Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
| Born Under Punches | |
|---|---|
| File:Bornunderpunchessingle.jpg Cover art of UK 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl singles | |
| Single by Talking Heads | |
| from the album Remain in Light | |
| B-side | |
| Released |
|
| Recorded | July–August 1980 |
| Studio | |
| Genre | New wave, funk, rock, art pop |
| Length | 5:46 |
| Label | Sire |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Eno |
Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) is a song by Talking Heads, produced and cowritten by Brian Eno. First released on October 1980 as the first track on their fourth album Remain in Light, and later on as a single in Japan sometime in 1980 following the release of the album.
The song was developed through a series of jams and put together ideas, like much of the Remain in Light album.
Music and Lyrics
The song features much of what would define the rest of the album, at the forefront is a prominent Funk bassline backed by digital sound effects and a notable rhtythm guitar line. The presence of multiple rhythmic elements was inspired by the work of Fela Kuti and Afrobeat, which was an approach first used by the band on the song "I Zimbra" from their previous album Fear of Music.
The song features a guitar solo performed by David Byrne[1] (frequently cited as being performed by Adrian Belew, who worked on the album) recorded with a Lexicon Prime Time Delay and recording it in pieces, adding to the digital undertones of the song.
The lyrics predominantly follow the stage set by the Watergate Scandal, creating a pseudo-conversation between a screaming, ranting "Government Man" and civilians supplicating to be able to exist and coexist with each other and the "Government Man".
Similar to the song Once in a Lifetime, Byrne utilized a ranting and frantic delivery for the part of the "Government Man" based on the speeches of Watergate related politician John Dean, and employing a softer and more consistent tone for the civilians