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Archive-name: music/tmbg-faq Last-modified: 12 February 1995 Posting-Frequency: monthly Url: http://www.bio.net/music/TMBG-FAQ.html Subject: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) From: John Relph <relph@presto.ig.com> This message contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) often seen in postings to the They Might Be Giants mailing list and the "alt.music.tmbg" newsgroup. It is posted to help reduce volume in the mailing list and newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general interest. This message includes answers to the following questions. Ones marked with a `+' indicate questions new to this issue; those with changes of content since the last issue are marked by `*'. Questions: 1. *How can I find out more about They Might Be Giants? How do I join the TMBG fan club? 2. How do I get off the mailing list? 3. *What are TMBG doing now and when will the next record be released? 4. Is Dial-A-Song for real? 5. +Do the Johns know about the mailing list? Do the Johns know about the alt.music.tmbg newsgroup? Do the Johns read this list? Do the Johns read the newsgroup? Can I talk to John and John via email? 6. Are there TMBG lyrics and/or archives of the mailing list available? Where can I get the latest TMBG discography? 7. Where does the name "They Might Be Giants" come from? 8. What is the "long long trailer"? 9. What does the morse code spell in "The Pencil Rain"? 10. What are the lyrics to the bridge section in "Letterbox"? 11. What is the dialogue in "Snowball in Hell"? 12. Why does "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" sound so familiar? 13. Who is speaking in the song with no name? (track 13 on Miscellaneous T) 14. What is the backwards voice saying on "I'll Sink Manhattan"? What is the backwards message in "Which Describes How You're Feeling"? What's the backwards message at the end of "Hide Away, Folk Family"? What's the backwards music at the end of "Subliminal"? 15. Whose face is in the video for "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head"? 16. Who are the two guys on the cover of _Lincoln_? 17. How did TMBG get where they are today? 18. Who originally performed "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"? 19. Did TMBG write that kid's song about the sun that they sing live? 20. What does "Ana Ng" mean? 21. What are they wearing on their heads in the "Don't Let's Start" video? 22. *What is "Particle Man" about? 23. I like TMBG, what other bands might I like? 24. *What is the sample at the beginning of "Boat of Car"? 25. What are the palindromes in "I Palindrome I"? 26. Who is "dead uncle allotheria"? 27. What are the lyrics of "James K. Polk"? 28. What is "The Statue Got Me High" about? 29. What are the missing lyrics to "Someone Keeps Moving My Chair"? 30. What is "Purple Toupee" all about? 31. Where did the cover of _Flood_ come from? 32. *What is the Hello Recording Club and how do I join? 33. Did you know that _Nightgown of the Sullen Moon_ is a book? 34. What is the song "Birdhouse in Your Soul" all about? 35. Can someone tell me who Marvin Gaye and Phil Ochs are? 36. Who originally did the song "Frankenstein" that They play at live shows? 37. Where did the song "Lady is a Tramp" come from? 38. Is the song "We're the Replacements" a mockery or a tribute? 39. What are the strange background vocals in "Dinner Bell"? 40. +Who is James Ensor? 41. +Why aren't the lyrics to "AKA Driver" printed in the liner notes? This document copyright (c) 1995 by John Relph. While some information included herein is not copyright and may be used without permission, the compilation of this information in this document in this format is copyright and may not be published in any form whatsoever without the permission of the author. This document may be distributed electronically and otherwise if and only if the entire copyright notice and attributions are included. Send corrections, additions, and the like to John Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>. Answers: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. How can I find out more about They Might Be Giants? How do I join the TMBG fan club? First, listen to all of their music. Secondly, now it's free to join They Might Be Giants' Information Club. To receive newsletters, tour dates and mail-order catalog, write: TMBG Information Club PO Box 110535 Williamsburgh Station Brooklyn, NY 11211-0003 U.S.A. or call 914-359-0867 Thirdly, read this file. The latest edition of this file is always available using the World Wide Web at "http://www.bio.net/music/TMBG-FAQ.html". A