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Talking Heads — Heaven
Album: Fear Of Music
Avg rating:
7.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1952









Released: 1979
Length: 3:54
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Everyone is trying to get to the bar
The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven
The band in Heaven, they play my favorite song
They play it once again, they play it all night long

Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

There is a party, everyone is there
Everyone will leave at exactly the same time
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be so much fun

Yeah, heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Yeah, heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens

And when this kiss is over, it will start again
Will not be any different, will be exactly the same
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
Could be so exciting, could be this much fun

Yeah, heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Heaven
Heaven is a place
A place where nothing
Nothing ever happens
Comments (207)add comment
One of the very best songs from one of the coolest, smartest, wildest bands ever! Makes me smile and sing along, every time... Kevin and I are going to see the masterpiece concert-film Stop Making Sense playing down at the Boulder Theater tonight, Oct. 30, and the party's already started! This is a crazy-good film! I recall Tina really impressing me, and Jerry Harrison taking it absolutely beyond next level with guest keyboardist, Bernie Worrell... I can't wait to Chris and his Tom Tom Club get down super-funky, too!  SO MUCH FUN!
This is one of my favorites by the Heads....keep em coming Bill
 jmsmy wrote:

To my brother John.

I'll miss you John - but I plan to be there one day.

Love,

James

Wow... my husband, also named James, also lost a brother named John. And he's looking forward to being there with him one day too. They hadn't seen each other for about 30 years (John removed himself from the family in the mid-80s), and then John died, having never reconnected with his family. And my husband finally got to see his brother again, but in a casket. Peace to you, jmsmy.
 Pjesnik wrote:
It's Tina of course.  Recently I watched an interview with her. She was asked (maybe a cliched) question: " Was she feeling in any way uncomfortable, being the only female in the band".
She answered: " Not at all. Evolution fitted that women have their eggs secured much deeper in the body, contrary to men. Therefore the latter are much more nervous and anxious, trying to avoid being kicked in between legs".
Way to go Tina! 

 Ptijoc wrote:

One of the best song from TH. The lyrics are just genious. I remember listen to this song on the juke box of my favorite bar, years ago. "the Heaven" is a bar with a juke-box.




Also one of their best albums!
Compelled to bump this to 10. There are some songs whose lyrics and overall impact tug at my thoughts at the oddest moments. This is one. I really have trouble understanding those who don't see the brilliance of David Byrne, and the band who made this into a sort of historical record of an era though we're still too close to see its impacts.
One of the best song from TH. The lyrics are just genious. I remember listen to this song on the juke box of my favorite bar, years ago. "the Heaven" is a bar with a juke-box.
 jjbchansen159 wrote:

Perfect. And that bassline.



It's Tina of course.  Recently I watched an interview with her. She was asked (maybe a cliched) question: " Was she feeling in any way uncomfortable, being the only female in the band".
She answered: " Not at all. Evolution fitted that women have their eggs secured much deeper in the body, contrary to men. Therefore the latter are much more nervous and anxious, trying to avoid being kicked in between legs".
Way to go Tina! 
I love this song so much...

Feel free to play it all night long.
David Byrne and Talking Heads can really do no wrong.
Perfect. And that bassline.
Love Talking Heads music, but they're not exactly my go-to for spiritual insight. 
 MilesW wrote:
I like Talking Heads just fine, but *every day*? Same with Beck, Ray Lamontagne, Beck, The War on Drugs, Talking Heads, Beck, Natalie Merchant, Beck, etc.  There are only about 280 songs per day - how about more daily artist variety, Bill?  I really notice it when I listen at work all day...
 
