Psycho Killer - Revision history

Naomi at 15:18, 9 April 2025

2025-04-09T15:18:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:18, 9 April 2025
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	\| next_year = 1978		\| next_year = 1978
	}}		}}
	'''''Psycho Killer''''' is a song by [[Talking Heads]], released in 1977 as a single from their debut studio album, ''[[Talking Heads: 77]]''. This was the earliest Talking Heads song, dating back to 1974 when [[David Byrne]] and [[Chris Frantz]] performed it in their previous band, [[The Artistics]].		"'''Psycho Killer'''" is a song by [[Talking Heads]], released in 1977 as a single from their debut studio album, ''[[Talking Heads: 77]]''. This was the earliest Talking Heads song, dating back to 1974 when [[David Byrne]] and [[Chris Frantz]] performed it in their previous band, [[The Artistics]].

	The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring [[Arthur Russell]] on cello. In the liner notes for ''[[Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads]]'' (1992), [[Jerry Harrison]] wrote of the A-side and B-side of the single, "I'm glad we persuaded Tony [Bongiovi] and Lance [Quinn] that the version with the cellos shouldn't be the only one."		The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring [[Arthur Russell]] on cello. In the liner notes for ''[[Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads]]'' (1992), [[Jerry Harrison]] wrote of the A-side and B-side of the single, "I'm glad we persuaded Tony [Bongiovi] and Lance [Quinn] that the version with the cellos shouldn't be the only one."

SlipperyDude: added another quote from Tina

2025-03-21T19:40:05Z

added another quote from Tina

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:40, 21 March 2025
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	== Background and Recording ==		== Background and Recording ==
	The song that would become ''Psycho Killer'' was originally performed in 1974 by [[The Artistics]] while David, Chris and Tina were all still studying at [[Rhode Island School of Design\|RISD]]. David has talked about trying to write a song that was "maybe a cross between Alice Cooper and Randy Newman."<ref name=":0">Gross, Terry. “For David Byrne, Talking Heads Was about Making Emotional Sense — Not Literal Sense.” ''Spokane Public Radio'', 5 July 2024, www.spokanepublicradio.org/2024-07-05/for-david-byrne-talking-heads-was-about-making-emotional-sense-not-literal-sense. Accessed 10 July 2024.</ref>		The song that would become ''Psycho Killer'' was originally performed in 1974 by [[The Artistics]] while David, Chris and Tina were all still studying at [[Rhode Island School of Design\|RISD]]. David has talked about trying to write a song that was "''maybe a cross between Alice Cooper and Randy Newman.''"<ref name=":0">Gross, Terry. “For David Byrne, Talking Heads Was about Making Emotional Sense — Not Literal Sense.” ''Spokane Public Radio'', 5 July 2024, www.spokanepublicradio.org/2024-07-05/for-david-byrne-talking-heads-was-about-making-emotional-sense-not-literal-sense. Accessed 10 July 2024.</ref> Tina has added on to this in a quote from a November 1977 interview where she said "''David Started out doing an Alice Cooper song [...] but since he always does everything wrong, he got it different. I think it's popular because people really like the conventional structure - neanderthal [sic] bass, simple drum."''<ref>Toepfer, Susan. “Neanderthal Bass.” ''Daily News'', 20 Nov. 1977, https://ghostarchive.org/archive/3fND1. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.</ref>

	==Lyrics==		==Lyrics==

SlipperyDude at 18:06, 19 March 2025

2025-03-19T18:06:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:06, 19 March 2025
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	The French lyrics were supplied by [[Tina Weymouth]]. According to [[Chris Frantz]], "I told David that Tina's mother is French and that they always spoke French in the home. Tina agreed to do it and just sat down and did it in a little over an hour. I wrote a couple of more verses, and within a few hours, 'Psycho Killer' was more or less done." David has called the French used in the song "very kind of old-fashioned. I think Tina said, this is very Napoleonic kind of French."<ref name=":0" />		The French lyrics were supplied by [[Tina Weymouth]]. According to [[Chris Frantz]], "I told David that Tina's mother is French and that they always spoke French in the home. Tina agreed to do it and just sat down and did it in a little over an hour. I wrote a couple of more verses, and within a few hours, 'Psycho Killer' was more or less done." David has called the French used in the song "very kind of old-fashioned. I think Tina said, this is very Napoleonic kind of French."<ref name=":0" />

