"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads. The closing track of its fifth studio album '' Speaking in Tongues'', it was released in November 1983 as the second and final studio single from the album; a live version would be released as a single in 1986. The lyrics were written by frontman

David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...

, and the music was written by Byrne and the other members of the band, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. Byrne intended the song to be a love song without the clichés of the genre. The parenthesized title refers to the simple ("naïve") construction of the song, which is framed on a sparse

ostinato In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...

that lasts for the song's duration. This simplicity marked a departure for Talking Heads, which was known for its complex African-inspired polyrhythms and funk.

Background

'' Speaking in Tongues'', Talking Heads' fifth album, was released on June 1, 1983 by Sire Records. It was produced by the band themselves after the group had parted ways with longtime producer

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

Composition

In the "Self Interview" on the DVD of the concert film '' Stop Making Sense'', Byrne states that it is a love song, a topic he tends to avoid because it is "kinda big." He also said of the song: According to the ''Stop Making Sense'' commentary track, the title "Naive Melody" refers to the music. On the recording, the guitar and bass each repeat an

for the entire song. According to David Byrne, many professional musicians would not play a song written in that fashion, and that is what makes the melody naive. Byrne played the lead keyboard solo. Bassist Tina Weymouth stated in the liner notes of '' Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads'' that the song was created through "truly naive" experimentation with different instruments and jamming. Weymouth played guitar, guitarist Jerry Harrison played a Prophet synthesiser (including the bassline) Wally Badarou used the same synthesizer to add the stabs, and Byrne switched between guitar and another Prophet synthesizer, the latter of which he played using the pitch modulation wheel and "campy" piano

glissando In music, a glissando (; plural: ''glissandi'', abbreviated ''gliss.'') is a glide from one pitch to another (). It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French ''glisser'', "to glide". In some contexts, it is distinguished from the co ...

s. '' Pitchfork'' later described the song as "an aberration for the Talking Heads. It was more of an exercise in understated musical hypnosis than polyrhythmic, Kuti-quoting funk, well-compressed instead of bursting at the seams, and (in its abashed way) it was a full-blown love song. .With "This Must Be the Place", the band simplified their sound dramatically, condensing their sonic palette to the level of small EKG blips (having switched instruments for a lark, this was nearly all they were able to reliably deliver chops-wise) and wringing out only a few chords."

Personnel

* David Byrne – vocals, lead guitar,

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

* Tina Weymouth –

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

* Jerry Harrison –

synth bass A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...

* Chris Frantz –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

* Wally Badarou –

* David Van Tieghem – percussion

''Stop Making Sense''

The song is featured in '' Stop Making Sense'' (1984), a concert film featuring Talking Heads and directed by

Jonathan Demme Robert Jonathan Demme ( ; February 22, 1944 – April 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker. Beginning his career under B-movie producer Roger Corman, Demme made his directorial debut with the 1974 women-in-prison film ''Caged Heat'', before ...

. Throughout the ''Stop Making Sense'' version, Byrne and his bandmates perform by a standard lamp, while close-up images of various body parts are projected onto a screen behind them. As revealed on the commentary to the film, the body parts belong to Byrne and his girlfriend (later wife) Adelle Lutz who was also known as Bonnie. When the song reaches a bridge, the musicians step back and Byrne dances with the lamp, a reference to Fred Astaire's similar dance with a coat-rack in the film '' Royal Wedding''. During the song, Weymouth is seen playing a rare Fender Swinger electric guitar, instead of her usual bass. The ''Stop Making Sense'' version was released as a single in 1986, peaking at #100 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

In 2014, '' Pitchfork'' ranked the song at number 22 in their list of "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s," with Winston Cook-Wilson of the website saying: "In the process of stripping down, Talking Heads showcased something at the root of their art: David Byrne’s inimitable gift for melody, and his unique ability to make every musical figure seem both familiar and tied directly to the lyrical thought (see 'I feel numb...born with a weak heart/ I guess I must be having fun'). Is there a better moment of catharsis in a pop then the song's final eureka realization, after Byrne gets whacked with the monolithic spiritual hammer and awakes from a life-encompassing daze into unexpected stability? There’s nothing to narrow his eyes at anymore: 'Cover up the blank spots, hit me on the head/ Aaoooh, aaooh, aaooh, aaoooh.' For a band rarely given to addressing issues of the heart head-on, 'Naive Melody' remains an unexpected and peerless achievement." In 2021, it was listed at No. 123 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Music video

The official music video for This Must Be the Place depicts the extended band, for the 1983-84 time period including the Stop Making Sense film, watching light-hearted

home movies A home movie is a short amateur film or video typically made just to preserve a visual record of family activities, a vacation, or a special event, and intended for viewing at home by family and friends. Originally, home movies were made on ph ...

, before going down into the basement to play their instruments. The extra band members in this video are: * Alex Weir – guitar, vocals (1983–1984) and on horseback in the home movie within this video * Bernie Worrell – keyboards, backing vocals (1980–1984, 2002) the Native American chief * Steve Scales – percussion, backing vocals (1980–1984, 2002) the gentleman with the car * Ednah Holt – vocals (1983–1984) the houseboat lady *

Lynn Mabry Lynn Mabry (born March 21, 1958) is an American singer. Early life Born in Vallejo, California, Mabry's mother enjoyed playing piano and her father was a choir director and radio DJ. They divorced when she was 3 years old. Career She got her ...

– vocals (1983–1984) the log cabin lady in the music video's home movie.

Charts

Original version

Live version

Certifications

In other media

*The song inspired the title of the 2011 drama film '' This Must Be the Place'', directed by Paolo Sorrentino with Sean Penn as an aging rock star. In one scene, the main character attends a concert in which David Byrne performs the song in full. *The song is featured twice in the Oscar-winning 1987 film ''

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for t ...

'', including in the end credits. The song is featured again during the end credits of the sequel '' Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps''.

Covers

*The song was covered live by the Montreal-based band Arcade Fire, and is featured as the B-side to their single " Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)". Their version features

on guest vocals. * The Panics covered the song on their album '' Rain on the Humming Wire.''