plain text version of this file is available at "ftp://net.bio.net/pub/misc/music/TMBG-FAQ". Fourthly, you can join the They Might Be Giants mailing list. The mailing list is for the discussion of the music and recordings of They Might Be Giants (the band and the cereal). The mailing list is distributed as both a "bounce" list, in which every message posted to the list gets sent out individually, and a "digest" list, in which all the messages that day are compiled into one large "digest" message. To join the They-Might-Be list, send a message to majordom@super.org There are TWO lists for They-Might-Be. There is the digest list, which MOST of you are on. There also is the "insta-mail" or "reflector" list which some people are on. To subscribe to the digest list: subscribe they-might-be <YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS> To subscribe to the "insta-mail" list: subscribe insta-they-might-be Here's the trick that gets most people, put the command in the BODY of the message NOT THE SUBJECT. Majordomo doesn't parse the subject so anything you put in there is IGNORED. Fifthly, you can surf the They Might Be Giants World Wide Web home page. The URL is "http://www.dnai.com/~obo/tmbg". Sixthly, you can peruse the TMBG Archives (see (5) below). The TMBG Archives comprise lyrics files, a detailed discography, pictures, back issues of the mailing list, and more. And finally, you can read the Alternative Newsgroup "alt.music.tmbg". If your site carries the Alternative Usenet news groups ("alt" groups) then you can read this newsgroup. Check with your local system administrator or consultant for details. ------------------------------ 2. How do I get off the mailing list? If you are trying to cancel your subscription to the They-Might-Be list, there are a few things you should remember. Always send your subscription requests to: majordom@super.org Here's the trick that gets most people, put the command in the BODY of the message NOT THE SUBJECT. Majordomo doesn't parse the subject line so anything you put in there is IGNORED. There are TWO lists for They-Might-Be. There is the digest list, which MOST of you are on. There also is the "insta-mail" or "reflector" list which some people are on. To unsubscribe from the digest list: unsubscribe they-might-be <YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS> To unsubscribe from the "insta-mail" list: unsubscribe insta-they-might-be <YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS> And if you need additional information, send a message with the one word message "help" to majordom@super.org. Once you have sent one of these commands, you should get a message back from Majordomo saying that your command has succeeded. After that, it will take about a day for you to stop receiving messages. The list of unsubscribe messages has to get forwarded to the list administrator for processing. Once that happens, all messages should stop. If you feel you need to reach a human, send email to: they-might-be-approval@super.org If you do all this and still have trouble, send a regular email message to majordom-admin@super.org and a real live human being will work with you personally. 99% of all people who email me on this get on or off the list after all of the above is explained. Thank you for your mind. ------------------------------ 3. What are TMBG doing now and when will the next record be released? TMBG have embarked upon an extensive worldwide tour in support of their recently released album, _John Henry_. The album contains 20 tracks. Call your local radio station and request "Snail Shell" today. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Tour Dates as of 2/1/95 Feb 12 Portchester, NY Capitol Theater Feb 14 Washington, DC WUST Hall Feb 15 Washington, DC WUST Hall Feb 16 Charlottesville, VA Maxx Feb 17 Norfolk, VA The Boathouse Feb 18 Richmond, VA Flood Zone Feb 19 Raleigh, NC The Ritz Feb 21 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's Feb 22 Charlotte, NC Pteradactyl Feb 23 Charleston, SC Music Farm Feb 25 Athens, GA Georgia Theater Feb 26 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage Public Radio Show Feb 28 Ft. Lauderdale, FL The Edge Mar 01 Orlando, FL The Club at Firestone Mar 02 Jacksonville, FL The Edge Mar 04 Nashville, TN 328 Performance Space Mar 05 Louisville, KY The Brewery Mar 06 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's Mar 08 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Mar 09 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Mar 10 Peoria, IL Madison Theater Mar 11 Madison, WI Barrymore Theater Mar 17 Kirksville, MO NE Missouri State U Mar 