"Crosseyed and Painless" is a song by American new wave band

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

. It was released in 1980 in the United States as a promotional single and in Germany in 1981 as a regular single from the band's fourth studio album, ''

Remain in Light ''Remain in Light'' is the fourth studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cass ...

''. Although the single failed to reach the US main chart, it reached No. 20 on the

US Dance chart The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

to become Talking Heads' highest-charting dance single. The band chose this song for their second music video, released in 1981.

Song style

The song uses instruments and techniques such as

cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell (instrument), bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. ...

loops,

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...

s, bells, staccato guitar rhythms, and electronic blips. The rhythm of the song, as well as the use of the congas, add an African feel to the song, which is also apparent in their song "

I Zimbra "I Zimbra" is a song by American new wave band Talking Heads, released as the second single from their 1979 album ''Fear of Music''. According to Sytze Steenstra in ''Song and Circumstance: The Work of David Byrne from Talking Heads to the Pres ...

Lyrics

The lyrics discuss a paranoid and alienated man who feels he is stressed by his urban surroundings. These lyrics are of common theme for Talking Heads and categorize lead singer

David Byrne David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads. Byrne has ...

's writing style. The "rhythmical rant" in "Crosseyed and Painless"—"Facts are simple and facts are straight. Facts are lazy and facts are late."—is influenced by old-school rap, specifically

Kurtis Blow Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), known professionally by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapping , rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Walker is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major rec ...

's " The Breaks" given to Byrne by Frantz. The singer is filled with doubt and is not even sure he can believe facts. By the end of the song, he expresses his resentment of facts: "Facts don't do what I want them to do / Facts just twist the truth around."

Critical reception

"Crosseyed and Painless" is widely regarded as one of Talking Heads' best songs. In 2023, ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' ranked the song number ten on their list of the 10 greatest Talking Heads songs, and in 2024, ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...

'' ranked the song number seven on their list of the 30 greatest Talking Heads songs.

Music video

The music video for "Crosseyed and Painless", lasting 5:37, was directed by

Toni Basil Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her cover of the song " Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Austral ...

and by their own request did not feature the members of the band. Instead it featured street dancers (including Stephen "Skeeter Rabbit" Nichols), chosen by David Byrne, and who were said to have chosen their own choreography for the video. The dancers engage in various dance mimes of

hustling Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of both a confidence tri ...

, knife crime,

posing Human positions refer to the different physical configurations that the human body can take. There are several synonyms that refer to human positioning, often used interchangeably, but having specific nuances of meaning. *''Position'' is a gen ...

, body popping,

solicitation Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...

and

street fighting Street fighting or street combat is hand-to-hand combat in public places between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g., a street), and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or even death. Some street ...

. The video mix includes an additional verse not heard on the LP mix of the song.

References

External links

* {{authority control Talking Heads songs 1980 singles Songs written by David Byrne Songs written by Brian Eno Sire Records singles Song recordings produced by Brian Eno Songs written by Jerry Harrison Songs written by Chris Frantz Songs written by Tina Weymouth 1980 songs Music videos directed by Toni Basil