David Byrne - Love This Giant Album Lyrics

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Who

Who be my valentine
Who lift this heavy load
Who share this taxicab
Who wants to climb aboard

Who is an honest man?
Who is an honest man?

Who held a dying soldier?
Far from his own hometown
Carry these men and women
Who get lost when the Sun goes down

Who is an honest man?
Who is an honest man?

Who walks this dusty road
Who always proves her way
Who's this?! Inside of me
Who made a big mistake

Who sees these constellations
Seen in those spinning round
Counting these men and women
Who get lost when the Sun goes down

Who is an honest man?
Who is an honest man?

With a graceful motion she sat down slowly
Drank a cup of coffee and she fold her laundry
She begins to tell us all her life story
All around the table, everybody's staring

Who shouts out hallelujah
Who's gonna sing out loud
Carry these men and women
Who get lost when the Sun goes down

Who's getting out of here
Who thinks they're hungry
Who's gonna be my friend
All around the table, everybody's staring

 

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Weekend In The Dust

One so mysterious
Now decoded and u-used
Now according to you, you
One so mysterious

Rip it well; well, you have won it out
Give it all; why won't you give it out
Where's the fun in holding out the part
Everyone gets up when you sit down

I don't get it, I just don't get it
I don't get it, I just don't

When the party's over, we can call them dogs
Dare to keep our shirts on, rolling in the mud
Weekend in the dust
We can fool 'em all

If you're here, I'll be your hollow pet
Why have none when we can have it all

 

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Dinner For Two

By the time the guests arrive
Ooo, already it was dark outside
Tables set with china dishes
We're welcomed in with tiny kisses
What's her name; I don't remember
Isn't that the famous author
Harry's gonna get some appetizers
Well, he's keeping out of range of small arms fire
Dina has a phone; she says it's working
Now she's crawling on the floor, across the kitchen

Something I should tell you,
But we are never alone

Tanks outside the bedroom window
We'll be okay with the curtain closed
The guests are fine behind the sofa
It's much too late, they should not go home

Something I should tell you,
But we are never alone

Up by dawn, already morning
I ask myself what is going on
Some tender words and sidelong glances
Are you okay, have you lived here long?

Underneath the stairway,
Somebody's changing her clothes
Sweaters and a t-shirt,
Silk dresses cover the floor
Sit down by my side
Take my overcoat
When will we get out
Maybe we will soon
Some of us losing it
Some of us breaking down
Some of us speaking out
Used to it now

Something I should tell you,
But we are never alone

There's something I should tell you,
And I've been waiting so long

When it's over with, going our separate ways
How about you and me;
Dinner for two

 

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Ice Age

Oh diamond,
How we've been
Oh diamond,
It's such a shame
To see you this way, freezing it out
Your own little ice age

Ice Age [x2]

Oh diamond,
Get out of bed
All of your tend
Seams are showing
And you're freaking me out, freezing it out
Your own little ice age

Ice Age [x4]

We won't know just what we lost until your winter thaws

Oh diamond,
Where have you been
It's close to your bones
It's far from your shell
So feel it away, reason it out
In your own little ice age

Thaw me out, Thaw me out

 

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I Am An Ape

In a garden
Stands a statue
Of the man who won the war

His expression
Tender yearning
Every nation near and far

Oh, sad and ancient father, sweet as honey, tough as leather
Running down the hill on Christmas day

I am an ape
I stand and wait
A masterpiece
A hairy beast
I move so fast
I take a chance
Come up close
I'm not a ghost

Navigator
When you wake up
And you step outside your door

Shoes and panties
Washed and folded
Taking off your dirty clothes

This garden tells a story, amber close-up, faded glory
Running through the streets on Christmas day

I am an ape
I stand and wait
A masterpiece
A hairy beast
Try not to laugh
Just take a chance
I visited
Inside your head

If you trespass,
In this garden
To a place you should not go

If you step out
From the shadows
See the city fall in awe

I am an ape
I stand and wait
A masterpiece
A hairy beast
No need to hide
Come inside
I will not last
I too shall pass

 

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The Forest Awakes

The forest awakes
A desert at dawn
A mountain at night
And the rhythm moves on

The people awake
They're marching along
The streets are alive
With a terrible song

Forwards and backwards in every direction
The abs' perpetual motion
The shifting of light on the banks of the river
I'm free, but I'm keeping my clothes on

I'm marching along
The street where you live
I'm calling your name,
The song is a gift
The song is a road
A road is a face
A face is a time
And a time is a place
A place of relief and a time of confusion
The heart is a simple equation
With beautiful words and with beautiful people
The heart is a face, is a mountain

A fruit that falls before it's grown
I heard a sound and a bird has flown
It breaks to pieces above the forest
A million particles born today
Out beyond the blue horizon
Air cannot escape
Underneath the weeping willow
I can see your face
Free-form, climbing all over me
Creatures great and small
Doctors pulling them out of you
Hideous, virtuous, both of us

Come in my kitchen when it rains outside
Sweet inspiration sneaks up from behind

Forest is true
I know for a fact
The bigger the front
Then the bigger the back

My heart beating still
Through the perilous night
The bombs burst in air
My hair is alright
The shifting of light on the trees and the houses
I drown in an ocean of perfume
The strangeness of words
How the meaning keeps changing
But somehow the beauty will find you

 

