David Byrne interviews himself for a Talking Heads’ film concert by Jonathan Demme.

Interviewer (David Byrne, dressed as various people): We only have a few minutes, so try to be brief. Okay? DB: I will do absolutely anything you say. Interviewer: Right. Why did you call the movie Stop Making Sense? DB: Because it’s good advice. Because music and performing does not make sense. Interviewer: Amazing. DB: It is my job. Interviewer: How did you ever think of that big suit? Why a big suit? DB: I like symmetry and geometric shapes. I wanted my head to appear smaller and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger. Because music is very physical. Interviewer: Ooh! DB: And often the body understands it before the head. Interviewer: What are you going to do next? DB: A project with songs based on true stories from tabloid newspapers. It’s like 60 Minutes on acid. Interviewer: I’ll bet! What made you think of having the musicians come out one at a time? DB: Well, if the curtain opened and everything was there, there’d be nowhere to go. It tells the story of the band and it gets more dramatic and physical as it builds up. It’s like 60 Minutes on acid. Interviewer: What made you pick Jonathan Demme? DB: I decided that if this show were to be captured, it should be by an experienced film director whose work I loved. Interviewer: Well? What did Jonathan do? DB: He knew what not to do is what he did do. He also saw things as an outsider. Interviewer: Do you like his outfits? How bout his haircuts? DB: I’ll tell you later. Interviewer: When are you going to tour again? DB: When there is something new to say to an audience then we’ll tour again. Besides new songs when the only way to say that thing is to a live performance making, that’s what we’ll be doing. Then it’s what we have to do based to be touring. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Interviewer: Yeah! We see a variety of hairstyles on rock groups these days, huh? DB: One must never underestimate the power of a good hairdo. I’d like to write a song about hairdos. Not about the people under them. “Then the ‘dos have a power by themselves.” Interviewer: I wrote a song about hairdos myself! You wanna hear It? DB: Maybe later. Interviewer: What… do the words… of your songs… mean… to you? I mean, you don’t write love songs do ya? DB: Uhm, I try to write about small things, paper, animals, a house. Love is kind of big. I have written a love song though. In this film I sing it to a lamp. Interviewer: You wanna be in movies? Like the Prince? The Sting? The David Bowie? DB: Only when absolutely necessary. I would like to show people that movies in… my… head. Interviewer: I gotta movie in my head. You wanna see it? DB: No, but do you have anything to eat? Interviewer: So. How do you like this suit? DB: I wish I had one like that. Interviewer: Yeah. You know any new jokes? DB: I can’t tell it here. Interviewer: Right. If I gave you $50 right now, what would you do with it? DB: I would get something to eat. Interviewer: Right. It’s cold in here, don’t you think? No? I don’t think you have a very good voice. But you’re a singer. How do you do that? DB: The better the singer’s voice, the harder it is to believe what they’re saying. So I use my faults to an advantage. Interviewer: coughs Have you ever been to a psychiatrist? Or taken drugs? DB: I’ll tell you later. Interviewer: snore What do you think happens when you get too far from your house? DB: I’ll tell you later.