Psycho Killer

Album: Talking Heads '77 (1977)
Charted: 92
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  • 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-fa, better
    Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
    Psycho Killer
    Qu'est-ce que c'est?
    Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
    Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
    Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh

    You start a conversation, you can't even finish it
    You're talking a lot, but you're not saying 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-fa, better
    Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
    Psycho Killer
    Qu'est-ce que c'est?
    Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
    Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
    Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya

    Ce que j'ai fait, ce soir-là
    Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir-là
    Réalisant mon espoir
    Je me lance vers la gloire, okay
    Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
    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-fa, better
    Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
    Psycho Killer
    Qu'est-ce que c'est?
    Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
    Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
    Ai-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh Writer/s: Chris Frantz, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth
    Publisher: Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 30

  • Mayem Snyph from PittsburghDuran Duran covered this on their 2023 Halloween-themed album “Danse Macabre”. Pretty good too IMO.
  • Vicky K from AustraliaOne of my most favourite bands of the 80s. An eerie song personified perfectly by David Byrne. Musical genius
  • Sean from The Worldi like how we all typed in google " what does this music video mean " and we just get a very long " i dont know " but mixed in with an autobiography lol
  • War-ped from WhereverI believe Hannibal's last name is spelled, L e c h t e r. But then again, maybe we should talk to Hopkins.
  • Patrick from Atlanta, GaThis song always reminded me of Hannibal Lector. "I hate people when they're not polite." "Say something once, why say it again?" The French bits are meant to make the narrator sound pretentious, as if he wants to appear clever, but he doesn't actually speak French. The reference to a bed on fire indicate that he's schizophrenic, and thus if he kills at all, he is not a product of his environment or some traumatic childhood experience, but rather an untreated mental illness. Perhaps he's already in a mental hospital, though?
  • Karol from Pori, FinlandThis song is so "psycho"
  • Stefanos from Aglantjia, Cyprusvery nice song
  • Ryan from Anahola, HiThis song is on Rock Band 2.
  • Derek from Marquette, MiThe band Cage the Elephant also does a cover of this song.
  • Goombario from Jacksonville, FlThis song was in an episode of The Simpsons where Homer was hired by an agency to kill famous celebrities so they could use their now-Public Domain identities to advertise their products.
  • Will from Waterloo,I've heard another version of "Psycho Killer" but the beginning lyrics is like through a talk box (like if you've heard Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" and Joe Perry does the opening lyrics to it)
  • Tim from Albuquerque, NmKate Miller-Heidke does a hilarious cover.... as seen on YouTube-- to kill for!
  • Moi-même from Paris, FranceAs a native french speaker, I second Adam: the chorus and the bridge are in now way gibberish and they make perfect sense. Did you try translating them in babelfish to come to this conclusion?
  • Marc from Perth, AustraliaLove this song! And the best rendition of it is on the Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads Live album. It was the opening song. What a great concert! What a great live album. The mood it set for the concert was electrifying! The bare stage still being prepped while Byrne struts around singing Psycho Killer. David Byrne at his arty best.
  • Melon from Kahuluu, HiAdded song fact "Je me lance vers la gloire", I rush towards glory, are supposedly the modern dancer Isadora Duncan's last words before she got on a motorcycle with some guy and was strangled by her own scarf
  • Adam from Mechanicsburg, PaThe french isnt gibberish, its important to the songs meaning.
    its loosely translated as:

    "What I made, that evening
    What she said, that evening
    Accomplishing my hope
    I launch towards glory"

    And "Qu'est que C'est" means "What is that?"
  • Lalah from Wasilla, AkThis song was part of the sound track for the movie "Summer of Sam". Back in 1976 and 77 when I lived near NYC I remember the news reporting the shootings then this song became popular. I always associated this song with the killer Berkowitz. Then the Fools came out with their parody "Psycho Chicken". It kind of took the darkness of the times away.
  • Nelson from MelbourneKiller song!
    Dilanna performed this quite dreadfully on Rockstar Supernova in 2006.
  • Jon from Oakridge, OrI don't know why but when I hear this I think of the Son of Sam.
  • Ralph from Newton, MaSomebody did a spoof version entitled "Psycho Chicken."

    That was The Fools. Awesome band.
  • Ratboy from Ratville, NjThey don't make 'em like this anymore.
  • B from Sacramento, CaThe French section is actually "realizing my hope, I launch myself towards glory"
  • Wes from Springfield, VaSomebody did a spoof version entitled "Psycho Chicken."
  • Craig from Dunedin, New ZealandDavid Byrne was originally from Dumbarton in Scotland. His family moved to the US when he was 8. Imagine Byrne fronting the Bay City Rollers! S-A-T-U-R-PSYCHOKILLER-DAY!
  • Justin Winokur from Blue Bell, PaMoxy Fruvous did a wonderful cover of the song. It can be heard on the album Live Noise.
  • Jane from San Antonio, TxThis song reminds me so strongly of the '70's. I was a punk in the UK, and when we went to the punk gigs, they always played this over the speakers while we waited between acts. I don't know whether it was intended to spur us onto random acts of violence, but all it caused was widespread singing in terrible French accents!
  • Bobbuttons from Ff, LaThe part that goes like this:

    Ce que j'ai fait, ce soir la
    Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir la
    Realisant, mon espoir
    Je me lance vers la gloire

    Isn't gibberish, but really badly pronounced. It means:

    What I did, that night
    What she said, that night
    Fulfil my hope
    I throw myself towards glory
  • Jordan from Ontario, CanadaI heard that this song inspired 'Cop Killer' by Ice T.
  • Steph from Ottawa, CanadaOne of the best live performances you'll hear (from Stop Making Sense). Such a spartan, lonely song, and sung with great paranoia by Byrne
  • Lauren from Maryville, MoI think (if my translation is accurate) the French translates out to something that's not quite total gibberish --

    That which I did that evening,
    that which she said that evening --
    realizing my hopes,
    I rush out after the glory.
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