Tag Archives: flood

#1241: They Might Be Giants – Someone Keeps Moving My Chair

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‘Someone Keeps Moving My Chair’ opens up the second half of They Might Be Giants’ album Flood, their brand-new record for 1990. My honest opinion, out of the first four LPs by the band featuring just the two Johns playing everything bar the rhythm section, Flood is maybe my least favourite. But it’s still really, really good. I just happen to like fewer songs from there compared to those from the other three. But when the songs are great on Flood, they’re instantaneous likes. At least they were to me, as was the case for today’s song in the hot seat.

‘…My Chair’ is a John Linnell-led TMBG composition and, in his words, “notes the exaggerated importance of petty concerns when everything else is going haywire.” And to lay this notion out, the song is a tale about a Mr. Horrible who seems to be idly going about his day while unnamed characters are desperately trying to get him to talk to ‘the ugliness men’ who are the phone. These no-names are intentionally attempting to annoy Mr. Horrible, being all up in his face, asking him a bunch of inane questions. But their antics are of no matter to Mr. Horrible, because the thing that’s really on his mind and taking up his time is that somebody insists on moving his chair behind his back. And there’s the ‘petty concern’ Linnell refers to.

The tune’s a lively, upbeat number, featuring one of John Linnell’s more nasally vocal performances which add so much character to the proceedings. The words and delivery wouldn’t hit as hard without that aspect of his voice. Same for all the others songs he takes the lead on. There’s something about those opening keyboard chords that make the track sound fixed in its time. Reminds me of some backing music to a ’90s shopping mall advert or montage in a TV show. I’m convinced that the guitar rundown during the “Mr. Horrible says I don’t mind…” part is lifted from Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’. But that doesn’t affect my enthusiasm for the song. You get the melody and the quality, all in a matter of 2-and-a-half minutes. It’s a good time.

#734: They Might Be Giants – Letterbox

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One of my favourites from They Might Be Giants’ album Flood from 1990, ‘Letterbox’ sees John Flansburgh and John Linnell sing in unison with a rapid pace amidst a backdrop of a warm synth bass and quick acoustic guitar strums in a waltz time. It’s one of the shorter songs on the record, coming in at a minute and 25 seconds, but still filled with the many things that make a Giants song great. It’s all about those melodies, man.

It’s been about nine years that I’ve had Flood in my iTunes library now, and the songs I enjoy most from it I could serenade you with as easily as I could recite the alphabet. Though this one starts with a little difficulty. Flansburgh and Linnell are able to cram a large number of syllables into a matter of seconds with each line during the verses, delivered to you like a musical tongue twister. The two known to be quite reluctant/secretive when it comes truly revealing what some particular songs of theirs are about. Not a lot is known about this one. I definitely couldn’t tell you. But it sounds fantastic to the ear.

Not only do the two Johns sing in unison; they also switch things up by providing harmonies to one another. Linnell sings a falsetto harmony in the left channel during the second verse and then sings the bridge by himself, before Flansburgh comes in with an emphatic higher harmony during the final verse at which things come to a thudding stop. I sometimes wish this song was longer; it really doesn’t need to be. It does its job.

My iPod #250: They Might Be Giants – Dead

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“Dead” is the fifth track from They Might Be Giants’ major label debut, and third album, “Flood“.

I am at a loss of words in regards to it. There was something mesmerising about “Dead” the first time I listened to it in 2010; today it still raises that same feeling which I believe I could describe, but wouldn’t have the vocabulary to do so.

The keyboard set to ‘piano’, which is the only instrument used in the song, resembles something that would accompany a silent film from waaaay back or a parade of some sort due to its major key and marching tempo. It is Linnell’s depressing lyrics about not living life to the full, having regrets and people celebrating somebody’s death that puts things into perspective. Happy music with sad lyrics is a thing that the band is known for, but this may be the one that really gets to me.

It is beautiful. A real highlight from “Flood”.

My iPod #98: They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse in Your Soul

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Here it is, They Might Be Giant’s biggest song. Commercially anyway. This, “Istanbul” and “Boss of Me” were their only songs to chart in the UK. Shows how much we know about music. I’m only joking, we know quite a bit about music. It’s a shame we just never appreciated this band as much.

I’ve just woken up from a nap so please excuse any spelling mistakes, or anything that clearly doesn’t make any sense.

They Might Be Giants released “Birdhouse in Your Soul” as the first single from their major label debut, “Flood”. The song, from the perspective a ‘blue canary’ night-light who ‘watches over you’ in your sleep. Not in any strange kind of way, but to guard you from the demons and monsters of the night. Like a guardian angel, it’s always near.

Now I don’t know what affect the song had on people when it was initially released in 1990. I still had another five years to go until I was born, but judging from the stats I see on Wikipedia and TMBW it helped the band gain a bigger following of fans after reaching top ten positions in the UK and in the US Modern Rock chart in the US.

When I was younger and started listening to They Might Be Giants, I knew that I’d heard the song from somewhere. Perhaps in an advert, or it played in the background of a TV show or something. But I didn’t know it was the band who sung it. I watched the video on Yahoo’s LAUNCHcast website, and it made me like the song even more. The weird zombie children, the random bike riding around the band, the choreography, it’s nice to see the band in one of their music videos too.

If you want to listen to the demo from Dial-a-Song, here it is.

Until tomorrow.

Jamie