18 Rolla, MO U of Missouri at Rolla Stay tuned for more dates to be announced real soon now... Midwest, Northeast, Northwest and Japan. Here's the line-up for the 1994-95 John Henry tour: John Flansburgh: guitar, vocals John Linnell: accordion, keyboards, vocals Tony Maimone: bass, ukelele (what a weird word to spell) Brian Doherty: drums Randy Andos: trombone, tuba (and general goofiness for people who watch him) Jim O'Connor: trumpet John Linnell has this to say about the new album: The name of the new album is _John Henry_. He was a guy who hammered stone to make tunnels. Then in the mid-19th century they made a [steam] drill, or a [steam] hammer, that was better at doing the work (or so the inventors claimed). So there was a contest, between John Henry and the drill, and the drill broke down, and John Henry kept going until he died. So it's kind of a parable of people versus machines. This is also the first time we've recorded with a live band. Until now, everything's been on computer. It's kind of like the story of John Henry -- everybody collapses. But they can go farther. It's a more exciting sound, but it's also more difficult, because you have to get people to learn stuff. Our producer on this one, Paul Fox, wanted it to be as live as possible. We recorded up in Bearsville, New York -- it's next to Woodstock, there's a big studio up there -- and we recorded everything but the vocals live. I mostly played the organ. We also recorded the horns at the same time. It's very much the opposite of what we've done in the past. ------------------------------ 4. Is Dial-A-Song for real? Yes, it is. The correct number for Dial-A-Song is still 718-387-6962. Always just a regular call to Brooklyn. No extra charges. ------------------------------ 5. Do the Johns know about the mailing list? Do the Johns know about the alt.music.tmbg newsgroup? Do the Johns read this list? Do the Johns read the newsgroup? Can I talk to John and John via email? Do the Johns know about the mailing list? Yes. Do the Johns know about the alt.music.tmbg newsgroup? Yes. Do the Johns read this list? No. Do the Johns read the newsgroup? No. Can I talk to John and John via email? No. Thanks to Chris Bongaarts <Chris.Bongaarts-1@umn.edu>. ------------------------------ 6. Are there TMBG lyrics and/or archives of the mailing list available? Where can I get the latest TMBG discography? Yes, the TMBG Archives, which contain TMBG lyrics, pictures, discography, and other items of interest, are available for anonymous ftp at max.physics.sunysb.edu/pub/tmbg [129.49.21.100]. The TMBG discography is also available at "ftp://net.bio.net/pub/misc/music/they.might.be.giants". (If you are unable to retrieve the discography using WWW or ftp, you can send e-mail to John Relph <relph@presto.ig.com> and he'll send you the latest version.) ------------------------------ 7. Where does the name "They Might Be Giants" come from? _They Might Be Giants_ is the name of a film starring George C. Scott, as a classic paranoiac who thinks he's Sherlock Holmes, and Joanne Woodward, as his psychiatrist Dr. Watson. John Linnell explains: "It's the name of a movie made in the early seventies. We wanted a name that was outward-looking and paranoid." ------------------------------ 8. What is the "long long trailer"? _The Long Long Trailer_ is a film starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. They take a trip towing their house trailer behind them. The dishes get broken. The car keeps driving. Nobody tries to save her (because Desi can't hear her, she's in the trailer). ------------------------------ 9. What does the Morse code spell in "The Pencil Rain"? Ben Nicholson <NICHOLBP@rosevc.rose-hulman.edu> writes: Anyway, my girlfriend got all the letters, but she couldn't make out what it said. She then read me the sequence and I recognized it from my high school Spanish class. The message: Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, canta y no llores It is a Spanish folk song translated the first line means "Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, sing and don't cry." Dave Zobel <dz@mohawk.desktalk.com> adds that the song is "'Cielito Lindo,' which some folks may recognize as the song once sung by the Frito Bandito." Sadiye Guler <guler@chekov.ecs.umass.edu> adds: "Cielito Lindo" translates to "Pretty Little Sky" and i say, there we go! . the spanish song is saying "don't cry pretty little sky" . our song is "pencil rain", and the rain is how skies cry, right? i mean as a commonly used metaphor . so, the bullet/pencil rain is the sky's tears, and the morse code says "sing and don't cry" to the sky. i