Lyrics for Psycho Killer as interpreted by Novartza

Psycho Killer Lyrics
I can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire

Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away

You start a conversation you can't even finish it
You're talkin' a lot, but you're not sayin' anything
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?

Psycho Killer,
Qu'est-ce que c'est
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away

Ce que j'ai fais, ce soir la
Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir la
Realisant mon espoir
Je me lance, vers la gloire ... OK
We are vain and we are blind
I hate people when they're not polite

Psycho Killer,
Qu'est-ce que c'est
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
Psycho Killer,
Qu'est-ce que c'est
Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh....

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  • 48 Comments
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alexboy
12-13-2001

Rated +2 
Meaning of french lyrics :
Qu'est-ce que c'est => what is it

Ce que j'ai fais, ce soir la => what i've done that night
Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir la => what she said that night
Realisant mon espoir => realizing my hope
Je me lance, vers la gloire ... => I'm going to glory

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weezerific:cutlery
01-05-2002

Rated 0 
i like this song, even though it's pretty weird. run run run run away!

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roger wilco
05-19-2002

Rated 0 
this must be David Byrne's attempt to explain psychosis. especially in the way the narrator can switch from english to conversational French. altho, he may be bilingual, i believe it is more an indication of a personal duality, or even the voices in his head.

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Princess |\/.\/|
07-09-2002

Rated +1 
this is one of my favourite songs and I'm only 15!! I love it, the mix of french and english, the way it's sung and the music... this song is a classic punk tune!

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Emanual200
07-13-2002

Rated 0 
Talking heads is awesome...i love when david byrne puts on that huge suit in his concerts...they're definately one of my favorite bands. i don't think i would classify them as punk tho..maybe it's just me, i don't know

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anthracis
08-12-2002

Rated 0 
to Roger Wilco, this song is about Sam Berkowitz aka Son Of Sam

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l0ki86
05-02-2003

Rated -1 
No this song is not punk at all. I don't know why you would say that. Most kids now just call themselves punk, but don't know the true punk. From The Sex Pistols or Ramones. But hey we have Avril Lavigne and Sum 41, cough*Corporate Rock*cough. But anyways this is Talking Heads, a kick ass band. I was told that this was David Byrns first try at that Latin groove. Its still a great song.

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2 Replies
benfoldsfan
05-12-2003

Rated 0 
are those the lyrics in french for sure? i might have heard "fait mes bras" or some variation more in accordance with french grammar "crossing my arms".

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rampton
06-13-2003

Rated 0 
some people may make the punk analogy because sire records released this single (7" and 12") at the same time as the ramones rockaway beach and the dead boys sonic reducer in '77.
great track, very original, but hard as hell to play on acoustic.

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tackledspoon
09-26-2004

Rated -1 
Talking heads is generally classified as post-punk...
Big difference.

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onethinwallaway
11-18-2004

Rated 0 
The Faint did a cover of this song at a show, and I think both are excellent.

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Zeppelyn
11-29-2004

Rated 0 
the talking heads don't fit into a genre... so i wouldn't suggest trying. they are completely original and influential and wonderful. david byrne is genius. if only i could see them live... once... just once.

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GTKarber
12-22-2004

Rated +1 
The song is about a generic serial killer. He's trying to impress you with the French. That's what Byrne said.

Also, Talking Heads technically New Wave, though I don't really feel they fit into the genre.

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Rasputin007
01-03-2005

Rated 0 
Is it true that The Ramones and Talking Heads didn't get along?

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thestrokes neat
01-22-2005

Rated 0 
The Faint did an AMAZING cover of this song at the show I went to.
It was the best part of the show.
I love the talking heads.
And the faint.
It was awesome.
<3

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FreddieIsMyIdol
01-23-2005

Rated 0 
I think i read somwhere that they made this song more as a joke and didnt expect it to get anywhere, but then it turned into one of their biggest hits!! I love Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense is one of my favorite CDs

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Crippled Pilgrim
03-02-2005

Rated +1 
Who cares about classifications and genres?
Punk is one of the biggest abominations in music. Not the music itself, but the word "punk". Like l0ki86 said, "punk" refers to bands like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. But the Sex Pistols never called themselves punk, the press did. Then it became a style of music, and the rest is history.

But, to me, punk is just doing what ever you want to, regardless of what other people think. When you TRY to act "punk", wearing chains and torn clothes and stuff just because that's what you think punk is supposed to be, then you are the farthest from true punk as possible. I think that someone wearing Hollister clothes because that's what they want to wear, without trying to fit in, is being more punk than someone spiking their hair because its trendy.

Therefore, punk is in and of itself a contradiction. It is the label of an idea that is against labels. I don't think punk has to be a style of music, or a way to dress, or anything like that. True punk is just a state of mind, and nothing more.

So, with that mentality, Talking Heads are punk. So is Radiohead. So is Elton John.

But, seriously, WHO CARES???

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1 Reply
matty k
04-04-2005

Rated 0 
I agree with anthracis this song is about the Son of Sam. Much love for David Byrne, Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz. All graduates of Rhode Island School of Design. Rhode Island's only claim to famous musicians.

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andro666
06-01-2005

Rated -1 
i think they say this is punk because the talking heads started playing with the stooges, television, patti smith, blondie, the dead boys and the ramones at cbgbs. but really punk as music genre began with ramones and legs mcneil's magazine "punk". so the talking heads cant be punk cause they are older. i think they are new wave. i hate when people think that the shit thats on mtv is punk. the punk is dead or hidden in some shitty neighboorhood.

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corrente
06-26-2005

Rated 0 
In the Stop Making Sense DVD, David Byrne said that the song is about a serial killer that finds himself very sophisticated but he just loses control once in awhile. "look at me, i can speak french. im intelligent." is what the serial killer is trying to say...errr..David Byrne is trying to project. but hell, let it mean whatever you want. thats music

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Uber_Geek
07-04-2005

Rated 0 
In regard to benfoldsfan's query about the French lyrics, "fais" comes from the verb 'faire', which means 'to do'. Although what you have heard is probably correct, as French phrases can sometimes not make sense when taken literally, I think what alexboy wrote makes sense in this context.

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butterfingersbeck
09-29-2005

Rated 0 
Apparently the "fa fa fa..." was a nod to Otis Redding's "Sad Song (Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa, Fa Fa, Fa Fa)" - Byrne simply wanted to portray the "psycho killer" as being sad in a bizarre way.

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danielle3773
11-12-2005

Rated 0 
His trademark song, "Psycho Killer", was inspired by a phrase used by his art school friend Barbara Conway. She used the phrase "psycho killer" to describe things she thought were cool. Conway was murdered by a female stalker in the 1980s.

From The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126154/bio

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paphan
12-29-2005

Rated 0 
I looked for this song for years because there was a reference to it in the PC game "Broken Sword II - The Smoking Mirror". George Stobbart, the hero, is saying at one point how back in the '70s his band in college played this song that went "fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa", which made them popular, or something. Anyway, I just discovered what the song title is recently and got the song right away - and I really love it.

As to the discussion about genre: if I had to classify the band based on this song, I'd probably place them in the new wave category rather than punk. There's just something about the vocals that just really reminds me of new wave stuff.

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cmh2943
02-10-2006

Rated 0 
Wow, I can't believe anyone hasn't gotten this yet.... it's about the Son of Sam killer in NYC in the 70's. I remember watching a Talking Heads documentary and David Byrne discussing this song and how he felt this needed to be said about David Burkowitz or however the hell you spell his last name. Amazing song!

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1 Reply




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