‘Once In A Lifetime’: The classic Talking Heads song Tom Hanks couldn’t live without
Although they got their start within the dark underground of New York’s East Side punk scene during the 1970s, Talking Heads went on to enjoy a kind of universal appeal not afforded to many groups of the time. While their CBGB comrades, like The Ramones and Television seemed dedicated to the abrasive nature of the punk rock revolution, the David Byrne-fronted group were keen to embrace a wide variety of sounds and influences. Perhaps that is why, even decades after their dissolution, Talking Heads maintain something of a legendary status within the world of alternative music.
Originally formed at the Rhode Island School of Design, Talking Heads wouldn’t really kick into gear until their move to New York in 1975. Their first gig would see them supporting none other than The Ramones at the now iconic CBGB club, but Byrne realised pretty quickly that his outfit had to set itself apart from the distorted and repetitive sounds of punk rock. While he always maintained that revolutionary spirit, he would go on to imbue his music with influences ranging from psychedelic rock to Afrobeat.
Clearly, this sonic menagerie paid off for Byrne and company, as Talking Heads went on to become one of the defining bands of the new wave age, earning themselves some notable hit singles in the process. For young people growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Talking Heads was the definitive soundtrack for anybody willing to go against the grain. Enter Tom Hanks, who was perfectly positioned to witness this pivotal moment in pop history.
Only a few years younger than David Byrne himself and with an unwavering adoration for artistic expression, it should come as no surprise that Hanks was a Talking Heads fan. After all, the band were virtually unavoidable during the late 1970s, around the same time that Hanks moved to New York to embark upon a successful acting career.
Back in 2016, Hanks appeared as a guest on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs programme, selecting the tracks he could not live without. Within that selection sat Talking Heads’ most recognisable hit, ‘Once In A Lifetime’, which is a particular favourite of the actor. “Remember when music videos first came out?” he shared, “This should not have looked as good as it did”.
Expanding upon his love for the track, and its truly iconic music video, Hanks said, “I remember thinking that, for the first time, ‘Oh, this is an independent representation of a song, it’s not just the song with some images cut to it. This is literally a visual interpretation of weird Dave’s concept or point that he’s trying to make’”.
“We ripped this off in the movie A Hologram for the King,” he admitted, “so I had to go back and reexamine it again, but this was a big song when it came out”. In actuality, the track was not as big a hit as Hanks remembers; it only reached 103 in the US singles charts, though it fared a little better in the UK where it peaked at 14. Nevertheless, as Hanks attests, the song and its music video have certainly stood the test of time.
