It is uncanny how much this song sounds like it could have been done by "They Might Be Giants." sort of like when Peter Paul and Mary did "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and deliberately tried to sound like the Mamas and the Papas. Only, I doubt the Talking Heads were emulating TMBG, they weren't very big at the time.
But the tongue-in-cheek humor, both lyrical and musical. And the nonsensicalness of the whole enterprise. And even starting a title with "Mister". Geez, how many times did TMBG do that?
@Zorro3 That's 'Naked'. And Byrne was there first, circa more songs about buildings and food - I'd think the Johns were big fans of the Talking Heads, and took a page of Byrne and company's book to expand into their own genius.
@Zorro3 That's 'Naked'. And Byrne was there first, circa more songs about buildings and food - I'd think the Johns were big fans of the Talking Heads, and took a page of Byrne and company's book to expand into their own genius.
Also, the "Mr." isn't TMBG. It's 1965 Dylan. The song Ballad of a Thin Man, from Highway 61, whose main character was . . . Mr. Jones. The hopeless square: "something's going on here, and you don't know what it is . .. do you Mr. Jones?" Byrne's sayin' (I think) that the...
Also, the "Mr." isn't TMBG. It's 1965 Dylan. The song Ballad of a Thin Man, from Highway 61, whose main character was . . . Mr. Jones. The hopeless square: "something's going on here, and you don't know what it is . .. do you Mr. Jones?" Byrne's sayin' (I think) that the Mr. Jones of the 60s has taken over the world in the 80s, it's 'hip to be square' -this was the era of Huey Lewis- and all the salesmen and conventioneers are doing tons of coke, and it's scary.
It is uncanny how much this song sounds like it could have been done by "They Might Be Giants." sort of like when Peter Paul and Mary did "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and deliberately tried to sound like the Mamas and the Papas. Only, I doubt the Talking Heads were emulating TMBG, they weren't very big at the time.
But the tongue-in-cheek humor, both lyrical and musical. And the nonsensicalness of the whole enterprise. And even starting a title with "Mister". Geez, how many times did TMBG do that?
The whole album "Blind" for that matter.
@Zorro3 That's 'Naked'. And Byrne was there first, circa more songs about buildings and food - I'd think the Johns were big fans of the Talking Heads, and took a page of Byrne and company's book to expand into their own genius.
@Zorro3 That's 'Naked'. And Byrne was there first, circa more songs about buildings and food - I'd think the Johns were big fans of the Talking Heads, and took a page of Byrne and company's book to expand into their own genius.
Also, the "Mr." isn't TMBG. It's 1965 Dylan. The song Ballad of a Thin Man, from Highway 61, whose main character was . . . Mr. Jones. The hopeless square: "something's going on here, and you don't know what it is . .. do you Mr. Jones?" Byrne's sayin' (I think) that the...
Also, the "Mr." isn't TMBG. It's 1965 Dylan. The song Ballad of a Thin Man, from Highway 61, whose main character was . . . Mr. Jones. The hopeless square: "something's going on here, and you don't know what it is . .. do you Mr. Jones?" Byrne's sayin' (I think) that the Mr. Jones of the 60s has taken over the world in the 80s, it's 'hip to be square' -this was the era of Huey Lewis- and all the salesmen and conventioneers are doing tons of coke, and it's scary.