Two years before R.E.M. proclaimed "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," Talking Heads shared the sentiment on their single "Road To Nowhere," a deceptively upbeat pop-rock tune about facing a dire future with optimism. "I wanted to write a song that presented a resigned, even joyful look at doom," Talking Heads singer David Byrne recalled in the liner notes of Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads. "At our deaths and at the apocalypse… (always looming, folks). I think it succeeded..."
Song Lyrics:
[Intro]
Well, we know where we're goin'
But we don't know where we've been
And we know what we're knowin'
But we can't say what we've seen
And we're not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it out
[Verse 1]
We're on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin' that ride to nowhere
We'll take that ride
I'm feelin' okay this mornin'
And you know
We're on a road to paradise
Here we go, here we go
[Verse 2]
We're on a ride to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin' that ride to nowhere
We'll take that ride
Maybe you wonder where you are
I don't care
Here is where time is on our side
Take you there, take you there
[Chorus]
We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere
[Bridge]
There's a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it's all right, baby it's all right
And it's very far away
But it's growing day by day
And it's all right, baby it's all right
Would you like to come along?
And you could help me sing this song
And it's all right, baby it's all right
They can tell you what to do
But they'll make a fool of you
And it's all right, baby it's all right
There's a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it's all right, baby it's all right
And it's very far away
But it's growing day by day
And it's all right, baby it's all right
Would you like to come along?
You could help me sing this song
And it's all right, baby it's all right
They can tell you what to do
But they'll make a fool of you
And it's all right, baby it's all right
[Chorus]
We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere
We're on a road to nowhere