	Additionally, the song features the repeating a nonsense syllable, "Fa-Fa-Fa," which David has said was a reference to "''[[Sad Song (Otis Redding)\|Sad Song]]''" by [[Otis Redding]].<ref name=":0" />		Additionally, the song features the repeating a nonsense syllable, "Fa-Fa-Fa," which David has said was a reference to "''[[Sad Song (Otis Redding)\|Sad Song]]''" by [[Otis Redding]].<ref name=":0" /> This was also spotter by certain reviewers of Talking Heads 77.<ref>Syrja, JJ. “Talking Heads’ Realization.” ''The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise'', 22 Dec. 1977, ghostarchive.org/archive/YMqcZ. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.</ref>

	==Later releases==		==Later releases==

SlipperyDude at 00:19, 22 January 2025

2025-01-22T00:19:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:19, 22 January 2025
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	\|}		\|}
	==Legacy==		==Legacy==
	''See also: [[Covers of ~~Psycho Killer~~]]''		''See also: [[Studio Covers of Talking Heads Songs]] and also [[History of Live Covers of Talking Heads Songs]]''

	The song has been recorded in cover versions by many bands and musicians including Velvet Revolver, James Hall, the Bobs (''a cappella'' group), Victoria Vox, Wet Leg, Duran Duran featuring Victoria De Angelis, Miley Cyrus, and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the 2009 BBC Proms.		The song has been recorded in cover versions by many bands and musicians including Velvet Revolver, James Hall, the Bobs (''a cappella'' group), Victoria Vox, Wet Leg, Duran Duran featuring Victoria De Angelis, Miley Cyrus, and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the 2009 BBC Proms.

Naomi at 10:44, 7 November 2024

2024-11-07T10:44:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:44, 7 November 2024
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	\| album = [[Talking Heads: 77]]		\| album = [[Talking Heads: 77]]
	\| B-side =		\| B-side =
	* '''Psycho Killer''' (acoustic version)		* ''Psycho Killer'' (acoustic version)
	* '''[[I Wish You Wouldn't Say That]]'''		* ''[[I Wish You Wouldn't Say That]]''
	\| released = December 1977		\| released = December 1977
	\| recorded = 1977		\| recorded = 1977
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	* [[Tony Bongiovi]]		* [[Tony Bongiovi]]
	* [[Lance Quinn]]		* [[Lance Quinn]]
	\| prev_title = '''[[Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town]]'''		\| prev_title = ''[[Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town]]''
	\| prev_year = 1977		\| prev_year = 1977
	\| next_title = '''[[Pulled Up]]'''		\| next_title = ''[[Pulled Up]]''
	\| next_year = 1978		\| next_year = 1978
	}}		}}

Naomi at 10:44, 7 November 2024

2024-11-07T10:44:11Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:44, 7 November 2024
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	\| album = [[Talking Heads: 77]]		\| album = [[Talking Heads: 77]]
	\| B-side =		\| B-side =
	* "Psycho Killer" (acoustic version)		* '''Psycho Killer''' (acoustic version)
	* "I Wish You Wouldn't Say That"		* '''[[I Wish You Wouldn't Say That]]'''
	\| released = December 1977		\| released = December 1977
	\| recorded = 1977		\| recorded = 1977
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	* [[Tina Weymouth]]		* [[Tina Weymouth]]
	\| producer =		\| producer =
	* Tony Bongiovi		* [[Tony Bongiovi]]
	* Lance Quinn		* [[Lance Quinn]]
	\| prev_title = Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town		\| prev_title = '''[[Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town]]'''
	\| prev_year = 1977		\| prev_year = 1977
	\| next_title = Pulled Up		\| next_title = '''[[Pulled Up]]'''
	\| next_year = 1978		\| next_year = 1978
	}}		}}
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	The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring [[Arthur Russell]] on cello. In the liner notes for ''[[Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads]]'' (1992), [[Jerry Harrison]] wrote of the A-side and B-side of the single, "I'm glad we persuaded Tony [Bongiovi] and Lance [Quinn] that the version with the cellos shouldn't be the only one."		The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring [[Arthur Russell]] on cello. In the liner notes for ''[[Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads]]'' (1992), [[Jerry Harrison]] wrote of the A-side and B-side of the single, "I'm glad we persuaded Tony [Bongiovi] and Lance [Quinn] that the version with the cellos shouldn't be the only one."

