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"Road to Nowhere" is a song by the American band Talking Heads, from their 1985 album Little Creatures. The song was written by David Byrne[3][4] and released as a single in 1985. It reached No. 25 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 6 on the UK, German and South African[5] singles charts. It also made No. 8 on the Dutch Top 40.[6] It also appeared on Best of Talking Heads, Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites, the Once in a Lifetime box set and the Brick box set.
| "Road to Nowhere" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Talking Heads | ||||
| from the album Little Creatures | ||||
| B-side | "Television Man" | |||
| Released | June 3, 1985 (US)[1] September 30, 1985 (UK)[2] | |||
| Recorded | October 1984 – March 1985 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Byrne | |||
| Producer(s) | Talking Heads | |||
| Talking Heads singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
edit"I wanted to write a song that presented a resigned, even joyful look at doom," recalls David Byrne in the liner notes of Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads. "At our deaths and at the apocalypse... (always looming, folks). I think it succeeded. The front bit, the white gospel choir, is kind of tacked on, 'cause I didn't think the rest of the song was enough... I mean, it was only two chords. So, out of embarrassment, or shame, I wrote an intro section that had a couple more in it."
Reception
editCash Box said that "this marching single which features David Byrne's soothing lead vocal is a curious and circus-ride look at life."[7] Billboard said that within the song "a cappella gospel leads into Louisiana hootenanny."[8]
Music video
editThe video for the song was directed by Byrne and Stephen R. Johnson and features the band and various objects revolving, including boxes revolving around David Byrne's head. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz portray a couple growing older, and masked businessmen pummel each other with briefcases and a runaway shopping cart, as if in their own "road to nowhere".
Some parts were shot in the back yard and pool of actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who was co-writing Byrne's film True Stories at the time.[9] Scenes were also shot at Calvary Baptist Church in Hi Vista, California. Director Johnson re-used some of the effects techniques in award-winning videos for Peter Gabriel the following year: "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time".
It was nominated for Best Video of the Year at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, losing out to "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.
Personnel
editTalking Heads
- David Byrne – lead vocals and backing vocals, electric guitar
- Jerry Harrison – organ and backing vocals
- Tina Weymouth – bass and backing vocals
- Chris Frantz – drums
Additional musicians
- Andrew Cader – washboard
- Erin Dickens – backing vocals
- Diva Gray – backing vocals
- Gordon Grody – backing vocals
- Lani Groves – backing vocals
- Jimmy Macdonell – accordion
- Lenny Pickett – saxophone
- Steve Scales – tambourine
- Kurt Yaghjian – backing vocals
Cover versions and other uses
edit- Charlie Crist, in his unsuccessful 2010 run for the U.S. Senate in Florida, used the song in a campaign video without obtaining permission. David Byrne sued for copyright infringement and, in a legal settlement, Crist issued a video apology for his improper use.
References
edit- ^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 24.
- ^ Smith, Robin (28 September 1985). "News Digest". Record Mirror. p. 44. ISSN 0144-5804.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie (2012-06-14). "Road to Nowhere". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2019-11-20). "See David Byrne and 'American Utopia' Cast Bring 'Road to Nowhere' to 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965 – 1989". Retrieved 8 April 2014
- ^ Talking Heads: Road To Nowhere top40.nl
- ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. June 15, 1985. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. June 15, 1985. p. 71. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- ^ "The Tobolowsky Files Episode 44: The Voice from Another Room". slashfilm.com. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-19.