Released: October 8, 1980
Songwriter: Chris Frantz Tina Weymouth David Byrne Jerry Harrison Brian Eno
Producer: Brian Eno Talking Heads
[Verse 1]
Take a look at these hands
Take a look at these hands
The hand speaks
The hand of a government man
Well, I'm a tumbler
Born under punches
I'm so thin
[Chorus 1]
All I want is to breathe (I'm too thin)
Won't you breathe with me?
Find a little space so we move in-between (In-between it)
And keep one step ahead of yourself
[Verse 2]
Don't you miss it? Don't you miss it?
Some 'a you people just about missed it
Last time to make plans, well, I'm a tumbler
I'm a government man
[Chorus 2]
Never seen anything like that before
Falling bodies tumble 'cross the floor (But I'm a tumbler)
When you get to where you wanna be (Thank you, thank you)
When you get to where you wanna be (Yeah, don't even mention it)
[Verse 3]
Take a look at these hands, they're passing in-between us
Take a look at these hands!
Take a look at these hands, you don't have to mention it
No thanks, I'm a government man
[Synth Solo]
[Outro]
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, where the hand has been
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Got time?), and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, where the hand has been
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (I'm not a drowning man)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (And I'm not a burning building)
And the heat goes on (I'm a tumbler)
And the heat goes on (Drowning cannot hurt a man)
Where the hand has been
And the heat goes on (Fire cannot hurt a man)
And the heat goes on (Not the government man)
And the heat goes on (All)
And the heat goes on (I want)
And the heat goes on (Is to breathe)
And the heat goes on (Thank you, thank you)
And the heat goes on (Won't)
And the heat goes on (You breathe)
And the heat goes on (With me?)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Find)
And the heat goes on (A little space)
And the heat goes on (So we)
And the heat goes on (Move in-between) (I'm so thin)
And the heat goes on (And keep)
And the heat goes on (One step ahead)
And the heat goes on (Of yourself)
And the heat goes on (I'm catching up with myself!)
And the heat goes on (All)
And the heat goes on (I want)
And the heat goes on (Is to breathe)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Won't)
And the heat goes on (You breathe)
And the heat goes on (With me?)
And the heat goes on (Hands of a government man)
And the heat goes on (Find)
And the heat goes on (A little space)
And the heat goes on (So we)
And the heat goes on (Move in-between)
And the heat goes on (And keep)
And the heat goes on (One step ahead)
And the heat goes on (Of yourself)
And the heat goes on (Don't you miss it, don't you miss it)
And the heat goes on (All)
And the heat goes on (I want)
And the heat goes on (Is to breathe)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Won't)
And the heat goes on (You breathe)
And the heat goes on (With me?)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Find)
And the heat goes on (A little space)
And the heat goes on (So we)
And the heat goes on (Move in-between)
And the heat goes on (And keep)
And the heat goes on (One step ahead)
And the heat goes on (Of yourself)
Take a look at these hands
Take a look at these hands
The hand speaks
The hand of a government man
Well, I'm a tumbler
Born under punches
I'm so thin
[Chorus 1]
All I want is to breathe (I'm too thin)
Won't you breathe with me?
Find a little space so we move in-between (In-between it)
And keep one step ahead of yourself
[Verse 2]
Don't you miss it? Don't you miss it?
Some 'a you people just about missed it
Last time to make plans, well, I'm a tumbler
I'm a government man
[Chorus 2]
Never seen anything like that before
Falling bodies tumble 'cross the floor (But I'm a tumbler)
When you get to where you wanna be (Thank you, thank you)
When you get to where you wanna be (Yeah, don't even mention it)
[Verse 3]
Take a look at these hands, they're passing in-between us
Take a look at these hands!
Take a look at these hands, you don't have to mention it
No thanks, I'm a government man
[Synth Solo]
[Outro]
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, where the hand has been
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Got time?), and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on, where the hand has been
And the heat goes on, and the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (I'm not a drowning man)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (And I'm not a burning building)
And the heat goes on (I'm a tumbler)
And the heat goes on (Drowning cannot hurt a man)
Where the hand has been
And the heat goes on (Fire cannot hurt a man)
And the heat goes on (Not the government man)
And the heat goes on (All)
And the heat goes on (I want)
And the heat goes on (Is to breathe)
And the heat goes on (Thank you, thank you)
And the heat goes on (Won't)
And the heat goes on (You breathe)
And the heat goes on (With me?)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Find)
And the heat goes on (A little space)
And the heat goes on (So we)
And the heat goes on (Move in-between) (I'm so thin)
And the heat goes on (And keep)
And the heat goes on (One step ahead)
And the heat goes on (Of yourself)
And the heat goes on (I'm catching up with myself!)
And the heat goes on (All)
And the heat goes on (I want)
And the heat goes on (Is to breathe)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Won't)
And the heat goes on (You breathe)
And the heat goes on (With me?)
And the heat goes on (Hands of a government man)
And the heat goes on (Find)
And the heat goes on (A little space)
And the heat goes on (So we)
And the heat goes on (Move in-between)
And the heat goes on (And keep)
And the heat goes on (One step ahead)
And the heat goes on (Of yourself)
And the heat goes on (Don't you miss it, don't you miss it)
And the heat goes on (All)
And the heat goes on (I want)
And the heat goes on (Is to breathe)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Won't)
And the heat goes on (You breathe)
And the heat goes on (With me?)
And the heat goes on
And the heat goes on (Find)
And the heat goes on (A little space)
And the heat goes on (So we)
And the heat goes on (Move in-between)
And the heat goes on (And keep)
And the heat goes on (One step ahead)
And the heat goes on (Of yourself)
more tracks from the album
Once in a Lifetime
- Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town (Alternate Version)
- Love for Sale
- The Big Country
- Stay Hungry
- I’m Not in Love
- Artists Only
- Found a Job
- Warning Sign
- Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
- The Democratic Circus
- Mr. Jones
- Blind
- People Like Us
- City of Dreams
- Love → Building on Fire
- Burning Down the House
- New Feeling (Alternate Version)
- Lifetime Piling Up
- A Clean Break (Let’s Work)
- Sax and Violins
- I Wish You Wouldn’t Say That
- In Asking Land
- Sugar on My Tongue
- Drugs (Alternate Version)
- Cities (Alternate Version)
- Puzzlin’ Evidence
- Wild Wild Life
- The Lady Don’t Mind
- Creatures of Love
- This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
- Swamp
- Slippery People
- Girlfriend Is Better
- Making Flippy Floppy
- Pulled Up
- Psycho Killer
- Don’t Worry About the Government
- The Book I Read
- No Compassion
- Tentative Decisions
- Heaven
- Life During Wartime
- Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
- Houses in Motion
- Memories Can’t Wait
- I Zimbra
- Road to Nowhere
- (Nothing But) Flowers
- Crosseyed and Painless
- Take Me to the River
- Air
- Listening Wind
- Stay Up Late
- And She Was
- Once in a Lifetime
From the albums
- Remain in Light (1980)
- Once in a Lifetime (2003)
Talking Heads popular songs
- Once in a Lifetime
- Psycho Killer
- This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
- Burning Down the House
- Life During Wartime
- Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
- Road to Nowhere
- Crosseyed and Painless
- The Great Curve
- Girlfriend Is Better
- Slippery People
- (Nothing But) Flowers
- Heaven
- Take Me to the River
- And She Was
- Listening Wind
- Don’t Worry About the Government
- Seen and Not Seen
- Making Flippy Floppy
- Houses in Motion
- I Zimbra
- The Overload
- Cities
- Wild Wild Life