Tag Archives: they might be giants

My iPod #273: They Might Be Giants – Dig My Grave

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This video is weird (bear in mind it isn’t the official one), but it’s the music we’re here for.

Opening They Might Be Giants’ fourth album “Apollo 18” is “Dig My Grave”, another typical rocker by John Flansburgh that lasts only for a minute and few seconds. Only They will know why it took four albums for Flansburgh to get an opening track, the first two were penned by Linnell and the previous one didn’t feature the Johns at all. This was Flansburgh’s time to shine. That time was used well. Even if it was very quick.

There is not a lot to say just because it is so short. Not even its page on the band’s dedicated fan Wikipedia site states a vast amount of information. Nevertheless, it is the perfect way to get things started. It’s a track that one doesn’t have to think about. The lyrics are from the perspective of a person who wants their grave to be dug when they see someone and when that same someone calls the person’s name. Whether it’s because the person hates that someone so much that they would rather die than be in contact with them or they’re simply too shy is the real question I have about ‘the meaning of the lyrics’. But I’m not so deep about that stuff.

I just like the song’s simplicity. The four chords accompanied with Flansburgh’s double tracked vocals and shrieks of the song title, the messed up ‘guitar solo’ which consists of the high guitar strings being plucked at a fast rate way up the fretboard and especially the last few seconds when the song speeds up and the cello and violin rise in volume before the song comes to a stop. Just a short and sweet way to start it all off.

I hold “Apollo 18” with very high regards; I feel as if it is a TMBG album that doesn’t get much love as it should do….. I love you “Apollo 18”. I think you’re better than “Flood”. I am not ashamed.

My iPod #266: They Might Be Giants – Destination Moon

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Here today is the album track “Destination Moon”, the thirteenth track on They Might Be Giants’ fifth album “John Henry“.

John Linnell sings this one, and it’s from the perspective of a patient in hospital who is very, very sick but continues to believe that he/she is fine and dreams of escaping in order to go to the moon via rocket.

If you’ve read my previous post on “AKA Driver“, another song from this album, you don’t really have to read on anymore because it will contain the same information. For those of you who haven’t, don’t stop reading this – but do listen to “Driver” if you have the chance.

I heard “Moon” around the same time as “Driver” and that was when I was listening my own customised radio station on Yahoo. That was a good site. I thought I liked it back then because I added it to this huge list of songs that I had seen on MTV and others that I generally enjoyed on my MSN Space. Remember MSN Spaces? It died years ago along with MSN itself which is a shame.

The problem that came out of that was I didn’t listen to the song for years and ended up forgetting the melody of the song altogether. That changed when I downloaded “John Henry” in 2010, then it all started coming back to me.

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 #240: They Might Be Giants – Dark and Metric

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“Dark and Metric” is a track from the album “Long Tall Weekend” by They Might Be Giants.

Again, I’m left with little to say about this one. If only I actually knew more about music like modes, and steps etc. etc. I would be able to tell you a lot more. But there’s something about the way it sounds that didn’t feel right when I first listened to it. There’s no phasing, panning or any special effects, just the vocal, keyboard and the rhythm section which are then joined by a slide guitar nearing the end. It leaves the song sounding a bit empty, and quite uneasy. It grew on me eventually.

The melody’s perky but matched with lyrics about living in a town where nothing happens; the narrator puts on a brave face but inside knows that they will become miserable at some point.

See ya.

My iPod #236: They Might Be Giants – Damn Good Times

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When I started listening to They Might Be Giants properly in 2004, they had just released their latest album “The Spine“, and were due to release this album where each song was dedicated to various music venues located in states of the USA.

“Damn Good Times” can be found on “The Spine”, and its video above was able to be viewed on the band’s official website. It is animated, a bit weird and oddly similar to the plot of Twilight.

John Flansburgh normally writes the rockers in They Might Be Giants, and this song is no different. The rhythm section of Danny Weikauf and Marty Beller are really on point, there’s a lot of crash cymbal action during the verses and the bass slide during the chorus and accompanied with the lyrics about concerning a naturally talented lady, the tune is very uplifting.

The actual song finishes about a minute and a half in before transforming into this slow jam with a guitar solo which gradually builds pace before coming to an end. 58BPM to around 130 apparently.

Yep, TMBG never disappoint.