ]
ALSO ON THE SOUND TRACK' KING OF COMEDY' WITH BOBBY DENIRO / MOST EXCELLENT
Posted 9 years ago by primm    [ Reply ]
Delightfully skeezy!
Posted 9 years ago by crogers    [ Reply ]
They're just heads, how are they even collect the air to make their vocal chords vibrate ?
Posted 9 years ago by CaffeineSam    [ Reply ]

One of their best on hit tracks for Speaking in Tongues era heads. Mumbly and menacing.


Posted 9 years ago by JohnnySockhead    [ Reply ]
 C57BL6 wrote:
This reminds me of back when Tom Cruise was likable

 
Inconceivable!
Posted 9 years ago by jpfueler    [ Reply ]
Sly and The Family of Talking Heads
Posted 9 years ago by kingart    [ Reply ]
ohhhh i love this!
Posted 10 years ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
Not a big TH fan though not a hater, this songs pretty good though.
Posted 10 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
 wlpendley wrote:

Yup, nice segue Bill.

 
he done it again! he he
Posted 10 years ago by KaraokeVox    [ Reply ]
I heard him sing "risky business" and this song is in the movie of the same name


And now I see everyone already said this... 
Posted 10 years ago by rdo    [ Reply ]
 C57BL6 wrote:
This reminds me of back when Tom Cruise was likable

 
{#Lol}
Posted 11 years ago by stephw    [ Reply ]
This reminds me of back when Tom Cruise was likable
Posted 11 years ago by C57BL6    [ Reply ]
Holy crap, I haven't heard this song in decades. Love RP!
Posted 11 years ago by plaid    [ Reply ]
 bluedot wrote:

Oh, please...

He's talented but SOOO annoying....

Methinks YOU don't get it....

 
I think you've demonstrated that you don't get it . . .
Posted 11 years ago by gillespp    [ Reply ]
skip.
Posted 11 years ago by maplebed    [ Reply ]
 sirdroseph wrote:

This is one of the TH songs I like!

 
This is one of the TH songs I do not like. :-(
Posted 11 years ago by mread    [ Reply ]
Liking this, wish he would loosen his YFronts more often.
Posted 12 years ago by TerryS    [ Reply ]
 milozot wrote:
2/24/2012 ~9:40

Al Green Take Me to the River  >  TH's Swamp

nice....
 
ys its is{#Rolleyes}
Posted 12 years ago by dew34    [ Reply ]
LOVE this.
Posted 12 years ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
 milozot wrote:
2/24/2012 ~9:40

Al Green Take Me to the River  >  TH's Swamp

nice....
 
Yup, nice segue Bill.
Posted 12 years ago by wlpendley    [ Reply ]
2/24/2012 ~9:40

Al Green Take Me to the River  >  TH's Swamp

nice....
Posted 12 years ago by milozot    [ Reply ]
some songs are hidden gems.  some songs, however, are this.
Posted 12 years ago by govna    [ Reply ]
Holy crap!  A Talking Heads song I enjoyed!!  I won't vote on it, though, because I don't want to encourage Bill.
Posted 12 years ago by pinnyrat    [ Reply ]
 MiracleDrug wrote:
it occurs to me people either get David/TH...

or they don't...

pity the don't.

 
Oh, please...

He's talented but SOOO annoying....

Methinks YOU don't get it....

Posted 12 years ago by bluedot    [ Reply ]
it occurs to me people either get David/TH...

or they don't...

pity the don't.

Posted 13 years ago by MiracleDrug    [ Reply ]
GOD like....
Posted 13 years ago by rahkinrah    [ Reply ]
Risky Business
Posted 13 years ago by Kaisersosay    [ Reply ]
Al Green to Talking Heads - nice mix, Bill!
Posted 13 years ago by planetclare    [ Reply ]
yo -o, whoop, whoop!! {#Sunny}   
Posted 13 years ago by fingerpin    [ Reply ]
 BowTieDad wrote:
Captain Beefheart?
 

Yeah, and Frank Zappa.

Posted 13 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
I think all you people who claim to hate the Talking Heads are just pissed because you ignored all that "new wave shit" and spent your 80s listening to Kansas and Mr. Roboto Journey.

Ha ha ha I mock you.

 


Posted 13 years ago by a_genuine_find    [ Reply ]
Time to go play LRC roulette.

Posted 13 years ago by spigolli    [ Reply ]

This is one of the TH songs I like!


Posted 14 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
Al Green with Take Me To The River followed by Talking Heads, who, of course, did a totally kick-ass version of TMTTR. Not to mention the river-swamp connection... Way to go, thematically speaking!
Posted 14 years ago by ncollingridge    [ Reply ]

                                                                  {#Puke}


Posted 14 years ago by Rooney    [ Reply ]
quiet haters, you know not of what ye speak
Posted 14 years ago by icemang    [ Reply ]
What's the line? Sometimes it's better for a fool to keep his mouth shut than open t and confirm the truth?  NoSense is right, with this one, TH.
Posted 14 years ago by bigcat    [ Reply ]
Like the creepy feel of this song...especially after a night of reading Clive Barker's "Books of Blood" non-stop... :P
Posted 14 years ago by rpfan101    [ Reply ]
Nice water based segue! Sometimes.I just don't get it, but this is easy!
Posted 14 years ago by jools    [ Reply ]
fun tune.
Posted 14 years ago by zipper    [ Reply ]
I like me some Talking Heads... and this fills the bill quite fine, thank you.
Posted 14 years ago by jadewahoo    [ Reply ]
If you dont "get" the T Heads— so be it it but I saw this tour and it was awesome! Very fond memories and still love the music!
Posted 14 years ago by willmcnaught    [ Reply ]
I usually like the Talking Heads, but David Byrne's voice is pretty annoying in this one - I'm assuming that's him...

