Anyone know what the lyrics to I Zimbra (Talking Heads) means? Other than David Byrne has some issues?

Question

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

Answer 1

Nope, not just David - this guy called Hugo Ball. He wrote the words, which mean - (drumroll)...nothing!



Zimbra came to the Heads via Dadaism, which Wikipedia defines in part as a “protest against an oppressive intellectual rigidity in both art and everyday society.”



Hugo Ball, a Dadaistic poet, wrote a nonsensical poem---Gadji beri bimba - just for the sound of it, and then Talking Heads made the poem into song.



That's from a site of a company who, believe it or not, named themselves after the song:



http://www.zimbra.com/blog/archives/2005/09/so_whats_a_zimb.html



If you want to read up on Hugo, here's an article:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ball



Where it says:



"His poem "Gadji beri bimba" was later adapted to the song entitled "I Zimbra" on the 1979 Talking Heads album Fear of Music; he received a writing credit for the song on the track listing."



And here's a pic of our main man Mr Ball - talk about "issues"...



http://www.jahsonic.com/HugoBall.html

Answer 2

Burning Down The House

Answer 3

I Zimbra