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I Should Watch TV

I used to think that I should watch TV
I used to think that it was good for me
Wanted to know what folks were thinking
To understand the land I live in
And I would lose myself
And it would set me free

This is the place where common people go
A global franchise; one department store
Yes, there were many awkward moments
I had to do some self-atonement
Well, if I opened up
Well, it would set me free

I know, I like
Behold and love this giant
Big soul, big lips
That's me and I am this
Everybody is a touched up hairdo
Everybody's in the passing lane
Had a reason that she touched all channels
The weird things that live in there

I took a walk down to the park today
I wrote a song called 'Just Like You and Me'
I heard the jokes from the sports reporter
The rival teams when they faced each other
The more I lost myself,
The more it set me free

How am I not your brother
How are you not like me
Everybody's in the hotel lobby
I'm living in here, yes I am
I feel it moving in my arms and fingers
Touch me, Feel happy

It's good to lose and it's good to win sometimes
It's good to die and it's good be alive
Maybe someday we can stand together
Not afraid of what we see
Maybe someday understand them better
The weird things inside of me

 

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Lazarus

Hey, Hey Lazarus
Working your backbone, swinging your shovel
Hey, Hey Lazarus
Gold in your river, there forever

One of these days I'm gonna bring the hammer down (Cool water)
I'm working hard, but my heart is wearing out (Cool water)

Hey, Hey Lazarus
Working your backbone, swinging that axe home
Hey, Hey Lazarus
Gold in your river, there forever

The captain's bell, it swings from side to side (Cool water)
High on this hill, I'm working all the time (Cool water)

My hammer comes down hard on everyone (Cool water)
I bring it down until my work is down (Cool water)

Hey, hey Lazarus
Water won't do to

Paleolithic hunters sang this song (Cool water)
To give them strength to work the whole day long (Cool water)
I am the tramp slummed in your doorway
I didn't come to set you free

One of these days when all my work is done (Cool water)
I'm gonna rest in the lap of Abraham (Cool water)
You will not see my face come morning
I didn't come to set you free

 

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Optimist

Waiting - but I don't mind
I'm all bus stops and heat
I'm neon - in your daylight

I'm the optimist of 30th Street
How it is is how it oughta be

I got anything but moneyed esteem
Drinks on Conde Nast
I'm the optimist of 30th Street
How it is is how it oughta be

I spy Vivian Girls on the Up, Upper East
There's no reason to be upset
There's no reason to not expect

There's no room for emptiness
No tea or sympathy
There's no room for emptiness
On a never empty street

 

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Lightning

There's a funny lightning
Threatening with striking
But it moves too quick for a picture

There's a funny lightning
'Round the corner hiding
But I'm too smart just to catch it
With gloves and rubber

So I stay put right here
Watching the sky for tears
Let the fools and cowboys roar to wrecks

But if I should wake up and find my home's in half
Who is it? Blame nature, I guess I have to laugh
And if I should wake up and find my bed has moved
Six inches, six closer to the west

But this funny lightning
I wanna invite in
If I could learn how to teach it

I salt the corners of
My room because, because
A ghost can never be too careful

And if I should wake up and find my home's in half ?
Who did it? Oh nature, I hope you have a laugh
And if I should wake up and find my bed has moved
Twelve inches, twelve closer to my god

Whip crash there's a flash and I'm back to wanting more
The crack is movin' up the wall
Whip crash there's flash and I'm back to wanting more
I can't help thinking this is war
[2x]

 

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The One Who Broke Your Heart

All the beautiful people
They did some work on your face
And in that struggle for freedom
Everyone looks the same (That's right)

And everybody is pregnant
And everybody's in pain
We're all pushing and shoving
To make those human beings

Although they say you're aristocracy (That's what they say)
We all deserve to wear that crown

Sing along
With the one who broke your heart
Sing it loud
It'll keep you safe and warm (That's right)

In the garden of Eden
On a hot summer day
We were totally naked
Outside that small cafe

Am I the one you imagined
Am I heaven or hell
But no one else can compare to
The way you love yourself (You know you do)

I came to tell you on this bicycle
The trees and houses say hello

Sing along
With the one who broke your heart
Sing it loud
It will keep you safe and warm (That's right)
After you dream
In the middle of the night (I guess I did)
I sing along
To open up those spirit eyes

Faster and faster
No one's holding the wheel
Interstate highway
Through those city and fields
Your friends and family
They tell your secrets to me
It's not so impressive
Until they all disappear

Sing along
With the one who broke your heart (You know you'll do it)
After that dream
Where you got that man you love

 

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Outside Of Space & Time

My love, your house has many rooms
The kitchen's filled with food
I'll find a place inside

The dreams that pass across your face
Come from a secret place
Everyone close your eyes

It's true
I am a shaky ladder
Intergalactic matter
Outside of space and time

But who is standing on your street
These buildings are not real
Matrix are useless here

'It's true,' that's what a lover hears
It's what a fool believes
It's not too late to try

Someday
I'll step out from the shadows
Intergalactic matter
Outside of space and time

Dirty feet
Broke your teeth
Somewhere out beyond the stars
A funny face
Some lost in space
Are we?

Everyone's enlightened everyday
You may each know nirvana when you comb your hair

I know
We'll join this cosmic Saturn
Intergalactic matter
Where we will meet tonight
Spiraling out of sight
Outside of space and time