I guess Bill forgot he was programming just for you.
I like Talking Heads just fine, but *every day*? Same with Beck, Ray Lamontagne, Beck, The War on Drugs, Talking Heads, Beck, Natalie Merchant, Beck, etc.  There are only about 280 songs per day - how about more daily artist variety, Bill?  I really notice it when I listen at work all day...
Heaven is a place where Talking Heads is played but sparingly. So everyone can sit around and talk about what creative gifts they possessed as a band, not just get all annoyed at stuff like toy pianos and hit the Next Song button. 
David Byrne was on Saturday Night Live last week.
Check it out - it was awesome.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkhQKV5o1-g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uL53wBD3CA




 
anyone hear City of Dreams?
I'm mad
and that's a fact…
My ears talkin' me that's David B0wie. Voice and style is the same.
 maxvonevil wrote:
Every time I hear David Byrne's bleating, I wonder if it was somehow developed in a secret lab as a weapon or sublime form of torture.
Leave the heavy rotation to the commercial outfits.
 
BillG - DO NOT adjust your rotation of TH/DB tunes at all....some of us enjoy the bleating.  Long Live RP!!
Every time I hear David Byrne's bleating, I wonder if it was somehow developed in a secret lab as a weapon or sublime form of torture.
Leave the heavy rotation to the commercial outfits.
The version from Stop Making Sense is sublime.
Everytime I hear David Byrne's voice I smile knowing the consternation it is causing on these boards.  

Thanks for keeping him in heavy rotation Bill!
When Talking Heads were great. Something new. We didn't know what Aspergers sounded like, then.
Simply Red brought me here :)
Talking heads really rock out on this song
"the bar is called heaven" 
Makes sense to me!
I was too stupid to be a fan of these back in HS in the early 80's....brings back great memories of much simplier times........
Among the first TH songs I ever heard. From when they were hungry, I guess. The earnestness comes through still, though.
 themusicroob wrote:
I love this song, particularly because it's so carefully ambiguous down to the last word. Especially this line "It's hard to imagine that nothing at all could be so exciting, could be this much fun." Perfect.

 
Same here....and I'm a rather recent "convert" as a TH fan in the last 7 years or so.  The few regular FM tracks are good and all I really knew about the band was that DB was a bit different.  So I started listening to their catalog, from the beginning, and WOW I was impressed with how great those 1st 4 albums were, all a little different, and all seemed to get better.  For me, "Fear of Music" sealed the deal on my fandom just with the opening track (I Zimbra) and then when I heard this song....well...it was Heaven.  PEACE and Long Live RP!!


Really love this song. Never really loved TH or DB. More of a Roxy Music person. Maybe why I love this song. {#Bananajam}
I love this song, particularly because it's so carefully ambiguous down to the last word. Especially this line "It's hard to imagine that nothing at all could be so exciting, could be this much fun." Perfect.
Great song, I like it) 
 LowPhreak wrote:
Heaven would be pretty boring. Nothing ever happens since everything is perfect there.
Every kiss is perfect, it doesn't change.
The band is perfect, it plays your favorite song all night and no one leaves the party too early or too late...
 
Well, no hangovers would be pretty awesome.  ; )
(But then, the white robes might get old pretty fast.)
 zepher wrote:
I like the line "When the kiss is over it starts again".

Heaven is a better place.  I'm wondering by "nothing" does he mean "no sin"....




 
Heaven would be pretty boring. Nothing ever happens since everything is perfect there.

Every kiss is perfect, it doesn't change.

The band is perfect, it plays your favorite song all night and no one leaves the party too early or too late...
 Brucethemoose wrote:
Always reminds me of a gay club in 1980's London called Heaven, Not much happened there! The lyrics really fit! Perhaps that was their inspiration?

 
On the DVD extras to Stop Making Sense, they say that at least superficially it is about a real bar called Heaven. I can't remember where, I always assumed NYC, but London, sure, could be.
Absolute originals, in their time. 
Almost 40 years, it's hard to imagine that i'm still looking for this lost heaven. The perfect song. And the bass from Tina weymouth...
 Propayne wrote:
The older I get, the more having "nothing happen" sounds to me like heaven.

