About The Song
“Road to Nowhere” is a song by the American band Talking Heads, from their 1985 album Little Creatures. The song was written by David Byrne and released as a single in 1985. It reached No. 25 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 6 on the UK, German and South African singles charts. It also made No. 8 on the Dutch Top 40. It also appeared on Best of Talking Heads, Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites, the Once in a Lifetime box set and the Brick box set.
“I wanted to write a song that presented a resigned, even joyful look at doom,” recalls David Byrne in the liner notes of Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads. “At our deaths and at the apocalypse… (always looming, folks). I think it succeeded. The front bit, the white gospel choir, is kind of tacked on, ’cause I didn’t think the rest of the song was enough… I mean, it was only two chords. So, out of embarrassment, or shame, I wrote an intro section that had a couple more in it.”
Cash Box said that “this marching single which features David Byrne’s soothing lead vocal is a curious and circus-ride look at life.” Billboard said that within the song “a cappella gospel leads into Louisiana hootenanny.”
The video for the song was directed by Byrne and Stephen R. Johnson and features the band and various objects revolving, including boxes revolving around David Byrne’s head. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz portray a couple growing older, and masked businessmen pummel each other with briefcases and a runaway shopping cart, as if in their own “road to nowhere”.
Some parts were shot in the back yard and pool of actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who was co-writing Byrne’s film True Stories at the time. Scenes were also shot at Calvary Baptist Church in Hi Vista, California. Director Johnson re-used some of the effects techniques in award-winning videos for Peter Gabriel the following year: “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”.
It was nominated for Best Video of the Year at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, losing out to “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.
Video
Lyrics
Well, we know where we’re goin’
But we don’t know where we’ve been
And we know what we’re knowin’
But we can’t say what we’ve seen
And we’re not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it out
Yeah
We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride
I’m feelin’ okay this mornin’
And you know
We’re on a road to paradise
Here we go, here we go
We’re on a ride to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride
Maybe you wonder where you are
I don’t care
Here is where time is on our side
Take you there, take you there
We’re on a road to nowhere (hey, hey)
We’re on a road to nowhere (hey, hey)
We’re on a road to nowhere (hey, hey)
There’s a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
It’s alright, baby, it’s alright
And it’s very far away
But it’s growing day by day
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
Would you like to come along?
And you could help me sing this song
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
They can tell you what to do
But they’ll make a fool of you
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
There’s a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
And it’s very far away
But it’s growing day by day
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
And would you like to come along?
You could help me sing this song
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
They can tell you what to do
But they’ll make a fool of you
And it’s alright, baby, it’s alright
We’re on a road to nowhere (hey)
We’re on a road to nowhere (hey)
We’re on a road to nowhere (hey-hey)
We’re on a road to nowhere