take it as an antiwar message, ironically morse-coded by gun shot noises. HEY!!! <PROCHNPD@cnsvax.uwec.edu> responds: Gunshots? sorry to bring it up again but it sounds NOTHING like gunshots... ------------------------------ 10. What are the lyrics to the bridge section in "Letterbox"? Jimmymeister <WILLIAJM@rosevc.rose-hulman.edu> writes: I posted a question about the Letterbox bridge several months ago. Here's the compiled response I got: Too late or soon to make lots of bad love and there's no time for sorrow. Run around in the rain with a hole in the brain till tomo-rrooooow. ------------------------------ 11. What is the dialogue in "Snowball in Hell"? Ted Rathkopf <ccasttr@prism.gatech.edu> writes: Paul: I didn't expect to find a salesman drinking coffee this late in the morning. How long you been here, Joe? Joe: I don't know. I guess 30, 45 minutes maybe. Why do you ask? Paul: You must be making a lot of sales. Piling up a good income. Joe: Ohhhhaaaa I'm doing alright. I could do better, but.... Ohhhahaha I get it Paul. Back on that old Time Is Money kick, right? Paul: Not back on it Joe, still on it. ------------------------------ 12. Why does "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" sound so familiar? The bridge part is the melody to "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah", and the final section seems to be a twisted mixture of the theme to "Perry Mason" and the theme to "Mayberry R.F.D." ------------------------------ 13. Who is speaking in the song with no name? (track 13 on Miscellaneous T) This song was originally released as one of the B-sides to "(She Was a) Hotel Detective". Tess <FMP@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> writes: Dial-a-Song was . . . Flans' answering machine. In the old days, before they might have been giants, people would leave messages after listening to a song. That is where the woman from Misc T comes from. I guess she is just some random message that was left on John's answering machine. Once, the 94th precinct of the police called in to say how great they thought the guys were. and left a message. [And that's where the message in "I'll Sink Manhattan" comes from as well.] ------------------------------ 14. What is the backwards voice saying on "I'll Sink Manhattan"? What is the backwards message in "Which Describes How You're Feeling"? What's the backwards message at the end of "Hide Away, Folk Family"? What's the backwards music at the end of "Subliminal"? "Cat." <KP3X@cornella.cit.cornell.edu> "had the enormous good fortune to interview John F. for The Cornell Daily", and John says, concerning the backwards voice in "I'll Sink Manhattan": It's actually a New York Cop who left a message on Dial-A-Song, saying [thick New Yawk accent] "John and John... the NYPD love you!" It was so strange because... it's really weird having, like, POLICEMEN telling you things like this... Eric Peterson <epeterso@encore.com> writes: The message is: "Thanks a lot guys." "From the N.Y.P.D." "We love ya." It's actually three separate messages; the first is at normal speed and the other two are slowed down a bit. Andrew Weiskopf <ST891425@pip.cc.brandeis.edu> writes: In the song "Which Describes How You're Feeling," there is a passage which has been cleverly recorded backwards. Our research staff has decoded the secret message in the song: and now, you will be the first to know these all-too-powerful words of wisdom.... It is as follows: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS WANTED TO INCLUDE A VERSE ABOUT THE SUFFERING PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, BUT WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT IT INTO THE SONG. Note: This message only appears on the DEMO version of "Which Describes How You're Feeling". About "Hide Away, Folk Family", thanks to Joshua John Buergel <jbbb+@andrew.cmu.edu> for this answer: The secret message is total gibberish. John and John just babbled into the mic while recording it backwards. And finally, about "Subliminal", the backwards section is just the drums and vocals from the ending of the song reversed. ------------------------------ 15. Whose face is in the video for "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head"? William Allen White. His face was also used for props at TMBG concerts, appears on the CD single of "Don't Let's Start", appears in the "Don't Let's Start" video, and otherwise can be found associated with TMBG. WHITE, William Allen, American writer and journalist: b. Emporia, Kans., Feb. 10, 1868; d. there, Jan. 29, 1944. He grew up in El Dorado, Kans., 60 miles south of Emporia, studied at