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My Gen X Playlist – Psycho Killer – Talking Heads

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I was reading Bloom Planted North’s post about friendship. She has a friend that frequently is at odds with her not so ideal boyfriend and despite the agonizing time and energy she invests in the friendship, she is always there to support her. I admire her patience and loyalty. Not many people could expend that much energy.

It reminded me of a time when a friend was having trouble with his girlfriend. She would get upset whenever he spent time with anyone besides her. He once told me he was in the doghouse because he spent the morning picking up groceries for his sick mother. I just listened and bit my tongue. I didn’t understand why he stayed with her, but I lent an ear and listened as he blew off steam.

One day he called me and said he was done. They broke up. At that point I felt I held a hall pass to go off and not hold back. I started off with something like this.

Dude, that bitch is crazy. You should have dumped her long ago.

And there was plenty more where that came from. He nodded as he listened to my rant. Why not? She was ancient history, right?

Well, not quite.

A few months later I bump into them randomly in the city. Turns out, they were now engaged. I smiled and politely congratulated them. It was awkward, I’ll admit. On my end because it wasn’t that long ago I was calling her a crazy bitch. And he was a little embarrassed because he knew it was a weird backtrack into this challenging relationship. Oh well, I thought. Not my life. But after that incident, I implemented a one year gag rule before I could talk shit about someone’s ex. Better safe than sorry.

The good news is that they’ve been happily married for over fifteen years. They have a few kids and she turned out to be a wonderful person. I’ll chalk up her earlier behavior to immaturity. I’m glad they proved me wrong.

Today’s song choice is the Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer. Not because she is a deranged murderer as the song suggests. She’s not. I just like the lines:

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away

And in my rant, I did tell him to get as far away from her as possible. Far, far, far away. Fortunately he didn’t take my advice from the peanut gallery.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

I can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I
Can't relax
I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me I'm a real live wire

Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away

You start a conversation you can't even finish it
You're talkin' a lot, but you're not sayin' anything
When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed
Say something once, why say it again?

Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away

Ce que j'ai fait, ce soir-là
Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir-là
Réalisant mon espoir
Je me lance, vers la gloire ... OK
We are vain and we are blind
I hate people when they're not polite

Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better
Run run run run run run run away
oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh....

20 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist – Psycho Killer – Talking Heads”

  3. Lol yes it is a good idea to not really let it fly about how you truly feel when friends have gone through a recent breakup! 😂
    In my friend’s case it’s happened so many bloody times, by now she’s well aware of what a terrible bf he is to her but what can ya do?! They always end up back in love 🤷🏻‍♀️🤭
    Thanks for the shoutout!

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  6. Great (and prophetic) song. And I am not a big fan of stories/songs about serial killers; I think it’s been done too much, and I also think they’re like the antithesis of art and humanity.

    And of course I can’t resist: David Byrne’s performance of this in Stop Making Sense is an amazing beginning to the most amazing concert movie of all time. The gunshots/studio noises that knock him off his feet, while he’s singing and dancing to this song on his boom box—pure visual genius.

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  7. Not sure what it says about me that I have this song in my head A LOT. 🙂

    You have a great way of making serious topics feel lighter. Maturing isn’t easy for any of us, and it’s easy to see one part of a thing and take it for the whole, esp. when protective of someone we care about.

    I took some guidance for how to deal with intrusive and pretty awful in-laws from well-meaning and I thought more intelligent friends when young, and boy did I end up regretting it. In my immaturity I wasn’t able to hear my own intuition, which would have led me in better directions.

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    1. I think a part of maturing is stepping in it from time to time. And what a challenging circumstance… awful in laws. I don’t blame you for asking for advice from others. I don’t know what I’d do not only as a young adult, but an old one, too. But I agree with you about following your own intuition. Gotta trust your gut. It usually is the right call.

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      1. Nodding thoughtfully. It does seem to follow that we have to learn how to hear our gut, like driving a car, only by making mistakes and corrections.

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