This Must be the Playlist: David Byrne shares his perfect Valentine’s Day tracks
David Byrne and romance might not be immediately synonymous in the world of music, nevertheless, the former Talking Heads frontman and ‘Making Flippy Floppy’ singer has rattled off a cracking new playlist for Valentine’s Day.
“This playlist consists mostly of recent songs I’ve added to my playlists. Some of these artists and songs were mentioned to me by friends, newspapers, and algorithms. They are not all love songs, but many of them are very popular!” the suited singer wrote.
He then proceeded to muse on the festive day itself. “Who was Saint Valentine?” the musician rhetorically asks. “Well, he was a martyr in 3rd century Rome. He is now the patron saint of asthma sufferers and beekeepers… and lovers!”
Expanding on his knowledge of the patron saint of greetings card companies, he added: “He was an avid Christian proselytizer, and was arrested by roman authorities on more than one occasion. One judge asked him to perform a miracle and restore his daughter’s sight- which he did, and in return the judge and his entire family converted and smashed all of their lovely statues- per Valentine’s suggestion.”
Concluding: Later, Valentine was arrested again – this time he wasn’t so lucky. His sentence was to be beaten by clubs and then beheaded. Before his execution, he wrote to the formerly blind daughter a note signed from your Valentine’.” So, there you have it, thanks David.
As for the playlist, the American Utopia star included the likes of Billie Eilish, Andrew Bird, Benjamin Clementine, The Arcs, Selena Gomez, Dry Cleaning, Steve Lacy, and perhaps quite controversially, Arcade Fire.
It’s certainly not your traditional assortment of ‘Lady in Red’ love songs, but it is a perfect paradigm for Byrne’s peculiar ways as an artist. Find the playlist below.
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