I must admit that I was not a big fan of the Talking Heads in their early days. David Byrne always seemed a bit too "out there" for my taste. This song is almost a perfect example of the reasons why: it is a musical portrayal of the madness exhibited by the Norman Bates character in the classic Hitchcock movie Psycho. While I had seen the movie, the song was always a bit much for me.
In reading the description in the listening guide, it does help it make more sense. I don't know that I have ever listened to it all the way through until now. (It was one of those songs that, when it came on the radio, I changed the station.) However, reading the outline on p. 432-433 helps at least to make it more understandable. The song does succeed in portraying the madness of this obviously disturbed character in a powerful way. In retrospect it is interesting that this one always bothered me, while Queen's Another One Bites the Dust, which deals with a similar subject, never disturbed me quite as much. I suppose a mental health specialist would find something there to explore.
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