 
Indeed.  Sometimes no news is good news.
 DocStrangelove wrote:
one of the great songs by one of the great bands of the twentieth century
{#Notworthy}

 
Could not agree more.
one of the great songs by one of the great bands of the twentieth century
{#Notworthy}
wow I just can't stand the singer
David Byrne doesn't need the promise of Heaven, he already lives in Paradise!
I do not know why, but I really love this song - cool
 Brucethemoose wrote:
Always reminds me of a gay club in 1980's London called Heaven, Not much happened there! The lyrics really fit! Perhaps that was their inspiration?

 
Hmmm ... lots of songs can be opaque ... this one not so much.
 
This is the "straightest" TH song I've heard. Beautifully done.
Always reminds me of a gay club in 1980's London called Heaven, Not much happened there! The lyrics really fit! Perhaps that was their inspiration?
When this kiss is over we'll start again
Nuffink never happens
It's an amazing place.

BUT wait until they TAKE you - PLEASE don't try to go before.{#Roflol}
Every devout Catholic on my mother's side would have hated this song, but I'm sure they've never heard it.
kd lang's version of this tune is definite must-listen to...🎶
Their first few albums have some genius moments. This is horrible. 
This hits me with an 8. A thoughtful and direct and lovely piece. That's the kind of TH I like. 
 calypsus_1 wrote:

Talking Heads 1982 by Craig Howell
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seat850/

David Byrne & Tina Weymouth

 
my first thought was "Walking Dead"   those are spooky chompers
Should be played to every fundie Christian in the U.S.
 Propayne wrote:
The older I get, the more having "nothing happen" sounds to me like heaven.
 
{#Roflol}
The older I get, the more having "nothing happen" sounds to me like heaven.
 haresfur wrote:

Good word.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/struggente
 Adjective

struggente m and f (m and f plural struggenti)

meltingtendermovingaching

 
Italian is such a beautiful language. The closest word in English that immediately comes to my mind is "poignant." 

Talking Heads 1982 by Craig Howell
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seat850/

David Byrne & Tina Weymouth


I like the line "When the kiss is over it starts again".

Heaven is a better place.  I'm wondering by "nothing" does he mean "no sin"....



"Still my soul will sing Your praise unending. Ten thousand years and then forevermore"

when this album came out, it was a welcomed, fresh out-of-the-ordinary sound. Authentic, hardworking art students forming a band...i think this was their 2nd album. Still sounds good!
 
 jmsmy wrote:

To my brother John.

I'll miss you John - but I plan to be there one day.

Love,

James

 
I was touched by your comment. 

Here´s to my beloved brother Herman. He sure loved bars but the one called ´heaven´ came too soon. Hope to meet him there some day. I´ll bring a deck of cards.

 
 Cynaera wrote:
Well, I must be pretty shallow, because I like this song a lot. Especially the line, "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." It'd be really fun if Bill would follow this song with "Alleluia" by Dar Williams... "Ron and Nancy got the house, but Sid and Nancy ruled/I died eight years ago; I'm still a legend at my high school/I stole a Chevy and I wrapped it 'round a tree/ That's okay, cause no one's gonna make the next century/I'm up in heaven and they say I'm here to stay/ The clouds are really puffy and the angels sing every day... "The waves are always perfect and the sun it always shines, but there's got to be more to death than surfing all the time..."
 

miss you so much, Cynaera...

everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked all over the world like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners...  love this heavenly song...  love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll... 
I dig this but the live version from Stop Making Sense is better, IMHO.

 YouTube Video
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
But in heaven, wouldn't additional beauty, creativity and selflessness be either impossible or at least superfluous? Sin is nonexistent in heaven, correct? And to think that I, upon entering heaven, could possibly make it better, is at the very least gilding the lily. But really. The bar is called Heaven. Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens. Why did we all of a sudden get all metaphysical?
 
I imagine the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. But that's in a different universe. 
 MaryAndrea wrote:
A song really "struggente". I don't know a good word in English to define this sensation. David Byrne, good!!!
 
Good word.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/struggente
 

Adjective

struggente m and f (m and f plural struggenti)

  1. meltingtendermovingaching

Everybody wants to go there - but not right now
A good song with great lyrics {#Dance}
A song really "struggente". I don't know a good word in English to define this sensation. David Byrne, good!!!

