• Song:

    The Big Country

  • Artist:

    Talking Heads

  • Album:

    Popular Favorites 1976-...

#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
From: Harlan L Thompson 

THE BIG COUNTRY- The Talking Heads

C D F  F G (rpt 3 more times)
   C        D     F               F G
I see the shapes, I remember from maps
  C         D        F              F G
I see the shoreline, I see the whitecaps
  C          D       F                 F G
A baseball diamond, nice weather down there
   C        D      F                         F    G
I see the schools, and the houses where the kids are
  C         D  F                       F   G
Places to park, by the factories and buildings
 C               D   F                 F   G
Restaurants and bars for later in the evening
 Am                      G    F                       G
Then we come to the farmlands and the undeveloped areas
 Am               G      F                    G
And I have learned how these things work together
  Am               G F                        G
I see the parkways that passes through them all
 Am              G  F                        G
And I have learned how to look at these things

CHORUS
           Bb          F                   Eb
And I say, I wouldn't live there if you paid me
Bb          F                Eb
I wouldn't live there, ooh, no siree
Bb          F                Eb
I wouldn't do the things the way those people do
Bb          F                 Eb
I wouldn't live there if you paid me to


I guess it's healthy, I guess the air is clean
And I guess those people have fun with their neighbors and friends
Look at that kitchen and all of that food
Look at them eat, I guess it tastes real good
 Am                              G  F                          F  G
They're growin' in those farmlands, then they bring it to the stores
 Am                            G  F                      F  G
They put it in their car trunks, then they bring it back home
CHORUS

I'm tired of looking out the window of the airplane
I'm tired of travelling, I want to be somewhere
And it's not even worth talking about those people down there
 Bb              F              Eb
Do do da da da   Do do da da da Do do
(keep on doing chorus with various noises)
(eventually hold the Eb a while and end on Bb)


(from More Songs About Buildings and Food, 1978)
(sent by Harlan at harlant@hawaii.edu)
Show more