My One Song/Three Versions posts are about nothing more than showing the creative ways other artists can take a song and give it a different spin. These versions may never replace the original in your estimation. But give them credit for trying. 

Wikipedia: “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” is a song by new wave band Talking Heads. The closing track of its fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues was released in November 1983 as the second and final studio single from the album. The lyrics were written by frontman David Byrne, and the music was written by Byrne and the other members of the band, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison.

Byrne intended the song to be a love song without the clichés of the genre. The parenthesized title refers to the simple (“naïve”) construction of the song, which is framed on a sparse ostinato (continually repeated musical phrase) that lasts for the song’s duration”

I remember years ago asking a friend what his favorite Talking Heads song was and he singled this one out. I went back and give it a listen and while it’s not my favorite, it is something totally unexpected from the band who wrote “Psycho Killer” – a love song.

What triggered this post was not only hearing a cover on the radio but just now catching the end of a TV show and heating a choir singing it. I had to stop for a minute to recognize it and I have no idea what connection it had to the show. But I knew I had to do this post.

Home – is where I want to be
But I guess I’m already there
I come home – she lifted up her wings
I guess that this must be the place

I can’t tell one from another
Did I find you, or you find me?
There was a time
Before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I’ll be… where I’ll be

Remember Shawn Colvin? She’s been around quite a while as a singer/songwriter and grew up listening to her father’s folk tunes. Her biggest hit was back in 1998 when she did a tune called “Sunny Came Home.”

From what I can read about her she hasn’t done much new stuff in the past few years. At 67 maybe she’s just burnt out. This version of the tune was recorded live at New York’s Bottom Line. Where the Heads’ version managed to be sweet and quirky at the same time, Colvin does a nice job here of teasing out the inherent beauty of the love song:

And you can always count on Berklee (where I studied jazz guitar last year) to come up with cool versions of songs. Based on the video, these kids will be much better musicians than dancers. Fun, nevertheless:

Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me around
I feel numb, born with a weak heart
I guess I must be having fun
The less we say about it, the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground, head in the sky
It’s okay, I know nothing’s wrong, nothing
I, I got plenty of time

I, you got light in your eyes
And you’re standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money, always for love
Cover up and say goodnight, say goodnight

Home is where I want to be
But I guess I’m already there
I come home, she lifted up her wings
I guess that this must be the place
I can’t tell one from another
Did I find you, or you find me?
There was a time before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I’ll be, where I’ll be

I, we drift in and out
I, sing into my mouth
Out of all those kinds of people
You got a face with a view
I’m just an animal looking for a home
And share the same space for a minute or two

And you love me ’til my heart stops
Love me ’til I’m dead
Eyes that light up, eyes look through you
Cover up the blank spots
Hit me on the head, I got
“Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh”