Talking Heads - Take Me To The River

Take Me To The River was a cover of a song by Al Green. The Talking Heads recorded it for their second album More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978). Their version, recorded with co-producer Brian Eno in Nassau, Bahamas, was initially resisted by Byrne who felt the band should not release a cover. Eventually convinced, Eno suggested that they play the song as slow as possible, before adding his own effects to it. The song was edited and released as a single, and reached #26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1979, as well as hitting the singles charts in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Thomas Ryan wrote of Talking Heads' version that it "broadsided the status quo by combining the best ingredients of conventional pop music and classic soul music, stirring them together, and then presenting the mix in the guise of punk rock." The Talking Heads version introduced the song to a whole new audience and was popular in that genre as well.

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I don't know why I love her like I do
All the changes you put me through
Take my money, my cigarettes
I haven't seen the worst of it yet

[Pre-Chorus]
I wanna know, can you tell me
Am I in love to stay?

[Chorus]
Take me to the river, drop me in the water
Take me to the river, dip me in the water
Washing me down, washing me down

[Verse 2]
I don't know why you treat me so bad
Think of all the things that we could have had
Love is a notion that I can't forget
My sweet sixteen I would never regret

[Pre-Chorus]
I wanna know, can you tell me?
Am I in love to stay?

[Chorus]
Take me to the river, drop me in the water
Push me in the river, dip me in the water
Washing me down, washing me

[Bridge]
Hug me, squeeze me, love me, tease me
Till I can't, till I can't, I can't take no more

[Chorus]
Dip me in the water, drop me in the river
Push me in the water, drop me in the river
Washing me down, washing me down

[Verse 3]
I don't know why I love her like I do
All the trouble you put me through
Sixteen candles there on my wall
And here am I, the biggest fool of them all

[Pre-Chorus]
I wanna know, can you tell me?
Am I in love to stay?

[Chorus]
Take me to the river, drop me in the water
Dip me in the river, drop me in the water
Washing me down, washing me down
Ooh, a-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya

[Outro]
Ooh, a na na na
A na na na na, ah!
A na na na, hoo!
A na na na, ooh!
A na na na na, hoo!
Ha! Na na na na, ah!
Na na na na na
Na na na na