Naked Tabs:
- (Nothing But) Flowers »
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
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from: Christian Korbanka, Cologne, Germany
e-mail: Christian_Korbanka@msn.com
lyrics and chords of: (Nothing But) Flowers by The Talking Heads
I am not quite happy with the chords. So, if you know better:
Suggestions and corrections are always welcome!
date: 95/10/15
C Em
Here we stand like an Adam and an Eve
Dm G
Waterfalls, the Garden of Eden
C Em
Two fools in love so beautiful and strong
Dm G
The birds in the trees are smiling upon them
B Em B Em
From the age of the dinosaurs cars have run on gasoline
C Em C Dm
Where, where have they gone? Now, it's nothing but flowers
C G F C
There was a factory, now there are mountains and rivers
G F
You got it, you got it
C G F C
We caught a rattlesnake, now we've got something for dinner
G F
You got it, you got it
D A G D
There was a shopping mall, now it's all covered with flowers
A G
You got it, you got it
D A G D
If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower
A G
You got it, you got it
C Em
Years ago I was an angry young man
Dm G
I'd pretend that I was a billboard
C Em
Standing tall by the side of the road
Dm G
I fell in love with a beautiful highway
B Em B Em
This used to be real estate, now it's only fields and trees
C Em C Dm
Where, where is the town? Now, it's nothing but flowers
Dm A Dm A
The highways and cars were sacrificed for agriculture
Fm C Fm G
I thought that we'd start all over, but I guess I was wrong
C G F C
Once there were parking lots, now it's a peaceful oasis
G F
You got it, you got it
C G F C
This was a Pizza Hut, now it's all covered with daisies
G F
You got it, you got it
D A G D
I miss the Honky Tonks, Dairy Queens and 7-Elevens
A G
You got it, you got it
D A G D
And as things fell apart, nobody payed much attention
A G
You got it, you got it
D A G D
I dream of cherry pies, candy bars and chocolate chip cookies
A G
You got it, you got it
D A G D
We used to microwave, now we just eat nuts and berries
A G
You got it, you got it
D A G D
This was a discount store, now it's turned into a cornfield
A G
You got it, you got it
D A G D
Don't leave me stranded here, I can't get used to this lifestyle
Seite 1 von 2
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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No Picture
Peter Wanna Be |
#1 by Peter Lambden at Jun 4, 1972 at 4:19 PM EST |
| What just about every Tom, Dick, and Carlos here said. I mean, we fantasize about trees and flowers and butterflies and lush romantic parks, but if we really did live in an environment like that, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if there were no houses or streets or offices or fast food companies. We've gotten so civilized that we can't see ourselves reverting to living like "apes." | |
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No Picture
kyle Badass |
#2 by kyle .,., at Jul 28, 1972 at 9:15 AM EST |
| A very environmental song with a definant ironic twist. Like with what ohpioneer has said, we always want more and an Eden-like world would never be enough. We'll up destroying ourselves and not having a clue as to what to afterwards. And oh how I love the part about the billboard.... | |
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ian Average |
#3 by ian mckinly at Nov 18, 1974 at 4:14 AM EST |
| I think it's basically kind of a statement about how we could tear down all the stores and factories, and if we really wanted to we could get by as a hunter/gatherer society in a way that preserves the earth rather than destroys it, but most of the people who could make these changes wouldn't be able to adjust to the loss of all the conveniences. So many people have become completely dependent on technology, so it's not likely we'll be making these environmentalist changes any time soon. | |
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No Picture
Neal Average |
#4 by Neal Breen at Jun 14, 1975 at 11:50 PM EST |
| magpiemaniac has got it! david byrne an anti-enviornmentalist?! no way. its just irony... byrne compares the earth without materialism as a type of garden of eden and humans as adams and eves. and arent we supposed to be satisfied with what was available to us... this garden of eden that offers us everything? but because were human, we are never satisfied, just like the character in this song. i think byrne is saying that now that we have manipulated the earth to reap its benefits and instilled this sense of materialism there is no going back to the days of the garden of eden or the days of hunters and gathers beucase all of us we think like the character in this song. "i cant used to this life style!!" and thats the worst part. we'd actually miss dairy queens and parking lots. | |
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No Picture
Secondhand Smok Wanna Be |
#5 by Secondhand Smoka at Oct 12, 1979 at 6:42 AM EST |
| Yah, good song. But it is also the only "anti-enviormentalist" song I have ever heard. Usually people are singing about saving the trees, parks, wetlands, etc, etc, etc.... | |
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No Picture
geoff Average |
#6 by geoff at Jan 5, 1985 at 3:54 AM EST |
| I think samadriel's comments are right on the money (or coconuts, or whatever is currency after the apocalypse). Whether or not the song is "sarcastic" is a moot point if you consider that the narrator of the song is NOT David Byrne himself, and does not speak for him. I think the character should be seen as kinda pathetic, but is he really that different from the rest of us? The brilliance of this song is that Byrne uses his own voice to present a character that we should simultaneously laugh at and pity, and recognize as similar to us. It's a brave move, considering that people in this country don't seem to get irony and dry humor. | |
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No Picture
christian Average |
#7 by christian parnell at Jul 28, 1986 at 6:38 PM EST |
| I think the song could be taken as a meditation on the twisting of our 'human nature' by civilisation; a post-apocalyptic paradise has arisen, and we should all be joyful that we, and the Earth, have been given a second chance; instead, the narrator pines for the old conveniences he had before the fall. It's quite cute, really; the petty little things he misses, the microwaves, Dairy Queens and 7-11s -- heck, I know I'd miss my insulin if I were in his position! "I can't get used to this lifestyle!" | |