To my brother John.

I'll miss you John - but I plan to be there one day.

Love,

James
One of my favorite all time tunes. I LOVE the lyrics. Its how I feel about being in the mountains. Stunning beauty where "nothing ever happens." Timeless landscape, seemingly unchanging.
Well, I must be pretty shallow, because I like this song a lot. Especially the line, "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens." It'd be really fun if Bill would follow this song with "Alleluia" by Dar Williams... "Ron and Nancy got the house, but Sid and Nancy ruled/I died eight years ago; I'm still a legend at my high school/I stole a Chevy and I wrapped it 'round a tree/ That's okay, cause no one's gonna make the next century/I'm up in heaven and they say I'm here to stay/ The clouds are really puffy and the angels sing every day... "The waves are always perfect and the sun it always shines, but there's got to be more to death than surfing all the time..."


Tina Weymouth & Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club by bp fallon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bpfallon/

Photography by & © Frank Murray 2011. All rights reserved.

This photo was taken on July 22, 2011 using a Fujifilm FinePix S100FS.

Copyright All rights reserved

——————————————————————————


Martina Michèle "Tina" Weymouth, 60 y old, born in California, founding member and bassist of the band Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club (co-founded with husband and Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz).

Notable instruments: Bass, Synthesizer, Guitar,  Höfner 500/2 Club Bass, Veillette-Citron Standard 4 String, Fender Mustang Bass, Fender Jazz Bass, Steinberger L-Series Bass, Fender Swinger.






 FlatCat wrote:
How I miss when Bill used to play the IceHouse version. So much more musical. I presume it's by intent, but the instruments are out of key here.
 
I don't hear that at all.  The only tonal variations (or possibly off-key sounds) I hear are the transitional slides on the (fretless?) bass being played by Tina Weymouth.  We all hear different stuff though.  It might have been one of Brian Eno's treatments.

 Art_Carnage wrote:
What a LOUSY version of a great song. Making it "jangly" and drowning out the lyrics is NOT an improvement. Let's put this back in the attic, and bring back the real version.
 
I wasn't listening but if it's off of Fear of Music then it's the "real" version. You might be thinking of the live version from Stop Making Sense, which is a little warmer.

Interesting to hear that some folks would rather listen to cover verisions. I'm not slamming covers in general, or of this song in particular, I hope everyone knows that Byrne and Harrison actually wrote it..

What a LOUSY version of a great song. Making it "jangly" and drowning out the lyrics is NOT an improvement. Let's put this back in the attic, and bring back the real version.
{#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana}{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananapiano}{#Bananajumprope}{#Bananasplit}
really great lyrics for a place we can only imagine how great it is

How I miss when Bill used to play the IceHouse version. So much more musical. I presume it's by intent, but the instruments are out of key here.

What drugs prolly did for others, this album did for me....shook me to my 18-year-old core.
Life shaping then, and certainly still awe inspiring now.


{#War}

I must be in a good mood today - just up'd this from a 1 to a 2!
This is a great song, but I don't like this version...by which I mean David Byrne singing it. Maybe Peter Gabriel? Maybe Potishead?{#Ask}
 DaveInVA wrote:
Oh come on. enough of this DB/TH, I'd sooner take a cheese grater to my balls than listen to this crap...

 
bump

 malvey254 wrote:
My favorite hobby is whenever a TH or DB song comes on RP, I pop open Internet Explorer to watch the Byrne/Heads haters flood the comments.  What an amusing bunch.

I'm excited to see David Byrne tonight in Philly.  He puts on an awesome show.
 
it does make good sport. see below

Please shoot me now
 DaveInVA wrote:

Sorry about that, changed it :)

 
{#Cheers} Here's to ya!

 SweTex wrote:


Was a joke. You forgot to put "absolutely no sense of humour" in your description, so I didn't know.
 
Sorry about that, changed it :)

 DaveInVA wrote:

Oh look at the little man that has to attack fellow posters to feel big, guess that comes with being a DB fan...
 

