8 Meanings
Add Yours
Share
Q&A

The Facts Of Life Lyrics

Mon key see and mon key do
Ma king ba bies, ea ting food
Smel ly things, pu bic hair
Words of lo ve, in the air
Sparks fly, shoo ting out
Ma king sure that eve ry thing is wor king
I can't turn you down
We are pro grammed hap py lit tle chil dren
Mat ter o ver mind
We can not re sis so I won't fight it
Love is a ma chine
Love is a ma chine without a dri ver
The facts of life
The facts of life
A masterpiece
Biology
Smokey water
Air conditioned
Boys 'n' girls
And automation
Chromosomes
Designer jeans
Chimpanzees
And human beings
Machines of love
Machines of love
Strong in body, strong in mind
A love machine with the facts of life
The facts of life
The facts of life
So much sex 'n' violence
Must be a bad design
We're stupid to be fighting
Every night
The monsters we create
They welcome us aboard
The best in advertising
From coast to coast
The girls and boys combine
Like monkeys in the zoo
The clouds have silver linings
Looks pretty good
People fall in love like in fairy tales
I'm not sure I like, what they can do
I'm afraid that God has no master plan
He only takes -- what he can use
Factory life, ice cream & pie
Factory life
Someday we'll live on Venus
And men will walk on Mars
But we will still be monkeys
Down deep inside
If chimpanzees are smart
Then we will close our eyes
And let our instincts guide us
Oh oh oh oh no
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

8 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

This song is about how society has conceptually elevated itself above nature; yet, our animalistic tendencies are present in everything we do. This contradiction is our undoing and is the cause of our modern suffering.

For example, human-kind has devised the abstract idea of love, fear, gods, souls, and currency. These abstract ideas have led to human devaluing systems like capitalism. Machines of love: humans are apparently special/precious, yet we subject others to terrible situations for individual gain. Even Christianity involves a god as a boss who has a business to run, so people better perform well when evaluations comes around.

It's a common David Byrne theme to point out that humans are really stupid and so we better not fool ourselves (and each other) thinking we are special.

My Interpretation

@puzzud Yes.

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

One of my favorite Talking Heads songs. Seems to be a lament of the notion that "love" (and other human behavior) is nothing more transcendent than a simple and uncontrollable biochemical reaction which is probably no different than any other animals experience.

Lyrics that always haunt me in this song, and which I have no great explanation for, are "I'm afraid that God has no master plan. He only takes ... what he can use".

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

Where is the line about taking the good with the bad? Something about taking them both and then there you have the facts of life? I think these lyrics are wrong.

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

Genetic programming. natural selection. existentialism meeting biological determinism. Not sure whether to let our instincts guide us or not, but he's saying we don't have much choice . .. there they are, and they don't necessarily mean anything.

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

The key song on Naked - and the most explicit message on the album. I analyzed the whole set already in my giant comment for Blind, but I agree that this song more or less about how our genetic programmıng and instincts express themselves irrationally no matter how advanced our technology or philosophy may get. The interesting part is in the last verse, especially the last 2 lines:

Someday we'll live on Venus And men will walk on Mars But we will still be monkeys Down deep inside If chimpanzees are smart Then we will close our eyes And let our instincts guide us Oh oh oh oh no

Byrne's advice to us latter day primates is so deeply ambivalent that he instantly negates the advice to trust our instincts - leaving us wondering as to the alternative. If there is one.

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

I can't BELIEVE nobody has commented on this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, so musically it's nothin' special, but the lyrics are the best! Humans aren't that different from animals, most biologists agree. We make babies and eat food (and shop at malls, unfortunately).

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

Whoa...another comment the same night!!!! Do I attract the smarties, or what!?!

Cover art for The Facts Of Life lyrics by Talking Heads

Whoa...another comment the same night!!!! Do I attract the smarties, or what!?!