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Tesla Girls Lyrics
N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-No
No No No
No No No
Tes Tes T-T-T-T
Tesla Girls, Tesla Girls
Testing out theories
Electric chairs and dynamos
Dressed to kill they're killing me
But heaven knows their recipe
No No No
You wouldn't believe me if I said
The things I've seen went over my head
I've been patient heaven knows
I've learnt the rules and how it goes
I can't sit still or settle down
And when I walk I don't touch the ground
See those girls they're heaven blessed
I guess it's so they know best
Tesla Girls, Tesla Girls
Writing in their diaries
Now and then they'll watch TV
Now and then they'll speak to me
But heaven knows their recipe
No No No
You wouldn't believe them if they said
The things they've seen went over their heads
They've been patient heaven knows
They seem to care and so it goes
They can't sit still or settle down
And when they walk they don't touch the ground
See those girls they're heaven blessed
I guess it's so they know best
Tesla Girls
Tesla Girls
Tesla Girls
Tesla Girls
Tesla Girls, Tesla Girls
Testing out theories
Electric chairs and dynamos
Dressed to kill they're killing me
Tesla Girls, Tesla Girls
I'm in love with Tesla Girls
Now and then they'll watch TV
Now and then they'll speak to me
But heaven knows...
But heaven knows...
But heaven knows their recipe
No No No
No No No
No No
No No
No
Interestingly the title was suggested by Martha Ladly, who also suggested the title of OMDs " Architecture & Morality".
She also was one of the Marthas in Martha and the Muffins, and sang backing vocals for Roxy Music, performed on top of the pops with the Associates, worked with Robert Palmer, dated Peter Saville, and had one of her paintings on the cover of FACTUS 8, The Everythings Gone Green EP by New Order.
She is currently an associate professor of design at the Ontario College of Art and Design.
Wonder if it has to do with big hair - probably not, but Tesla was the one to initially develop that plasma lamp that creates a lot of static. Admittedly a stretch if in fact this is referring to their wives (most plausible explanation I've read above). Just seems a bit random a selection of the multitude of historical geniuses that might build the idea of females being capable of intelligence.
Wonder if it has to do with big hair - probably not, but Tesla was the one to initially develop that plasma lamp that creates a lot of static. Admittedly a stretch if in fact this is referring to their wives (most plausible explanation I've read above). Just seems a bit random a selection of the multitude of historical geniuses that might build the idea of females being capable of intelligence.
Aren't we generally beyond this, scientifically, if not culturally, the idea of intellectual equality/capability across gender, not to mention other demographics opportunists have ventured to claim any superiority?
Aren't we generally beyond this, scientifically, if not culturally, the idea of intellectual equality/capability across gender, not to mention other demographics opportunists have ventured to claim any superiority?
...
I hope OMD had an alternate meaning that might be revealed. Just read the last post... curious reasoning behind Martha Ladly's suggesting this title.
The band said it was a parody because they were fed up with being told by their record company to have USA style videos of naked women dancing around, to break into the USA market.
Could this be about Tesla's inventions ? His children ? His girls ? Such experiments that he conducted have resulted in radio, television... Now and then they will watch TV, now and then they will speak to me ? (radio)
When I first heard this song back in the early 80s I thought they were saying "tassel girls" which is a decorative tail-like ornament female strippers put onto their nipples as they swirled them around in front of their audience. A good visual reference would be the awkward scene from "The Graduate" when Benjamin takes Elaine to a strip club and tries to humiliate her as she sits facing away from the stage as a stripper swirls her tassels behind Elaine's long horse mane hair.
Funny after all these years of not hearing the song I look it up to discover the correct title and accompanying lyrics. But as someone else mentioned, OMD used this song as an antecedent to what their record label demanded for the US music market so they must have been motivated to write a song utilizing word-play and sexual innuendo.
It seems like this song is about your typical drama queen, high-maintenance girl that all men seem to fall for.
Nikolai Tesla was a pioneer of electrical power. 'Tesla' in the song would seem to be an analogy for the intelligence and planning within these girls the narrator is in awe of. It could be seen as quite a feminist song, an ode to the intelligence of girls within a relationship, their ability to make the man become in awe of them.
'Tesla Girls' was wrote about Andy McCluskey's and Paul Humphreys' wives.
Tesla was a genius. As are OMD. This song is all about women who think...who have something upstairs besides two breasts. It really is a great tribute to thinking women.
I love Tesla Girls.
Also, I think there's a hidden code in here that in fact is in favor of women who can decipher code. English just isn't English...nor any language is. English as a Second Language is what this song is about.
Take for instance the line when they walk they don't touch the ground. It's all soulful to these girls. These guys are about a millennium ahead of their time on our current course for this planet.
I read an interview with McClusky back when this was released. He said that "Tesla Girls" were women who used modern technology (such as a microwave oven) with ease, with no regard (or desire to know) for how it works. It was a kind of positive statement regarding their unsung intelligence and he said the song was an ode to women in general.
I read an interview with McClusky back when this was released. He said that "Tesla Girls" were women who used modern technology (such as a microwave oven) with ease, with no regard (or desire to know) for how it works. It was a kind of positive statement regarding their unsung intelligence and he said the song was an ode to women in general.
His words, not mine.
His words, not mine.
It's also quite ironic, as Tesla was celibate.
That narcissist capitalism whore Elon Musk comes to me and whenever I hear this now and he almost ruined this song for me. Almost. I personally think the song is about a guy that is really attracted to this group of really intelligent studious girls he knows. They're totally not interested in him however, though occasionally they'll deem him significant enough to briefly talk to him: "now and then they'll speak to me". The guy idolizes them however, and views them as heaven sent - these elusive creatures whose feet don't touch ground we n they walk (that's a metaphor, not really). How refreshing - a song about a guy who's attracted to a women's intelligence!