Life during Wartime (song)

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“Life during Wartime”
Single by Talking Heads from the album Fear of Music
Released	1979
Genre	New Wave
Length	3:41
Label	Sire Records
Writer(s)	David Byrne Chris Frantz Jerry Harrison Tina Weymouth
Producer	Brian Eno
Talking Heads singles chronology
"Take Me to the River" (1979) "Life during Wartime" (1980) "I Zimbra" (1983)

“Life during Wartime (Live)”
Single by Talking Heads from the album Stop Making Sense
Released	1982
Format	12"
Genre	New Wave
Length	5:52
Label	Sire Records
Writer(s)	David Byrne Jerry Harrison Tina Weymouth Chris Frantz
Producer	Gary Goetzman
Talking Heads singles chronology
"Houses in Motion (Remix)" (1981) "Life during Wartime (Live)" (1984) "Burning Down the House" (1983)

"Life during Wartime" is a song by New Wave band Talking Heads. It first appeared on Fear of Music in 1979. Its live version from Stop Making Sense in 1983 was released as a single, which peaked at #80 on the Pop Singles Chart.

The song's lyrics tell of a civil insurrection in the USA (the cities Houston, Detroit and Pittsburgh are mentioned by name) with the singer commenting on various activities involving an apparent guerrilla movement. ("Transmit the message, to the receiver / hope for an answer some day / I got three passports, a couple of visas / you don't even know my real name.") The singer laments that due to having to live underground, he can't go to night clubs. A phrase from the lyrics, "This ain't no party / This ain't no disco", became a catchphrase in the Punk Rock and New Wave music genres.

The song was covered and is used at live shows by Welsh indie alternative band, The Automatic.

v • d • e Talking Heads David Byrne | Jerry Harrison | Tina Weymouth | Chris Frantz Studio Albums Talking Heads: 77 (1977) | More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978) | Fear of Music (1979) | Remain in Light (1980) | Speaking in Tongues (1983) | Little Creatures (1985) | True Stories (1986) | Naked (1988) The Heads Albums No Talking, Just Head (1996) Live Albums The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads (1982) | Stop Making Sense (1984) Compilations Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites (1992) | Once in a Lifetime (2003) | The Best of Talking Heads (2004) | Brick (2005) | Bonus Rarities and Outtakes (2006) Filmography Stop Making Sense (1984) | True Stories (1986) | Storytelling Giant (1988)