Woke Up Singin': I Zimbra

What kind of day will I have if I wake up singing:

Gadji beri bimba clandridi
Lauli lonni cadori gadjam
A bim beri glassala glandride
E glassala tuffm I zimbra
Bim blassa galassasa zimbrabim
Blassa glallassasa zimbrabim
A bim beri glassala grandrid
E glassala tuffm I zimbra
Gadji beri bimba glandridi
Lauli lonni cadora gadjam
A bim beri glassasa glandrid
E glassala tuffm I zimbra

It's the Talking Heads, so who knows, really. This track opens their sublime 1980 album Fear of Music, and for years I assumed it was an African dialect. A little research revealed that they used a Dadaist poem by Hugo Ball as the lyrics for "I Zimbra," which is written in pseudo-African words.

Well, at any rate, once you hear this track, you don't forget it. It bounces, drives and chants its way into your head. Talking Heads were so far ahead of pretty much anyone at the time, and this album proves it. Always fresh and interesting, their work demands a closer listen.

But Jesus--when this song pulses through your head, who knows what kind of day you have in store. I'm anxious to find out...