Music Review: Talk Talk "Talk Talk"
Talk Talk
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Talk Talk
Album: The Party’s Over
Year: 1982
Mark Hollis will no longer allow himself to be manipulated by his girlfriend in the harrowing “Talk Talk.”
Stomping guitars open the single, setting a provoked tone. In the first verse, he denounces her spun words to keep in believing in her. She would say a couple of people at their work told her they didn’t like him. However, she said she told them she stuck by him because he was loyal. It was after a recent outing with them, he felt accepted. But now, he’s stressing out, thinking they were faking.
In the chorus, he calls her out on focusing on herself and not hearing him.
In the second verse, he says able to see how she turns casual conversations back to her with a keen eye. He feels stupid for hanging onto every sentence she ever said to him. She’s only interested in increasing her popularity and getting him to do stuff for her. She will reveal anything about herself that is intimate or important. She’s using him.
The chorus is sung again.
A bruised piano has a solo.
In the bridge, he says he does whatever she recommends him to do. She has power over him as she gives him advice which has sabotaged him. She has never once consulted his opinion or taken him anywhere that would appeal to his interests. He realizes now that she’s been seeing someone else. She’s also been pretending to care and relish his achievements.
The chorus is sung four times to close the single.
Hollis cannot believe she would betray him. He’s spent numerous hours with her and telling his friends about how great she is. Although they thought she was flaky at first, they eventually warmed up to her. However, she never made the same effort with her friends and excluded him. He overlooked it for the first couple months, thinking she was afraid. But he discovered she was embarrassed by him and was only dating him because he was such a pushover.
Hollis’ distressed, bitter vocals rip the skin off the emotion and expose every still bleeding wound.
The stark arrangement reddens with hurt and confusion. It gets inside Hollis’ mind as he remembers what he shared with her and struggles to understand why she couldn’t love him.
The emotional “Talk Talk” is unforgettable.
Album: The Party’s Over
Year: 1982
Mark Hollis will no longer allow himself to be manipulated by his girlfriend in the harrowing “Talk Talk.”
Stomping guitars open the single, setting a provoked tone. In the first verse, he denounces her spun words to keep in believing in her. She would say a couple of people at their work told her they didn’t like him. However, she said she told them she stuck by him because he was loyal. It was after a recent outing with them, he felt accepted. But now, he’s stressing out, thinking they were faking.
“Well did I tell you before/When I was up/Anxiety was bringing me down/I'm tired of listening to you/Talking in rhymes/
Twisting round to make me think/You're straight down the line.”
In the chorus, he calls her out on focusing on herself and not hearing him.
“All you do to me is talk talk/Talk talk talk talk/All you do to me is talk talk/Talk talk/All you do to me is talk talk.”
In the second verse, he says able to see how she turns casual conversations back to her with a keen eye. He feels stupid for hanging onto every sentence she ever said to him. She’s only interested in increasing her popularity and getting him to do stuff for her. She will reveal anything about herself that is intimate or important. She’s using him.
“If every sign that I see is complete/Then I'm a fool in your game/And all you want to do/Is tell me your lies/Won't show the other side/You're just wasting my time.”
The chorus is sung again.
A bruised piano has a solo.
In the bridge, he says he does whatever she recommends him to do. She has power over him as she gives him advice which has sabotaged him. She has never once consulted his opinion or taken him anywhere that would appeal to his interests. He realizes now that she’s been seeing someone else. She’s also been pretending to care and relish his achievements.
“When every choice that I make is yours/Keep telling me what's right and what's wrong/Don't you ever stop to think about me/I'm not that blind to see/That you've been cheating on me/I see you when you're laughing at me when I'm up/I see you crying for me when I'm down/Laughing at me when I'm up/Crying for me.”
The chorus is sung four times to close the single.
Hollis cannot believe she would betray him. He’s spent numerous hours with her and telling his friends about how great she is. Although they thought she was flaky at first, they eventually warmed up to her. However, she never made the same effort with her friends and excluded him. He overlooked it for the first couple months, thinking she was afraid. But he discovered she was embarrassed by him and was only dating him because he was such a pushover.
Hollis’ distressed, bitter vocals rip the skin off the emotion and expose every still bleeding wound.
The stark arrangement reddens with hurt and confusion. It gets inside Hollis’ mind as he remembers what he shared with her and struggles to understand why she couldn’t love him.
The emotional “Talk Talk” is unforgettable.