They Might Be Giants’ ‘Lost My Mind’ was initially released on a teaser EP leading up to the band’s then upcoming Nanobots album in 2013. Alongside it came ‘Call You Mom’, a rocker about a narrator with mummy issues, and ‘Black Ops’, a stranger number that was a bit more experimental. ‘Lost My Mind’ was my favourite on that collection and stayed as one of my highlights when the album eventually came out.

In this song, John Linnell takes the phrase of ‘losing someone’s mind’ and puts it in a very literal sense. The narrator’s mind has gone missing, they think they might have misplaced it somewhere, and if it’s buried underground they’re not going to go digging for it because they don’t have the time. Some fans of TMBG really wish to understand the meaning behind a lot of the band’s songs. Sometimes they’re so surreal that it makes a lot of listeners wonder what Linnell and Flansburgh are on about. I’m not sure there’s much in ‘Lost My Mind’ to deeply understand though. It’s one of the few where you just have to take it as it is. I think that’s an aspect that makes it stand out to me.

Also there’s bags of melodies in here that I can’t help but sing along to. The track has a bit of a wandering feel to it. In contrast to ‘Call You Mom’, the track that preceded it on the Nanobots EP, ‘Lost’ is a slow burner and the guitars in your face as much. It’s midtempo, carried by a blaring keyboard played by usual guitarist Dan Miller and a steady rhythm section. John Linnell sings the lead and does so very well. I like the final chorus in which John Flansburgh sings the backing while Linnell holds out a longer note and sing together to create a good countermelody. That’s something to look out for.