The Curious Lyrics and a Venn Diagram

There are curious parallels between the Talking Heads hit "Burning Down the House" and world-wide unrest. As yet these parallels have gone unnoticed. However, if you take a second look at the gripes of the former Tea Party and the Occupy movement in light of the lyrics - well let us just do that.

Talking Heads "Burning Down The House"

Songwriters: BYRNE, DAVID / WEYMOUTH, TINA / FRANTZ, CHRIS / HARRISON, JERRY HARRISON

Watch out, you might get what you're after
Cool babies, strange but not a stranger
I'm an ordinary guy
Burning down the house

Hold tight, wait 'till the party's over
Hold tight, we're in for nasty weather
There has got to be a way
Burning down the house

Here's your ticket, pack your bags, time for jumpin' overboard
Transportation is here
Close enough but not too far, maybe you know where you are
Fightin' fire with fire

All wet, hey you might need a raincoat
Shakedown, dreams walking in broad daylight
Three hundred sixty five degrees
Burning down the house

It was once upon a place, sometimes I listen to myself
Gonna come in first place
People on their way to work said, "Baby what did you except?"
Gonna burst into flame, go ahead
Burning down the house

My house is out of the ordinary
That's right, don't want to hurt nobody
Some things sure can sweep me off my feet
Burning down the house

No visible means of support and you have not seen nothin' yet
Everything's stuck together
I don't know what you expect staring into the TV set
Fighting fire with fire

Burning down the house
Burning down the house
Burning down the house

found at www.songmeanings.net

The forum on the source site debates nuclear war as the inspiration; however the writer David Byrne tells a much simpler tale. Nevertheless, the content in each couplet could just as easily apply to the twin gripes of the two movements; big government and corporate greed.

From the British Guardian via 
kasamaproject.org. Photos by Jay Finneburgh.

Add to the mix the outcry against police in half a dozen cities for brutal crowd handling and the imminent mobilization of 20,000 troops on American soil by the Commander-in-Chief, President Obama and a very volital mix is brewing that winter may not quell. Sadly, this last bit is old news from the previous administration. While we were distracted and sleeping two administrations have slipped this one in under our noses.

In no way are the comparisons meant to motivate escalation on any side of the equation; however it is something to think about.

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• That Tea Party-Occupy Wall Street Venn Diagram (businessinsider.com)

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