David Byrne in his big suit is an indelible image from the 1984 Stop Making Sense concert film and is as much a part of Talking Heads iconography as any of their album covers. One of the most recognizable rock bands of the latter part of the 20th century, Talking Heads’ influence can be found in everything from the sound of Danny Brown to Vampire Weekend’s lyrics to the name of Radiohead. It’s hard not to see just how ubiquitous their funky world-ranging sound is in modern pop and indie music.
Consisting of Chris Frantz on drums, Tina Weymouth on bass, Jerry Harrison on keyboards and guitar, and frontman David Byrne on lead vocals and guitar, Talking Heads are often counted among the greatest bands of all time (via Rolling Stone). Music isn’t the only medium they dominated. Their film Stop Making Sense is considered one of the best concert movies ever. It’s the type of movie that brings the audience into the venue and even those who’ve never seen it will know David Byrne’s big grey suit.
Talking Heads’ David Byrne Explains Why He Wears The Big Suit
Byrne Wanted The Size Of The Suit To Match The Size Of The Concert
Stop Making Sense, directed by Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme, follows Talking Heads on their 1983 tour promoting their 1983 album, Speaking in Tongues. Byrne appears alone at first in the film, joined by more members of the band as the film continues. The audience is mostly unseen, with the camera focused primarily on the band and Byrne in particular. Towards the end of the film, Frantz and Weymouth’s sideband, Tom Tom Club, appear on stage, and when Byrne returns, he is wearing a giant grey suit.
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It looks like one of those blow-up sumo wrestling suits that are popular in field day games, though patterned on a business suit. Byrne wears the suit for the entirety of his performance of “Girlfriend Is Better”. Byrne got the idea to wear a suit from one of his friends (via EW),
“Yeah, a friend made a kind of quip, while I was trying to think of what to do on this next tour, what to wear, and he said, ‘well, you know what theater is – everything has to be bigger.’ And he didn’t mean the clothes had to be bigger… But I took it very literally and thought, ‘Oh, the clothes are bigger.'”
His recent visit to Japan also helped inspire the exact look of the suit,
“I’d been in Japan recently and had seen a lot of traditional Japanese theater, and I realized that yes, that kind of front-facing outline, a suit, a businessman’s suit, looked like one of those things, a rectangle with just a head on top.”
The suit does have some aspects of Kabuki theater with its boxy and unreal quality.
David Byrne’s Big Suit Is A Big Part Of Stop Making Sense
Byrne’s Suit Mimics His Goofy, Cheeky Personality
Stop Making Sense, like much of the David Byrne project, explores music through an excited, joyful lens. Talking Heads has never been a dour band, and Byrne’s commitment to creating a visually explosive and wonderful experience matches the sounds of the band perfectly. For example, one of the band’s signature songs, “Once In A Lifetime”, which appears in the film, comments on maturing, and the paths one’s life takes. Instead of being upset or nostalgic, Byrne just points out how delightfully weird that journey and its destination are.
“Once in a Lifetime” does not appear on
Speaking in Tongues
, instead debuting on Talking Heads’ fourth studio album,
Remain in Light
.
The big suit Byrne wears is symbolic of this attitude. Suits represent rigidity and uniformity, crushing ideas for some people. Byrne doesn’t care. Wear it big, make it goofy, because a suit doesn’t control someone’s life. Just as he sings in “Girlfriend Is Better”,
“Ha, ha, ha, ha, no need to worry
Everything’s under control”
He’s saying don’t sweat everything, it will all work out.
Where David Byrne Is Now
Byrne Has Primarily Worked On Stage And In Film Since Talking Heads
David Byrne has continued working in the entertainment industry since Talking Heads‘ disbandment in the 1990s. He contributed backing vocals to Arcade Fires’ The Suburbs, debuted a stage production for the concept album Here Lies Love, co-wrote and performed “This Is a Life” on the original soundtrack for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and in 2023, Here Lies Love made its Broadway debut. Byrne put on Stop Making Sense‘s big suit for the 40th Anniversary release of the documentary (via YouTube) and it still fits like a giant glove.
Stop Making Sense is a concert film capturing Talking Heads during their 1983 tour for the album Speaking in Tongues. The performance unfolds with the band members arriving on stage individually, joined by guest musicians, and features an array of choreography and visuals throughout the show.
- Director
- Jonathan Demme
- Release Date
- November 16, 1984
- Cast
- Chris Frantz , David Byrne , Jerry Harrison , Tina Weymouth , Ednah Holt , Lynn Mabry , Steven Scales , Alex Weir , Bernie Worrell
- Runtime
- 88 minutes