the University of Kansas (1886-1890) but did not graduate, quitting instead to become business manager of the El Dorado _Republican_; he was editorial manager on the Kansas City _Star_ from 1892 to 1895. In 1895 he bought the Emporia _Gazette_, which he edited and published during the rest of his life; through its columns he became famous throughout the United States as "the sage of Emporia," a genial and warmly human person who epitomized the middle-class Midwest; a Republican and a liberal who endeared himself to all, including those who differed with him, because of his integrity, tolerance, and understanding; a writer of great versatility and appeal. His editorial, "What's the Matter with Kansas?" (Aug. 15, 1896), attacking the People's Party (Populists), attracted nationwide attention and helped the Republicans elect William McKinley to the presidency. His essay, "Mary White," on the death of his daughter, aged 17, in 1921, in a riding accident is considered a classic. For his editorial, "To an Anxious Friend" (July 27, 1922) he received a 1923 Pulitzer Prize. His books include collected short stories and sketches, such as _The Real Issue and Other Stories_ (1896), _The Court of Boyville_ (1899), and _In Our Town_ (1906); novels -- _A Certain Rich Man_ (1909), _The Martial Adventures of Henry and Me_ (1918), and _In the Heart of a Fool_ (1918); a biography of Woodrow Wilson (1924) and two of Calvin Coolidge (1925, 1938); collected newspaper writings -- _The Editor and His People_, selected by Helen O. Mahin (1924) and _Forty Years on Main Street_, compiled by Russell H. Fitzgibbon (1937); and other works such as _Masks in a Pageant_, political sketches (1928), and _The Changing Midwest_ (1939). His autobiography was published in 1946 and reissued in 1951. [Consult Hinshaw, David, _The Man from Kansas_ (New York 1945); Johnson, Walter, ed., _Selected Letters, 1899-1943_ (New York 1947); id., _William Allen White's America_ (New York 1947).] Thanks to John Iacoletti <johniac@hwperform.austin.ibm.com>. ------------------------------ 16. Who are the two guys on the cover of _Lincoln_? John and John's grandfathers: Louis T. Linnell and (ahem) General Hospital. According to the Fall, 1991 issue of "They". Thanks to John Iacoletti <johniac@hwperform.austin.ibm.com>. ------------------------------ 17. How did TMBG get where they are today? The following message appears courtesy of Smokin' Bo Orloff and TMBG Information Club. Following is the text of the _APOLLO 18_ TMBG band bio: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS John Linnell and John Flansburgh have known each other since grammar school. They became friends in high school in Sudbury, Massachusetts, where they worked on the school paper and recorded some songs together. After high school they moved to different states. Linnell played in the Rhode Island band, the Mundanes. While in college in Ohio, Flansburgh played in a couple of hobby bands. Both moved to Brooklyn in 1981, converging on an apartment building in Park Slope. Flansburgh: "We arrived as most of the New York bands we were interested in were going national or breaking up. We kind of missed the scene." They started working together on home recordings pooling instruments and equipment and playing on each other's songs. By the mid-eighties the Lower East Side club scene was heating up again, but the focus was on acts very different to punk rock. "We were on bills with a lot of avant-garde musicians and performance artists, which was challenging and exciting - and it definitely influenced us. But we always seemed very much like a rock band by comparison, and that's why it seems so inaccurate tag us with the same kinds of labels." As for the band's name, John Linnell explains: "It's the name of a movie made in the early seventies. We wanted a name that was outward-looking and paranoid." While the band was getting noticed on the downtown scene for their live performances, many people in and outside the New York area discovered They Might Be Giants through their Dial-A-Song service. Years before any other fan line, They Might Be Giants' service offered songs recorded especially for their phone line, and the only charge is that of a regular call to Brooklyn. Linnell says, "It's a difficult medium of expression. A lot of sounds just can't be heard over the phone, and of course if you hit that sustained note which sounds like a beep, the machine ends the song right there." After their 1985 demo tape was reviewed in People magazine, Hoboken's Bar/None label approached the band about releasing an album, and a quick succession of events vaulted the band