I decided to make a playlist based off my record shelf at the onset of shelter-in-place. That turned into picking one song off each album on the shelf (that is available on Spotify). It's either the song I most associate with the album, or in the case of some absolute classics that can't be parsed, the first track. The next challenge was to write a bit (~200 words) on each selection. This is an entry in that chronicle. This is a link to the playlist.
“Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)” | Talking Heads | Speaking In Tongues [1983]
This is the song that closed my wedding reception. Side note, would you believe that I took to the job of song selection for the wedding very seriously?
It is a perfect song and there’s a fair chance I’ve listened to it more than any other. When my heart is swelling with love, I play this song. When my head is stuck in a funk, I play this song. When my hips are feeling funky, I will sooner than later play this song.
Did you know that David Byrne played the keyboard parts on this track and Tina Weymouth played the guitar instead of bass? I didn’t. It didn’t matter that those weren’t their instruments, though, because this song is straight from the root of love and you can go ahead and strip away all the pretense and play with feeling.
A hypothetical: whoever is in charge of all this tells me that I have to pick one song. I can listen to this song in hifi to my heart's delight from here on out, but something terrible will happen if I listen to another song. Well, that is fucked and this Whoever shouldn't be in charge, but it might be alright if I have the sense to pick this song.
Back before my brain knew how to make memories my dad bought a TV. The delivery guy noticed all of his music audio equipment and tapes and took a chance at selling him a bootleg VHS of Stop Making Sense. Then when I could make memories I broke a floor lamp that I was trying to dance with in our living room.
This song is very special to me and to many. I love it and if you love it then I love you and if you don’t love it then that’s okay and I probably still love you.
