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The Big Country Lyrics
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
Goo Goo Ga Ga Ga
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,
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 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.
And they take it to the stores
They put it in the car trunk
And they bring it back home
And I say ...
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 travelling, I want to be somewhere.
It's not even worth talking
About those people down there.
Goo Goo Ga Ga Ga
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David Byrne quote from an interview: "'Don't Worry About The Government' is about liking ordinary things, living in a modern condominium and working in an office. I wrote "The Big Country" about hating that kind of stuff. I thought I had to be fair"
I think part of this song he means honestly, but part of it is making fun of the character he's playing. Saying, "it's not even worth talking about those people down there" would be incredibly arrogant if he meant it.
Saying, "it's not even worth talking about those people down there" would be incredibly arrogant if he meant it.
Saying, "it's not even worth talking about those people down there" would be incredibly arrogant if he meant it.
NYT and other elitist newsrags say it all the time...
NYT and other elitist newsrags say it all the time...
David Byrne often claims to be writing in character, so whether this song reflects his attitude or not is unknown.
He seems to be directly describing the Attitude New Yorker and Los Angeles 'elite' types have about the rest of the USA when they refer to the "flyover" region.
I think this is one the most melodic Talking Heads songs, bolstered by that slide guitar.
Arguably the finest "song" ever crafted; it is devoid of cant. I agree to some degree with the comment on New Yorkers and Los Angeleans. I read what Mr. Byrne had to say about this song years ago but his response sounded more like a "if you don't know, I'm not going to explain it" blowoff. For 35 years, I have found this tour de force to be an inscrutable work because it struck me as a work painstakingly written on what writers call the god plane. Persons who at one time or another have acted out a...
Arguably the finest "song" ever crafted; it is devoid of cant. I agree to some degree with the comment on New Yorkers and Los Angeleans. I read what Mr. Byrne had to say about this song years ago but his response sounded more like a "if you don't know, I'm not going to explain it" blowoff. For 35 years, I have found this tour de force to be an inscrutable work because it struck me as a work painstakingly written on what writers call the god plane. Persons who at one time or another have acted out a soul-searching full-circle human drama at the mercy of the wind would call this bottom-line straight thinking.
One of the best TH songs (but they are ALL good!)
One of the best TH songs (but they are ALL good!)
[so whether this song reflects his attitude or not is unknown.]
[so whether this song reflects his attitude or not is unknown.]
I just had the "flyover country" revelation while listening to this song again after almost 20 years and I see you beat me to that interpretation. I thought I had an original thought for once, ha ha ha .... Nonetheless, I agree with you totally. Whether consciously written to give a message or not (and knowing D. Byrne it is probably an absurdist message or that of an adopted persona) , the lyrics perfectly capture the bi-coastal, urban...
I just had the "flyover country" revelation while listening to this song again after almost 20 years and I see you beat me to that interpretation. I thought I had an original thought for once, ha ha ha .... Nonetheless, I agree with you totally. Whether consciously written to give a message or not (and knowing D. Byrne it is probably an absurdist message or that of an adopted persona) , the lyrics perfectly capture the bi-coastal, urban elitist view of non-cosmopolitan traditional America.
And therefore, the song is about attitude AND altitude.
I was disappointed to read David B's write-up of his participation in the Women's march on DC recently. His politics suck, but I still love the Talking Heads music and quirky lyrics. .
I don't think you need to imagine DB in being character to write The Big Country. Looking at DB's life it's pretty clear he's chosen urban over suburban/rural. He's not an old style hippie. At the end of the song he says he wants to be somewhere. I take that to mean a place where thoughts and ideas are important - not eating, drinking, and playing ball or whatever people do out there in the clean air. I tried to live that way in NYC for 15 years, but I opted for the clear air, but I have problem with creative people in the arts who NEED the cities to thrive. Even the Grateful Dead did - Truckin is about going from one city to another. Only picked GD because they're so laid back. For me there would be very little music to listen to if there weren't artists hanging around in the darkest corners of the biggest cities.
it is an "anti-country music" song.
Ever since I learned Byrne was an avid cyclist this song took on a few more meanings to me. I notice parallels between this and the dinner table scene in "True Stories". I feel like its sort of a critique of America (obviously the eponymous big country) and its infrastructure and culture. I can see him critiquing both the suburban ethic of safety, security, family as well as the actual logistics of everyone having a car driving down parkways and getting food from super-markets. The sprawl of America seems to be a flaw that db is decrying. As for his tongue in cheek jabs at suburbia I think he may be telling the truth when he suggests that he'd be unable to live there.
David Byrne is a great artist, but this beautiful song pisses me off. Where does he think his food comes from? Byrne eats protein. And it makes him shit. He may not want to admit this, however.
This tune is so obviously about hanging with Madonna chatting about Cher on the way to a Cindy Lauper concert. Oblique, sure, but that's the truth
No one's commented on this one? I'm going to take a guess here... He's talking about the United States.
Anyone agree?
The version of this song on THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS is great, by the way. Far better than the original.
DB would never live in suburbia.