into the national spotlight. Their self-titled first album was widely praised and a solid commercial success, selling over 100,000 copies in its first year of release. Through a series of striking and creative videos the Giants became MTV regulars - a rare feat for a band on an independent label. They Might Be Giants began touring nationally with their two-man show, and started to gain an enthusiastic national following. Flansburgh: "Most rock shows are very schematic -- they're about bigness. By comparison, our show probably seems very stripped down. We wear our street clothes on stage, and we talk to the audience. We play a few different instruments to keep things moving along, but we try to keep it simple. We'd rather people notice the words than a laser show." After the release of their second album, _LINCOLN_, the band signed with Elektra records and in 1990 put out their enormously successful _FLOOD_ lp. 1990 saw They Might Be Giants' first major label single, "Birdhouse In Your Soul," become a top ten hit in the UK. They toured around the world and performed over 160 shows in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. The band made numerous television and radio appearances, including The Tonight Show, where they played with Doc Severinsen, Today, and Late Night With David Letterman. ------------------------------ 18. Who originally performed "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"? The expert at Sounds Enjoyable, a record store in Sacramento, California, informs us that The Four Lads were the first group to record this song, the record having been released in 1951. Joe Koenen <weasel@u.washington.edu> writes: 'Istanbul' [Not Constantinople] Was ... performed, and recorded by the Ames Brothers, circa 1953. ------------------------------ 19. Did TMBG write that kid's song about the sun that they sing live? No, it's originally from a 1959 educational record. They Might Be Giants' studio recording of the song is now available on a single entitled _Why Does the Sun Shine?_. Chip Olson <Castell%UMASS.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> writes: "The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, A gigantic nuclear furnace, Where hydrogen is built into helium At a temperature of millions of degrees." This is verbatim from a record I had when I was a kid called _Space Songs_.. essentially a bunch of cutesy kiddie songs teaching basic stuff about space. Other titles on that record included "Beep-beep...beep-beep... here comes a satellite..." and "Zoom-away zoom in our rocket ship..." Samantha Lee Miller <slmiller@flagstaff.Princeton.EDU> writes: I found a copy of the original _Space Songs_ LP, famed for the song "Why does the sun shine" covered by TMBG. The album is amazingly TMBG-ish, and not only for WDTSS, which TMBG covered almost verbatim. No date on the album, but I assume it's post-Sputnik 1950s. It is truly a fascinating piece of our musical heritage. Interesting facts: Singers: Tom Glazer and Dottie Evans Lyricists: Hy Zaret and Lou Singer Label: Motivation Records Series: Singing Science Records (proud publishers of Energy and Motion Songs, Experiment Songs, Nature Songs, and Weather Songs) ------------------------------ 20. What does "Ana Ng" mean? Derek Thomas interviews John Flansburgh in the 8/90 THROTTLE magazine: JF: Ng is a Vietnamese name. The song is about someone who's thinking about a person on the exact opposite side of the world. John looked at a globe and figured out that if Ana Ng is in Vietnam and the person is on the other side of the world, then it must be written by someone in Peru. Jon McIntyre <mcintyre@cronic.enet.dec.com> says, "John F is wrong; it's a Chinese name. `Nguyen' and `Ngoc' are examples of similar Vietnamese names." ------------------------------ 21. What are they wearing on their heads in the "Don't Let's Start" video? Dylan Wilbanks <wilbanks@ucsu.colorado.edu> writes: Rolled up carpets. The place they're at is the site of the 1964 World's Fair in Queens, which would later be immortalized in "Ana Ng". ------------------------------ 22. What is "Particle Man" about? "Particle Man" concerns the nature of the life, the universe and everything. Triangle man has been construed to represent the Holy Trinity. Triangle Man has also been interpreted to represent change, religion, the homosexual community, and is a reference to a quantum physics phenomenon as well. In an interview with Peter Koechley (koechley@facstaff.wisc.edu), John Linnell had this to say: We pretty much write these songs and let other people figure them out. I remember one thing that went into it was that we