Posted 14 years ago by gratefulgator    [ Reply ]
Hmmm, time to see what's on SOMA or KCRW . . .
Posted 14 years ago by nagsheadlocal    [ Reply ]
{#Bounce}
Posted 14 years ago by stephw    [ Reply ]
Me too.
 Wizzuvv_oz wrote:
I just added my 8 in support of TH.  A little ballast against the "incessant" criticism they take on RP.  One of my favorite bands ever.
 


Posted 14 years ago by musickat    [ Reply ]
 Papernapkin wrote:

This is a fair criticism. With the incessant playing of the Talking Heads, RP is becoming less pleasant. While I like much of the music here, I spend more of my time streaming KCRW out of Santa Monica.
 
YES!  If you don't like the THs... spend more (or all) of your time elsewhere.   That or quit your cryin'

Posted 15 years ago by h8rhater    [ Reply ]
No....not up to the normal standards
Posted 15 years ago by EssexTex    [ Reply ]
not one of TH's better tracks
Posted 15 years ago by jkhandy    [ Reply ]
Captain Beefheart?
Posted 15 years ago by BowTieDad    [ Reply ]
If I were to follow anyone's Twitter (I don't...yet) it would be David Byrne...
or Johnny Depp. {#Heartkiss}  
Posted 15 years ago by fingerpin    [ Reply ]
did he say touch monkeys?
Posted 15 years ago by pugifat    [ Reply ]
!!Viva Talking heads!!
Posted 15 years ago by cactus7709    [ Reply ]
i quite like Talking Heads but i've no idea how this crap slipping through the net
Posted 15 years ago by AdyMiles    [ Reply ]
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
I think all you people who claim to hate the Talking Heads are just pissed because you ignored all that "new wave shit" and spent your 80s listening to Kansas and Mr. Roboto.

Ha ha ha I mock you.

 
{#Lol} . . . and Wham!

Posted 15 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
I think all you people who claim to hate the Talking Heads are just pissed because you ignored all that "new wave shit" and spent your 80s listening to Kansas and Mr. Roboto.

Ha ha ha I mock you.

Posted 15 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]
SMS is one of the best live albums ever made. Love dem Talking Heads!
Posted 15 years ago by daigoro    [ Reply ]
I just added my 8 in support of TH.  A little ballast against the "incessant" criticism they take on RP.  One of my favorite bands ever.


Posted 15 years ago by Wizzuvvoz    [ Reply ]
  Papernapkin wrote:
This is a fair criticism. With the incessant playing of the Talking Heads, RP is becoming less pleasant. While I like much of the music here, I spend more of my time streaming KCRW out of Santa Monica.
 
Me thinks you exaggerate. Definition of incessant (from Dictionary.com) - continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending. The RP playlist indicates there is no incessant playing of Talking Heads, unless you are speaking in a geological time frame.
Posted 15 years ago by peter_james_bond    [ Reply ]
 Atrail wrote:
What is it with Radio Paradise and Talking Heads. I have to disconnect every time this band comes on cause it is just painful to listen t; which is way too often cause you play them way too much. This is my only complaint against the station as a long time listener, but it is a big one!
 
This is a fair criticism. With the incessant playing of the Talking Heads, RP is becoming less pleasant. While I like much of the music here, I spend more of my time streaming KCRW out of Santa Monica.
Posted 15 years ago by Papernapkin    [ Reply ]
 starfishNcoffee wrote:
Freaken' Awesome!!
{#Yell}Hear it Here! 


Posted 15 years ago by fuh2    [ Reply ]
 starfishNcoffee wrote:
Freaken' Awesome!!
 
I wrote this comment before I saw all the others below. To the folks who didn't like this song: let me toss you a McNuggett, 'cause your taste is seriously all in your mouth! {#Nyah}

{#Cheers} To RP the best radio station in the world! {#Clap}


Posted 15 years ago by starfishNcoffee    [ Reply ]
Freaken' Awesome!!
Posted 15 years ago by starfishNcoffee    [ Reply ]
vit
Posted: Apr 03, 2008 - 09:35 < Reply >
Atrail wrote: What is it with Radio Paradise and Talking Heads.

Actually taking a look at the playlists, RP has 40 Talking Heads songs from 15 or so albums, which I guess might seem a little excessive ... until you see that it also has 36 Tracy Chapman songs — and from only 6 or 7 albums! Explain that wrongness before you even start complaining about the talking heads if you want your words to carry any weight.
Both TC and TH/DB enjoy FAR too heavy of a rotation on RP.

