Stirling Psycho

Today’s Song Lyric Sunday is to find a song that was written or performed by someone who was born in the month of November.

This may be a stretch, but I’m going with Tina Weymouth (DOB 11/22/1950) who was a founding member of Talking Heads. She is credited with co-writing Psycho Killer. Her writing contribution was the French thrown into the song (Qu’est-ce que c’est?) along with playing the bass that is so integral to the song.

I was a teenager in the ’70s when this song was a hit. Did I listen to it then? No. Did I listen to Talking Heads? No. I’m late to this party.

I stumbled into Psycho Killer via a Scottish band called Stramash. They have a song called Stirling Psycho.

When I typed “Stirling Psycho” into the search bar, I had AI questioning me.

Did I mean “Stirling Psychology” and want to learn about the Department of Psychology at the University of Stirling? — No, I did not.

Did I mean “stir-psycho” which is prison slang for stir-crazy? — No, I did not.

Did I mean “Clarice Starling”, the iconic FBI trainee who squares off against a psychopath in the legendary psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs? — No, I did not.

I meant Stirling Psycho, a song by Stramash, a Celtic/Folk/Rock Band. They fuse traditional Scottish songs with rock songs, like, say, taking Stirling Brig, a traditional ballad about The Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, and riffing into Psycho Killer, a song by Talking Heads.

Here are all the things I love about this song:

• It’s an earworm. Be prepared.
• The Stramash version is a fusion of two different stories/sounds/cultures. We need more reaching across the aisle, don’t you think?
• The Talking Heads video is just funny. There’s no blood or gore, just suggested/relatable psycho-crazy.

The Stramash version is 8 minutes (it includes Stirling Brig). I recommend Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer video which is a little over 4 minutes; as I said above, the video is fun/funny. Choose your poison. Maybe I shouldn’t say that. It makes me sound like a psycho killer.

The lyrics are at the end.

Lyrics

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-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh

You start a conversation, you can’t even finish it
You’re talking a lot, but you’re not saying 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-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya

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, okay
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
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-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh
Psycho Killer
Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ai-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Chris Frantz / David Byrne / Tina Weymouth
Psycho Killer lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc