‘It’s Not My Birthday’ is a well-loved song among the most dedicated of TMBG fans. Originally released as a B-Side on the ‘They’ll Need a Crane’ single in 1989 – it was given wider circulation in 1991, placed as the seventh track on the band’s compilation Miscellaneous T.
I heard it for the first time….. think in early 2011 when I was studying for my GCSEs. I had been a major follower of They for years up until then, but it was around that time that I actually got to listening to their albums in full. Those were good times…. But anyway – got around to listening to Miscellaneous T and although these were all B-Sides they nevertheless had the same authentic quality of any track that made it onto their ‘official’ albums. Some would say this track in particular should have been on Lincoln. That’s just the way things go sometimes, I guess.
It’s less than two minutes in duration but is packed with so much that you at least feel satisfied when it’s over. There’s a briskness to it, led by a bouncy rhythm and general upbeat vibe in the music. However, it’s another one of the group’s that has an looming hint of sadness to it. Mainly in the lyrics. I’ve always had that feeling towards it though I’ve never known why. They’re quite hard to fully interpret. But I think it’s about a person who is just going through life without any real purpose and is just waiting for an end with each day. Though that’s just me.
The Music in My Ears 