MUTE


Posted 15 years ago by jagdriver    [ Reply ]
 Atrail wrote:
What is it with Radio Paradise and Talking Heads. I have to disconnect every time this band comes on cause it is just painful to listen t; which is way too often cause you play them way too much. This is my only complaint against the station as a long time listener, but it is a big one!
 
{#Think}  I think Bill and Rebecca do it just to piss listeners off! {#Crashcomp}
Posted 15 years ago by kaybee    [ Reply ]
 cochlear wrote:


Quite! Stop Making Sense may well be the greatest rock concert of all time.

There. I said it.

*
 
{#Roflol}....

 Wait, you were serious?
Posted 16 years ago by Danimal174    [ Reply ]
Not sure how songs like this sell.  Weird.
Posted 16 years ago by dancingfox    [ Reply ]
Oops..........wrote too soon (following Al Green's version of Take Me To the River).
Posted 16 years ago by jagdriver    [ Reply ]
mindless wrote:
Like producing copious amounts of albums necessarily reflects how many good songs you've written? I agree with Atrail. And the TH songs seem to get played an awful lot.


You missed the point mindless. It's not the number of albums Talking Heads produced, it's the number of albums Radio Paradise selected paired with the number of songs per album. On a song-per album basis there are about 50% fewer Talking Heads songs than Tracy Chapman songs (give or take).

Posted 16 years ago by vit    [ Reply ]
leathepea wrote:
Do you think its ovulating yet?


"All that blood, gonna swallow you whole"

Posted 16 years ago by vit    [ Reply ]
cochlear wrote:

Quite! Stop Making Sense may well be the greatest rock concert of all time. There. I said it. *


Led Zep's "The Song Remains the Same" got it beat by a mile.


Posted 16 years ago by mlcarroll    [ Reply ]

gimme the icon for PUKE!{#Puke}


Posted 16 years ago by jjbix    [ Reply ]
Da'yum Bill!
Thank you for making my work day more fun than should be allowed. {#Notworthy}

Posted 16 years ago by fingerpin    [ Reply ]
 aragon wrote:
That is cool. Al's original Take me to the River and then T-Heads. I really like this song. It is much better in Stop Making Sense, the live show on DVD. Solid 9.



 
This is the version from Stop Making Sense.

Posted 16 years ago by cosmiclint    [ Reply ]
sdn wrote:
Hi!
Victory! T.H.
Posted 16 years ago by thubeav    [ Reply ]
How nice to turn on RP first thing in the morning and get a Talking Heads jolt to go with my coffee! Can't believe all the nasty posts... sorry, TH haters, look at the ratings - you are outvoted.
Posted 16 years ago by diazo    [ Reply ]
Hi!
Posted 16 years ago by sdn    [ Reply ]
Do you think its ovulating yet?
Posted 16 years ago by leathepea    [ Reply ]
Verrry cool Bill. Go from a a song made famous by the Heads--to an ACTUAL Heads song. By the way--one of my favorite TH songs ta boot.
Posted 16 years ago by copymonkey    [ Reply ]
Well, time for an RP break. Back in 5 minutes!
Posted 16 years ago by Droidac    [ Reply ]
vit wrote:
Actually taking a look at the playlists, RP has 40 Talking Heads songs from 15 or so albums, which I guess might seem a little excessive ... until you see that it also has 36 Tracy Chapman songs -- and from only 6 or 7 albums! Explain that wrongness before you even start complaining about the talking heads if you want your words to carry any weight.
Like producing copious amounts of albums necessarily reflects how many good songs you've written? I agree with Atrail. And the TH songs seem to get played an awful lot.
Posted 16 years ago by mindless    [ Reply ]
That is cool. Al's original Take me to the River and then T-Heads. I really like this song. It is much better in Stop Making Sense, the live show on DVD. Solid 9.
Posted 16 years ago by aragon    [ Reply ]
Atrail wrote:
What is it with Radio Paradise and Talking Heads.
Actually taking a look at the playlists, RP has 40 Talking Heads songs from 15 or so albums, which I guess might seem a little excessive ... until you see that it also has 36 Tracy Chapman songs -- and from only 6 or 7 albums! Explain that wrongness before you even start complaining about the talking heads if you want your words to carry any weight.
Posted 16 years ago by vit    [ Reply ]
Atrail wrote:
What is it with Radio Paradise and Talking Heads.
The great question.
Posted 16 years ago by Barman    [ Reply ]
Atrail wrote:
What is it with Radio Paradise and Talking Heads. I have to disconnect every time this band comes on cause it is just painful to listen t; which is way too often cause you play them way too much. This is my only complaint against the station as a long time listener, but it is a big one!
Kid doesn't like the Heads... Go figure.
Posted 16 years ago by gekkosan    [ Reply ]
Sublime set... Rivers of Bablylon, to the Right Rev's Take Me To The Water - which most people associate with the Talking Heads, to the Heads, Swamp. Perfect seque on theme and meme.
Posted 16 years ago by Buzzardcheater    [ Reply ]