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Stay Up Late Lyrics
Mommy had a little baby
There he is fast asleep
He's just a little plaything
Why not wake him up?
Cute, cute, little baby
Little feet-feet, little toes
Now he's comin' to me
Crawl across the kitchen floor.
Baby, baby, please let me hold him
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he's just a plaything
We wanna make him stay up all night
Yeah we do
See him drink from a bottle.
See him eat from a plate.
Cute, cute as a button.
Don't you wanna make him stay up late.
And we're having fun with no money.
Little smile on his face.
Don't cha' love the little baby.
Don't you want to make him stay up late.
Chorus
Here we go (all night long)
Sister, sister (all night long)
In the playpen...woo...(all night long)
Little baby goes, ha! (all night long)
I know you want to leave me...
Why don't we pretend.
There you go, little man.
Cute, cute, why not?
Late at night, wake him up.
Chorus
Here we go (all night long)
Sister, sister...woo...
(with the television on)
Little baby goes...woo! (all night long)
Hey, hey, baby! (all night long)
And he looks so cute (all night long)
In his little red suit (all night long)
There he is fast asleep
He's just a little plaything
Why not wake him up?
Cute, cute, little baby
Little feet-feet, little toes
Now he's comin' to me
Crawl across the kitchen floor.
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he's just a plaything
We wanna make him stay up all night
Yeah we do
See him eat from a plate.
Cute, cute as a button.
Don't you wanna make him stay up late.
And we're having fun with no money.
Little smile on his face.
Don't cha' love the little baby.
Don't you want to make him stay up late.
Sister, sister (all night long)
In the playpen...woo...(all night long)
Little baby goes, ha! (all night long)
I know you want to leave me...
There you go, little man.
Cute, cute, why not?
Late at night, wake him up.
Sister, sister...woo...
(with the television on)
Little baby goes...woo! (all night long)
Hey, hey, baby! (all night long)
And he looks so cute (all night long)
In his little red suit (all night long)
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This song starts out sounding really happy and cheerful, with a couple just adoring their new baby and thinking how cute he is and how you just want to wake him up and play with him but then, in the middle of all this cheeriness, comes this incredibly anguished "i know you wanna leave me" which changes the whole meaning for me. so i think its really about two people whose relationship is on the rocks and so they just desperately focus on the baby, which may even be the thing that has come between them. the lyrics even say "why dont we pretend", so they're just pretending everything is hunky dory. the reference to money could be ironic, and a clue to some of their misery
Brilliant analysis. I'd been trying to work out the meaning of the plaintive cry that, although seemingly incongruous, is clearly intended to alter the whole personality of the song from being light and celebratory to something much darker in shade, as you perfectly describe.
Brilliant analysis. I'd been trying to work out the meaning of the plaintive cry that, although seemingly incongruous, is clearly intended to alter the whole personality of the song from being light and celebratory to something much darker in shade, as you perfectly describe.
The leave me bit reminds me of "babe i'm gonna leave you" by led zeppelin
The leave me bit reminds me of "babe i'm gonna leave you" by led zeppelin
Some of the lyrics are wrong. It should be: "Little pee-pee, Little toes" Not Little feet-feet. That don't make sense.
I believe that he actually sings "feet" kind of broken into two syllables: fee- eet. So it makes perfect sense. :)
I believe that he actually sings "feet" kind of broken into two syllables: fee- eet. So it makes perfect sense. :)
I've found that phrase, "I know you want to leave me" thrown off-hand into the lyrics to be chilling; and definitely changes the flavor of the entire song. It makes an upbeat, fun tune now full of menace.
After that line, the previous statements can be re-interpreted as full of contempt. The fact we're going to "make the baby" instead of "let the baby" stay up all night is another tip-off that something's not right.
It's brilliant - and kinda creepy. Definitely David Byrne material.
this is hilarious! just heard it..
just the joy of having a baby around, they are pretty unique things..
Children are enthralled with their new baby sibling -- oh, how cute and innocent
Way to interpret a song! There is definitely something in there about using another person for amusement instead of looking out for his needs (just a hint of cruelty), and the man-woman metaphor is not a bad theory.
Over the years I always loved this song, but it did seem a little hard to figure out, in terms of meaning... it is like other songs, where they have been deliberately short on details so that the song would work more on feeling and just be fun without being too overburdened... I understand on a personal level, looking at the lyrics now. I think it's a song about how certain parts of life can be really trying on average people, but oftentimes when things just get really into stress overload, they just have this ability to change gears and make light of it all... make it fun. That's what this song's about for me. It's both celebrating and advising people to just let off the steam when it gets really bad.... Why not? Just wake the baby up in the middle of the night (it's typically the other way around, right?) and start a little mini-party? Sounds nuts but he's really insightful here about how in pointing to the way we can get a little nuts in order to deal with life's complex difficulties... and just celebrate what's good... just being alive. David Byrne is really optimistic, even when he gets introspective or a bit depressed. I'm a huge fan.
What is this about?!
I thought that songs about babies were quirky enough. Typcial that I found out Talking Heads did a song about babies, how typical.
Nice bassline, though.
every time i hear this song it remins me of BABYS!!!