It's 1984. Cue innocuous talk show music. Enter David Byrne of 1984, wearing an oversized gray suit. Audience applauds.

David '84 [hollers flatly]: Thank you very much!

He sits motionless in a maroon swivel chair, eyes darting about.

David '84 [in monotone]: Hello. The name of this program is "No Show Just Talking," because that's what it's about. Tonight's installment will be an exercise in introspection. You may ask yourself, "How did I get here?" Thanks to the skilled technicians down at the station -- and the power of a good hairdo -- we were able to contact David Byrne of 2007 and bring him here in bodily form. There he is now.

Enter David Byrne of 2007, wearing a blue silk shirt and black slacks, his white hair tastefully disheveled.

David '07: Hello.

David '84: What is it like to make music in 2007?

David '07: Same as it ever was. The hairdos are smaller, though.

David '84: Before the program, you played for the audience a studio recording of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston. Whitney is an up-and-coming talent, but this song won't see release for another three years. In 2001 you will perform a live cover of this song. Why did you choose it?

David '07: Whitney is an artist whose work I love. She understands that music is very physical and that often the body understands it before the head. Problem is, her voice is so good that it's hard to believe what she's saying. I hoped that by singing the song in my abnormal tone I could convey her ideas in a more believable manner. I also think she's a very attractive woman. Don't you think so?

David '84: I'll tell you later.

David '07: Do you mind playing this cassette recording of my cover for the audience?

David '84: I will do anything you say.

Tape plays. Sounds tinny.

David '84: Hmmm. That violin gives it a bluegrassy, down-by-the-riverside feel. Oh wait -- now it's just another brick in the Spector Wall of Sound. Each melodic swoop evokes prime girl-group Motown pared down to its essentials. The song utilizes a string hook similar to that of the Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" but forgoes that song's additional adornments. Technically speaking, this is music of the future but I can't resist pondering this paradox: while most covers of older songs give the original a modern twist, this cover is decidedly backward-looking.

David '07: I also wanted to make it organically tactile.

David '84: Yes, the conga-led percussion does give the track a certain earthiness, rendering it far more alive than the synthetic original. Plus, your voice sounds exactly the same as it does now!

David '07: You're welcome, I suppose.

David '84: But aren't you riding your own coattails a bit here? The congas do seem run-of-the-mill placed next to my Stop Making Sense (1984) material and the limp guitar doesn't make up for it.

David '07: Adrian Belew won't answer my calls.

David '84: Still, I admire how unhinged and direct the whole thing is. You sound like a man who's loosened up his tie, popped open a bottle of Chardonnay, and forgotten any lingering feelings of self-consciousness. You never flinch for a second, not even at the line "I wanna feel the heat with somebody." I still write about small things: paper, animals, a house. For me, love is kind of big. I've only written one love song; in my film I sing to a lamp.

David '07: This will change with time, David.

David '84: But how?

David '07: I'll tell you later.

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