	The band's "signature debut hit" features lyrics ~~which seem to represent~~ the thoughts of a serial killer. Originally written and performed as a ballad, ''Psycho Killer'' became what AllMusic calls a "deceptively funky new wave/no wave song" with "an insistent rhythm, and one of the most memorable, driving basslines in rock & roll."		The band's "signature debut hit" features lyrics representing the thoughts of a serial killer. Originally written and performed as a ballad, ''Psycho Killer'' became what AllMusic calls a "deceptively funky new wave/no wave song" with "an insistent rhythm, and one of the most memorable, driving basslines in rock & roll."

	''Psycho Killer'' was the only song from the album to appear on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 92. It reached number 32 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1989, and peaked at number 11 on the Dutch singles chart in 1977. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, has been featured in various shows and films, and has been covered by a variety of artists.		''Psycho Killer'' was the only song from the album to appear on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 92. It reached number 32 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1989, and peaked at number 11 on the Dutch singles chart in 1977. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, has been featured in various shows and films, and has been covered by a variety of artists.

Naomi at 05:02, 23 October 2024

2024-10-23T05:02:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:02, 23 October 2024
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	\| next_year = 1978		\| next_year = 1978
	}}		}}
	"'''Psycho Killer'''" is a song by ~~American rock band~~ [[Talking Heads]], released on their debut studio album ''[[Talking Heads: 77]]'' ~~(1977)~~. ~~The group first~~ performed it as [[The Artistics]] ~~in 1974~~.		'''''Psycho Killer''''' is a song by [[Talking Heads]], released in 1977 as a single from their debut studio album, ''[[Talking Heads: 77]]''. This was the earliest Talking Heads song, dating back to 1974 when [[David Byrne]] and [[Chris Frantz]] performed it in their previous band, [[The Artistics]].

	The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring [[Arthur Russell]] on cello. In the liner notes for ''[[Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads]]'' (1992), [[Jerry Harrison]] wrote of the A-side and B-side of the single, "I'm glad we persuaded Tony [Bongiovi] and Lance [Quinn] that the version with the cellos shouldn't be the only one."		The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song featuring [[Arthur Russell]] on cello. In the liner notes for ''[[Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads]]'' (1992), [[Jerry Harrison]] wrote of the A-side and B-side of the single, "I'm glad we persuaded Tony [Bongiovi] and Lance [Quinn] that the version with the cellos shouldn't be the only one."

	The band's "signature debut hit" features lyrics which seem to represent the thoughts of a serial killer. Originally written and performed as a ballad, "Psycho Killer" became what AllMusic calls a "deceptively funky new wave/no wave song" with "an insistent rhythm, and one of the most memorable, driving basslines in rock & roll."		The band's "signature debut hit" features lyrics which seem to represent the thoughts of a serial killer. Originally written and performed as a ballad, ''Psycho Killer'' became what AllMusic calls a "deceptively funky new wave/no wave song" with "an insistent rhythm, and one of the most memorable, driving basslines in rock & roll."

	"Psycho Killer" was the only song from the album to appear on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 92. It reached number 32 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1989, and peaked at number 11 on the Dutch singles chart in 1977. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.		''Psycho Killer'' was the only song from the album to appear on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 92. It reached number 32 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1989, and peaked at number 11 on the Dutch singles chart in 1977. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, has been featured in various shows and films, and has been covered by a variety of artists.

	== Background and Recording ==		== Background and Recording ==
	The song that would become "Psycho Killer" was originally performed in 1974 by [[The Artistics]] while David, Chris and Tina were all still studying at [[Rhode Island School of Design\|RISD]]. David has talked about trying to write a song that was "maybe a cross between Alice Cooper and Randy Newman."<ref name=":0">Gross, Terry. “For David Byrne, Talking Heads Was about Making Emotional Sense — Not Literal Sense.” ''Spokane Public Radio'', 5 July 2024, www.spokanepublicradio.org/2024-07-05/for-david-byrne-talking-heads-was-about-making-emotional-sense-not-literal-sense. Accessed 10 July 2024.</ref>		The song that would become ''Psycho Killer'' was originally performed in 1974 by [[The Artistics]] while David, Chris and Tina were all still studying at [[Rhode Island School of Design\|RISD]]. David has talked about trying to write a song that was "maybe a cross between Alice Cooper and Randy Newman."<ref name=":0">Gross, Terry. “For David Byrne, Talking Heads Was about Making Emotional Sense — Not Literal Sense.” ''Spokane Public Radio'', 5 July 2024, www.spokanepublicradio.org/2024-07-05/for-david-byrne-talking-heads-was-about-making-emotional-sense-not-literal-sense. Accessed 10 July 2024.</ref>

