The collaboration between David Byrne and St. Vincent continued last night on the Letterman Show.  The artists and their big band reeled off the best song, I Should Watch TV, off of their album from last year Love This Giant.  Byrne has said the following about the song that was inspired by Walt Whitman’s poem Song For Myself:  “In the poem, he begins by talking about himself and then extrapolates outward: ‘I am multitudes, I am everybody, everybody is in me, I love everybody.’  He talks about people he sees on the street, the people he sees in Brooklyn, in New Jersey, and on and on– how he’s in all of them and they’re all in him.  That’s taking the idea of watching other peoples’ lives on television to a more cosmic place.”  Check out David Byrne at his theatrical best with horns and band killin’ below.  The song’s lyrics follow the video.

“I used to think that I should watch TV
I used to think that it was good for me
Wanted to know what folks were thinking
To understand the land I live in
And I would lose myself
And it would set me free

This is the place where common people go
A global franchise; one department store
Yes, there were many awkward moments
I had to do some self-atonement
Well, if I opened up
Well, it would set me free

I know, I like
Behold and love this giant
Big soul, big lips
That’s me and I am this
Everybody is a touched up hairdo
Everybody’s in the passing lane
Had a reason that she touched all channels
The weird things that live in there

I took a walk down to the park today
I wrote a song called ‘Just Like You and Me’
I heard the jokes from the sports reporter
The rival teams when they faced each other
The more I lost myself,
The more it set me free

How am I not your brother
How are you not like me
Everybody’s in the hotel lobby
I’m living in here, yes I am
I feel it moving in my arms and fingers
Touch me, Feel happy

It’s good to lose and it’s good to win sometimes
It’s good to die and it’s good be alive
Maybe someday we can stand together
Not afraid of what we see
Maybe someday understand them better
The weird things inside of me”