Released: September 15, 1986
Songwriter: David Byrne
Producer: Talking Heads
[Verse 1]
In 1950 when I was born
Papa couldn't afford to buy us much
He said be proud of what you are
There's something special 'bout people like us
[Chorus]
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing as big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love
Someone to love
[Verse 2]
I was called upon in the 3rd grade class
I gave my answer and it caused a fuss
I'm not the same as ev'ryone else
And times were hard for people like us
[Chorus]
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing as big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love
Someone to love
[Bridge]
What good is freedom?
God laughs at people like us
I see it coming
Like a light coming down from above
[Verse 3]
The clouds roll by and the moon comes up
How long must we live in the heat of the sun
Millions of people are waitin' on love
And this is a song about people like us
[Chorus]
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love
[Outro]
Someone to love[x3]
In 1950 when I was born
Papa couldn't afford to buy us much
He said be proud of what you are
There's something special 'bout people like us
[Chorus]
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing as big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love
Someone to love
[Verse 2]
I was called upon in the 3rd grade class
I gave my answer and it caused a fuss
I'm not the same as ev'ryone else
And times were hard for people like us
[Chorus]
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing as big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love
Someone to love
[Bridge]
What good is freedom?
God laughs at people like us
I see it coming
Like a light coming down from above
[Verse 3]
The clouds roll by and the moon comes up
How long must we live in the heat of the sun
Millions of people are waitin' on love
And this is a song about people like us
[Chorus]
People like us
(Who will answer the telephone)
People like us
(Growing big as a house)
People like us
(Gonna make it because)
We don't want freedom
We don't want justice
We just want someone to love
[Outro]
Someone to love[x3]
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
- True Stories (1986)
- 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