Road to Nowhere

For other uses, see Road to Nowhere (disambiguation).

"Road to Nowhere" is a song by the American band Talking Heads from their 1985 album Little Creatures. The song was written by David Byrne^[2][3] and released as a single in 1985. It reached No. 25 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and entered the top 10 in eight other countries. It appeared on Best of Talking Heads, Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites, the Once in a Lifetime box set and the Brick box set.

"Road to Nowhere"
Single by Talking Heads
from the album Little Creatures
B-side	"Television Man"
Released	June 3, 1985 (1985-06-03)[1]
Length	4:19 (album version) 3:59 (single edit)
Label	Sire
Songwriter(s)	David Byrne
Producer(s)	Talking Heads
Talking Heads singles chronology
"The Lady Don't Mind" (1985) "Road to Nowhere" (1985) "And She Was" (1985)

Production

"I wanted to write a song that presented a resigned, even joyful look at doom," recalls David Byrne 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. The front bit, the white gospel choir, is kind of tacked on, 'cause I didn't think the rest of the song was enough... I mean, it was only two chords. So, out of embarrassment, or shame, I wrote an intro section that had a couple more in it."

Reception

Cash Box said that "this marching single which features David Byrne's soothing lead vocal is a curious and circus-ride look at life."^[4] Billboard said that within the song "a cappella gospel leads into Louisiana hootenanny."^[5]

Music video

The video for the song was directed by Byrne and Stephen R. Johnson and features the band and various objects revolving, including boxes revolving around David Byrne's head. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz portray a couple growing older, and masked businessmen pummel each other with briefcases and a runaway shopping cart, as if in their own "road to nowhere".

Some parts were shot in the back yard and pool of actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who was co-writing Byrne's film True Stories at the time.^[6] Scenes were also shot at Calvary Baptist Church in Hi Vista, California. Director Johnson re-used some of the effects techniques in award-winning videos for Peter Gabriel the following year: "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time".

It was nominated for Best Video of the Year at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, losing out to "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.

Personnel

Talking Heads

• David Byrne – lead vocals and backing vocals, electric guitar
• Jerry Harrison – organ and backing vocals
• Tina Weymouth – bass and backing vocals
• Chris Frantz – drums

Additional musicians

• Andrew Cader – washboard
• Erin Dickens – backing vocals
• Diva Gray – backing vocals
• Gordon Grody – backing vocals
• Lani Groves – backing vocals
• Jimmy Macdonell – accordion
• Lenny Pickett – saxophone
• Steve Scales – tambourine
• Kurt Yaghjian – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1985) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 16 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 9 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 51 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[11] 6 Ireland (IRMA)[12] 6 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 10 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 5 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[16] 6 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 15 UK Singles (OCC)[18] 6 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[19] 25 West Germany (GfK)[20] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1985) Position Belgium (Ultratop)[21] 60 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 80 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 82 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 79

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[25]	Platinum	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[26]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions and other uses

• Charlie Crist, in his unsuccessful 2010 run for the U.S. Senate in Florida, used the song in a campaign video without obtaining permission. David Byrne sued for copyright infringement and, in a legal settlement, Crist issued a video apology for his improper use.

Final track in the classic 1989 Fred Savage movie Little Monsters