Talking Heads

Artist: Talking Heads

LP: 7" single

Song: "Take Me to the River"

[ listen ]

Written by Al Green and Mabon "Teenie" Hodges in 1974, "Take Me to the River" was recorded in The Bahamas by Talking Heads in 1978; their version went to #26 on the U.S. pop charts in 1979. The song had also been a #48 hit for Syl Johnson in 1975 (it reached #7 on the R&B charts) and it had appeared on Al Green's "Al Green Explores Your Mind" LP the year before that—though Green dropped the song from his repertoire when he became pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in 1976. Foghat, Annie Lennox, Canned Heat, Toni Childs, and Phish are some of the artists who have recorded "Take Me to the River," which was named one of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2004. Click here to read more and to find out who else has covered this terrific song.