	==Lyrics==		==Lyrics==
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	Massachusetts-based band the Fools parodied the song and entitled it "Psycho Chicken"; it was included as a bonus record with their major-label debut album ''Sold Out'' in 1980. Ice-T says that "Psycho Killer" was a starting influence for his band Body Count's controversial song "Cop Killer". Singer Selena Gomez samples the bassline on her 2017 single "Bad Liar." A Talking Heads tribute band based in Baltimore, active since 2011, call themselves the Psycho Killers.		Massachusetts-based band the Fools parodied the song and entitled it "Psycho Chicken"; it was included as a bonus record with their major-label debut album ''Sold Out'' in 1980. Ice-T says that "Psycho Killer" was a starting influence for his band Body Count's controversial song "Cop Killer". Singer Selena Gomez samples the bassline on her 2017 single "Bad Liar." A Talking Heads tribute band based in Baltimore, active since 2011, call themselves the Psycho Killers.

			== References ==

Reimomo: /* Later releases */

2024-10-05T01:33:12Z

Later releases

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 The song also appears on their 1992 compilation album ''[[Popular Favorites 1976–1992: Sand in the Vaseline]]'' and, over a decade later, on another compilation album ''[[The Best of Talking Heads]]''.
 ==Legacy==
 ''See also: [[Covers of Psycho Killer]]''

SlipperyDude: linked to a covers page

2024-07-11T18:52:42Z

linked to a covers page

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:52, 11 July 2024
Line 80:		Line 80:

	==Legacy==		==Legacy==
			''See also: [[Covers of Psycho Killer]]''

	The song has been recorded in cover versions by many bands and musicians including Velvet Revolver, James Hall, the Bobs (''a cappella'' group), Victoria Vox, Wet Leg, Duran Duran featuring Victoria De Angelis, Miley Cyrus, and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the 2009 BBC Proms.		The song has been recorded in cover versions by many bands and musicians including Velvet Revolver, James Hall, the Bobs (''a cappella'' group), Victoria Vox, Wet Leg, Duran Duran featuring Victoria De Angelis, Miley Cyrus, and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the 2009 BBC Proms.

	Massachusetts-based band the Fools parodied the song and entitled it "Psycho Chicken"; it was included as a bonus record with their major-label debut album ''Sold Out'' in 1980. Ice-T says that "Psycho Killer" was a starting influence for his band Body Count's controversial song "Cop Killer". Singer Selena Gomez samples the bassline on her 2017 single "Bad Liar." A Talking Heads tribute band based in Baltimore, active since 2011, call themselves the Psycho Killers.		Massachusetts-based band the Fools parodied the song and entitled it "Psycho Chicken"; it was included as a bonus record with their major-label debut album ''Sold Out'' in 1980. Ice-T says that "Psycho Killer" was a starting influence for his band Body Count's controversial song "Cop Killer". Singer Selena Gomez samples the bassline on her 2017 single "Bad Liar." A Talking Heads tribute band based in Baltimore, active since 2011, call themselves the Psycho Killers.

SlipperyDude: Otis Redding info

2024-07-10T19:11:29Z

Otis Redding info

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 10 July 2024
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	The French lyrics were supplied by [[Tina Weymouth]]. According to [[Chris Frantz]], "I told David that Tina's mother is French and that they always spoke French in the home. Tina agreed to do it and just sat down and did it in a little over an hour. I wrote a couple of more verses, and within a few hours, 'Psycho Killer' was more or less done." David has called the French used in the song "very kind of old-fashioned. I think Tina said, this is very Napoleonic kind of French."<ref name=":0" />		The French lyrics were supplied by [[Tina Weymouth]]. According to [[Chris Frantz]], "I told David that Tina's mother is French and that they always spoke French in the home. Tina agreed to do it and just sat down and did it in a little over an hour. I wrote a couple of more verses, and within a few hours, 'Psycho Killer' was more or less done." David has called the French used in the song "very kind of old-fashioned. I think Tina said, this is very Napoleonic kind of French."<ref name=":0" />

			Additionally, the song features the repeating a nonsense syllable, "Fa-Fa-Fa," which David has said was a reference to "''[[Sad Song (Otis Redding)\|Sad Song]]''" by [[Otis Redding]].<ref name=":0" />

	==Later releases==		==Later releases==