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No Picture
Carly Average |
#8 by Carly at Oct 27, 1989 at 6:43 PM EST |
| what magpiemaniac and ohpioneer said... dead on the money, no other comment but to commend them on their well worded interpretations... | |
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No Picture
Ziggy Professional |
#9 by Ziggy at Apr 17, 1992 at 12:31 PM EST |
| If I didn't know better, I'd say this song is about peak oil and the aftermath. It fits the theory to a T. If you don't know what peak oil is.. the song should give enough clues. Or look on wiki. | |
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No Picture
Ulti` Average |
#10 by Ulti` 89 at Oct 3, 2007 at 4:00 AM EST |
| I always took this a little bit tongue-in-cheek. I can't find anything that David Byrne says about it, so maybe I am wrong. | |
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No Picture
Ryan Average |
#11 by Ryan Jones at Oct 6, 2007 at 1:33 AM EST |
| it reminds me of a mr natural comic i saw many years ago. mr natural sits down and meditates in the desert. as he meditates they build shopping malls, denny's, a suburb around him and he is oblivious. then, i think, he starts "ooommmmmmmmm . . . " and all the development is blown away. then he stands up and says, "good session." no, i don't think the song is about that comic - it just reminds me of it when i hear it. | |
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No Picture
Aaron Wanna Be |
#12 by Aaron Frederick at Oct 7, 2007 at 3:51 PM EST |
| Personally, I think this song is about a universe "slider" who gets caught in this one universe where everyone is more environmentally intelligent. Too environmentally intelligent. And this "slider" is walking around the area that was once a city, remembering the old universe, and missing it's convienences. ("Pizza Hut", "7-Elevens", etc.) Other than that, it could be devolution, and this guy is the only one who misses the old days of modren times. | |
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No Picture
justin Average |
#13 by justin tompkins at Oct 8, 2007 at 12:17 AM EST |
| I'm pretty sure he's being sarcastic. I think it's about the environment but more specifically about urban sprawl. People move to the countryside to get away from the bustle of the cities, but then they miss all their old conveniences and want the city life back. So all the chains spread out into the suburbs and the countryside and you get all these Pizza Huts and convenience stores...something people were moving away from in the first place. Brilliant song. | |
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No Picture
Kyle Average |
#14 by Kyle at Oct 9, 2007 at 12:58 PM EST |
| Hard to tell if he is sarcastic or not. But if it's not sarcastic, I completely agree with DevastatorJr.'s take on it. We all dream and think how we are destroying the world and ruining it all, I believe the same exact thing, but the truth of the matter is, if one day everyone collectively decided to get rid of all the things so common in our times now, we'd be completely lost. No quick meals to make, no cars to get places quicker, no videogames or television to pass the time. No ice cream. No things we've grown up recognizing and appreciating. But maybe, if it's somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it's telling us, we should start recognizing and appreciating the non-synthetic things in this world, and start realizing that what we have is just a bunch of things to pass the time quicker and keep us from realizing the beauty in the natural world. | |
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No Picture
Allen Average |
#15 by Allen Stone at Oct 10, 2007 at 2:36 PM EST |
| I think this song is about the way some of us tend to idealize "nature", or primitivistic, edenic fantasies, when the truth is, if we were all of a sudden transported to a place like that, we'd have no idea what to do with ourselves. I love the part about the highway. | |
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No Picture
SLUT Badass |
#16 by SLUT at Oct 10, 2007 at 3:49 PM EST |
| It's irony, people. Sweet irony. As a veteran of numerous TK and David Bryne (post-TK) concerts, I can tell you that this song anything but anti-environmentalism. It's about the post-modern disconnection between nature and ourselves. Oil and guns makes killing convenient. Just go watch the video and you'll see. The last time I saw Flowers played live was fall of '04. Bryne sounded as great as ever. | |
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No Picture
Travis Wanna Be |
#17 by Travis Alford at Oct 13, 2007 at 10:29 PM EST |
| This song is about de-evolution | |
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cody Average |
#18 by cody champion at Oct 15, 2007 at 1:31 AM EST |
| He's in some sort of future where humans live simply and in harmony with the environment, and he misses the old convieniences. Whiner. *laughs* I still love this song. | |
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No Picture
Zach Rhythm Player |
#19 by Zach at Oct 16, 2007 at 1:06 PM EST |
| I always thought the greatness of this song was that it reversed time. People have a tendency to long for the past, and that is just what happens in this song. It's just that time was reversed, but in the singer's experience the "green fields" are new to him and the "Diary Queens and 7-Elevens" are part of his memory. That is so original and cool. | |
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No Picture
Mat Average |
#20 by Mat Hancock at Oct 16, 2007 at 8:13 PM EST |
| Reverse psycology? hes trying to get us to understand how important nature is perhaps. | |
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No Picture
Jarrett Lead Player |
#21 by Jarrett Sandlin at Oct 20, 2007 at 8:27 PM EST |
| I like the contrast with songs like "Big Yellow Taxi", which complains that they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. Here we have someone in the opposite position. Where'd my parking lot go? Maybe civilization isn't all bad. | |
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