AND SHE WAS

Eddy McManus approaches the task of singing the Talking Heads’ 1985 hit “And She Was” with immense vocal skill and manages to keep the energy and emotion of the song alive throughout the entire performance. Originally performed by Talking Heads, this version of the song reached number 54 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the British singles chart, proving its popularity and enduring appeal.

According to the song’s writer, David Byrne, the lyrics were inspired by a girl he knew who used to take LSD in a field next to a Yoo-Hoo drink factory in Baltimore. “Somehow that image seemed fitting, the junk food factory and this young girl tripping her brains out gazing at the sky,” he told Q magazine in 1992. “But it wasn’t a drugs song at all and I don’t think people took it that way. I think it gives the impression of a spiritual or emotional experience, instantaneous and unprovoked. The sublime can come out of the ridiculous.”

McManus does an excellent job of bringing these lyrics to life, particularly in the lines “And she was drifting through the backyard / And she was taking off her dress / And she was moving very slowly / Rising up above the earth / Moving into the universe.” These lyrics convey a sense of freedom and release, as the girl lets go of her physical body and rises up into a higher plane of existence. The use of imagery such as “drifting,” “floating,” and “rising up” all contribute to this sense of transcendence.

Another highlight of McManus’ performance is his emotive delivery of the lines “The world was moving, she was right there with it and she was / The world was moving, she was floating above it and she was.” The repetition of the phrase “and she was” adds to the dreamlike, otherworldly quality of the song, and McManus’ voice perfectly captures the sense of pride and elevation described in the lyrics. Overall, his singing is a major strength of this version of the song.

Eddy McManus does an amazing job of singing “And She Was” and bringing the lyrics to life. His vocal skill and emotive delivery help to convey the sense of spiritual transcendence and freedom described in the song, and his performance is a testament to his talent as a musician.

 

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