Once in a Lifetime / Seen and Not Seen

Produced by Brian Eno, this polyrhythmic masterpiece was constructed through experimental studio jams inspired by Fela Kuti's Afrobeat structures. David Byrne delivers the lyrics with the cadence of a manic, perspiring televangelist, addressing existential dread, aging, and the absurdity of middle-class complacency. The accompanying music video, featuring Byrne's jerky, involuntary dancing, became a defining staple of early MTV.