Was a joke. You forgot to put "absolutely no sense of humour" in your description, so I didn't know.
{#Bananajumprope}
 SweTex wrote:


Thats strange...your wife told me you don't have any. Great song, btw.
 
Ok then, hows this :) - If you see my wife tell her to bring them back, I've been missing those...Btw, the song still sucks :)


 DaveInVA wrote:
Oh come on. enough of this DB/TH, I'd sooner take a cheese grater to my balls than listen to this crap...

 

Thats strange...your wife told me you don't have any. {#Cool} Great song, btw.

 Shesdifferent wrote:
Spare us this dribble? People actually think this guy is entertaining? This version sucks. Where's the mute button?
 
I am guessing that you intended to use the word 'drivel'. I also guess that this unentertaining guy who sucks, etc., actually knows the English language sufficiently well to use it correctly. In addition, there are, strangely enough, quite a few of us who like this.
 More_Cowbell wrote:
From their best album!
 

You know — rechecking the track list — I think you are right.

And I was with them since '77
Oh come on. enough of this DB/TH, I'd sooner take a cheese grater to my balls than listen to this crap...

One of my favorite title phrases of all time.

Pretty much fits my beliefs as well.


 treatment_bound wrote:
This song would not have gone over too well in my late 60's Catholic elementary school. I can almost picture a nun whacking David Byrne on the hand with a ruler right now...
 
Maybe not in elementary school, but I can see it sparking some interesting debate at a Seminary.

In the context of Eternity, how can any one thing happen?

 ChrisL wrote:

I was thinking much the same, distinct Bowie echoes.  Very nice {#Smile}

 

Perhaps the Brian Eno influence....
My favorite hobby is whenever a TH or DB song comes on RP, I pop open Internet Explorer to watch the Byrne/Heads haters flood the comments.  What an amusing bunch.

I'm excited to see David Byrne tonight in Philly.  He puts on an awesome show.
Hey, look at that. Talking Heads on RP. Imagine.
Spare us this dribble? People actually think this guy is entertaining? This version sucks. Where's the mute button?
From their best album!
Did someone say Simple Red did it better?  Sorry but I remember them clearing the field in Glastonbury playing this track!! ~plus the fact I gave birth to this album 23 years ago.  how dare anyone compare any track or cover version to the God that is David Byrne,  Thanks that was the raving of a very old mother xx
 Misterfixit wrote:
Lovely Bass work ...
 

Give thanks to Tina.
 westslope wrote:
One of my favourites from THs. And yes, it has aged well.

Makes me think of Bowie. And I mean that as a compliment.
 
I was thinking much the same, distinct Bowie echoes.  Very nice {#Smile}

Wow I've heard the Simply Red version of this and I didn't realize TH did it.  MUCH better.
 hippiechick wrote:
Sigh...is it possible to go just one day without a TH song?
 
Nein! Bill loves Byrnin' down the house.

The live version of this song is so much better.  This may be the original but.....yuck.

Just got to see David Byrne perform this song in concert here in ole Memphis and it was fantastic.
Teenie Hodges joined him on the song "Take Me to the River" it was a special Memphis moment! 
Mari wrote:
Would love to hear Icehouse's version of this on RP?
I'll second that...it's a transcendant version of a great song.
sbird wrote:
And Dylan too ...
yeah and dont forget led zepplin
pierpod wrote:
Talking heads est un des plus important groupes des années 80, hélas aujourd'hui trÚs peu reconnu .Fear music est un trÚs bon album et heaven dans sa version studio est remarquable .
siandbeth wrote:
I think RP should have a marathon day of Talking Heads, Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen just for fun. Oh, and maybe the Cure. It could be called the "I don't 'get' it Day"
And Dylan too ...
what a song - I'm just getting into Talking Heads again after a 25 year break.
One of my favourites from THs. And yes, it has aged well. Makes me think of Bowie. And I mean that as a compliment.
lovely. one of the few non-kitsch talking heads songs. this one has aged well.
Lovely Bass work ...
what a beautiful, memorable song, one of TH's best ever