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Add Your New Review About The Song The Reviews about Life During Wartime (page 1/1) ------ performed by Talking Heads What its about... | Reviewer: Colin | 7/17/09 In David Bowman's book This Must Be the Place: The Adventures of Talking Heads in the Twentieth Century, Byrne is quoted as describing the genesis of the song: "I wrote this in my loft on Seventh and Avenue A." And later, "I was thinking about Baader-Meinhof. Patty Hearst. Tompkins Square. This a song about living in Alphabet City." That's just copied of Wikipedia though, never read the book myself, but I'd guess its accurate. Not Rat Race | Reviewer: Anonymous | 6/25/09 I wouldn't say this is just about the constant survival of living in a rat race. The character is living out in the country by his lonesome at the start, simply surviving, and then eventually moves into the city to fight back against whatever "force" has taken dominance over the area. Now obviously he mentions the names of American cities, so I guess the hypothetical situation could be if Hitler had taken over the US during WW2, but I like to think he is expressing and empathizing the pains of foreign nations that get imperialized and assimilated by Western Countries, like say, Iraq (I realize when the song was written the Gulf War or the Iraq War were not around), or say, Vietnam, and David Byrne is bringing those fights home to America to show what everyday people in those countries are experiencing. Or it could really have no themes, and just be a cool post-apocalyptic war-zone survivalist. Take a step back... | Reviewer: Mike Jonze | 6/9/09 Ok, if Germany won WWII, I'm not sure if the entire world would take on the German language, or that we would have to constantly identify ourselves; nobody will ever know. One thing I do know is that history is written by the winners, so there is still a bias which a lot of people like Court tend to overlook. Unfortunately these are the only texts considered sufficient enough to teach the public, so that is the only history anybody ends up knowing. It's sad, really. Foolin' around? | Reviewer: Court | 4/6/09 Not to turn this into a political argument or anything but saying that the United States saved us from "speaking German and being searched by nazi soldiers for your identity papers 24-7" is just as ridiculously ignorant as claiming that the US was/is responsible for millions of deaths. Before you start trying to make arguments to support your country pick up a history textbook. Anyway, wonderful song...wish they still made them like this. (: LOVE IT! | Reviewer: Anna Woodfield | 2/6/09 Only today I found out what it was all about. It is a really good song. Full of rhythem... I love it. Not to go off subject but 'And She Was' Is also one of the 'Gems Of Talking Heads' Overall it is a really good song. GO DAVID BYRNE! XA Oh, dear! | Reviewer: Anonymous | 2/3/09 Take a few deep breaths everyone. "Life during Wartime" is a SONG. It has lyrics and a very dance-able melody and on "Stop making sense" it rocks. It is not about World War III, just the battle for every day survival in the rat-race. BTW, I suggest reading up on the Russian front of WWII before you suggest USA takes credit for the defeat of Hitler, and as for the USA being responsible for "billions of deaths" -excuse me? Was I out of the room when this happened? Achtung darling! | Reviewer: Whatduzitmatter | 12/30/08 U.S.A. responsible for billions of death? Are you for real? Obviously you never lived in the United States and.... If it were'nt for the U.S.A. be assured you would be speaking German and being searched by nazi soldiers for your identity papers 24-7. You do know what totalatarianism is, dont you? Wake up. USA | Reviewer: sudaca | 12/13/07 USA Sucks, STOP WAR!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP Global Warming!!!!!! USA is responsable of billions of deaths all around the world, and it will be forever if Northamerican people don't do something. U allways say America, you aren't all america, bastard Like Orwell, Talking Heads Saw It Coming | Reviewer: Lawrence Walker | 5/8/07 This has got to be one of the most provocative party songs EVER -- a DISASTER DANCE song! Like so many Talking Heads songs, it mixes the dark shadows with whimsy. And what a mix this is! It gets down to The Basics: the Sinister, the Silly, and SURVIVAL. Now how many songs are smart enough to do that? We fiddled while Rome burned. What will we do while America cracks at the seams and crumbles all around us? Better start coming up with some answers, 'cause when we try to run away, we'll have only one tank of gas to get us there. If we're lucky. Add Your New Review About The Song