Tentative Decisions Lyrics

Lyric discussion by StarLord 

Cover art for Tentative Decisions lyrics by Talking Heads

The "I" in the song is anthropomorphized "sex"

"Girls ask and I Define decision Boys ask and I Describe their function"

Girls become defined by their decision to have or not have sex. For example, they're either defined as sluts or they're prudes depending on their decision. ...While boys, however, are expected to have sex..it's pretty much their function.

"Oh the boys Want to talk Like to to talk about those problems And the girls Say they're concerned That they are Concerned with decisiveness"

If guys are expected to have sex, girls worry that they guys will judge them based on their decision. "Are they going to think I'm a prude if I decide not to, or are they going to think i'm a slut if I decide to do it?"

"And it's a Hard Logic I know"

Basically this whole system, where society pressures boys to have sex and defines girls by their decisions to go or not to go along with it, doesn't make a lot of sense. It's hard logic to follow and just confuses guys and girls.

"I want to talk I want to talk as much as I want I'm gonna give I'm gonna give the problem to you"

All this pressure to have sex, as a result of everything in society that talks about it, sets up problems for both boys and girls.

"Decide, decide Make up your mind Decide, decide I told you what to say Confuse, confuse Describe what I found Confuse, confuse I told you what to say"

This is where that anthropomorphized "sex" is whispering in the boys' and girls' ears, telling them to decide and make up their mind, but it's actually confusing them further.

Song makes more sense when you get the lyrics right. Absolutely love it; Talking Heads are genius.

Song Meaning