were watching _Night of the Hunter_ or something on TV and somebody commented that Robert Mitchum reminded them of a triangle. Something about his body type. He seemed like this kind of evil triangle. That was one of the things that went into the song. [People said that the triangle represented] the three branches of government or the holy trinity but that's not what it is at all. Actually, "Particle Man" is a song. Any meaning gleaned from its lyrics exist only in the mind of the listener. All meanings are correct. All meanings are bunk. Jens Alfke <jens_alfke@quickmail.apple.com> writes: More quantum-mechanical theorizing on "Particle Man". The song says "What's he like? It's not important" which makes sense for a particle; QM asserts that subatomic particles have only a few constant properties (mass, charge, spin...) and beyond that are completely featureless and indistinguishable. I.e. any two electrons are identical. ram@iris3.carb.nist.gov (Ram Samudrala) writes: Particle Man is about the environment, of course! (: But "tmbrich" <tmbrich@aol.com> has the last word: In response to this debate, "Nobody knows, particle man.", answers the question! So, you see, nobody knows! ------------------------------ 23. I like TMBG, what other bands might I like? The lyrics of "Twisting" suggest The dBs and the Young Fresh Fellows, and the latter band opened for some recent TMBG live shows. Steve Nicholson <74431.40@compuserve.com> writes: Brian Dewan. He was the featured artist on the first Hello Recording Club selection (Mar 1993) and he opened for TMBG during their summer '94 tour. He plays an electric zither that he himself constructed. The sounds he gets from it range from haunting and beautiful to a 30-string Les Paul through a stack of Marshalls. His debut album _Brian Dewan Tells the Story_ (on Bar/None) is excellent. Darwin Grosse <ddg@prosrv.ems.com> writes: Brave Combo started out as a party band in the North Texas State University area. Rockin' polka versions pop and classic rock tunes, as well as incredible original tunes. For those who are into the "hot polka" genre, the early albums/tapes are the best bet. While I'd agree that Brave Combo would be interesting to the general TMBG fan, I'd tend to push their earliest albums and tapes as the most appropriate. WretchAwry <vickie@pilot.njin.net> writes: Oh oh! Another group that belongs there is Boston's Hypnotic Clambake, which is somewhat of a cross between TMBG, Camper Van Beethoven, Boiled in Lead, and 3 Mustaphas 3. The CD I bought at the BiL show is called Square Dance Messiah and is very aptly described as "It's like a bar mitzvah on acid" and "...take their tradition with a grain of salt -- quite likely some lemon and tequila, too." An address for info is: Hypnotic Clambake P.O Box 121 Roslindale, MA 02131 Deanna Rubin <drubin@philly.cerf.fred.org> writes: I did buy the Drink Me tape, and thought it was pretty cool. They're not as wacky or zany as TMBG, but I still think they have a nice folksy-gone-nuts sound to them. Steven Collins <stevie@soda.berkeley.edu> writes: Speaking of other cool groups TMBG fans might like, I recommend King Missile. They can be a little harder-rockin, but I muchly enjoy their strange and wonderful lyrics. Thomas Wallace Colthurst <thomasc@athena.mit.edu> writes: TMBG fans might also enjoy Color Blind James Experience, a band loosely affiliated with the Church of the SubGenius. Their newest album is entitled "Noises in the Basement." Richard C Miske <rcm46136@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> writes: The TWO members [of Ween] have similar names (Dean and Gene Ween), and they have lots of short songs on the album and bizarre lyrics (Flies on my Dick?!?), so in that way they're pretty similar. If They [Might Be Giants] had an Evil Twin, my vote would be for Ween. Jason Proctor <jproct@sinkhole.unf.edu> writes: another group i like and recommend is Too Much Joy. they have 3 albums that i've found: _Son of Sam I Am_, _Cereal Killers_, and a new one, _Mutiny_. Jeffrey P. Adams <adams@euclid.uoregon.edu> adds: So, along the lines of related groups, may I recommend Eggplant. I particularly like their album _Sad Astrology_. They certainly have the same sort of fresh & humorous approach as the Johns, but as has been mentioned, everyone is unique. Andrew Raphael <raphael@research.canon.oz.au> adds: Tlot Tlot, from Melbourne Australia. John & John stole their album from a radio station in the USA last month, I hear. Their album? _pistolbuttsa'twinkle_. Miles Goosens <GOOSENMK@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu> writes: R. STEVIE MOORE!!! For those who don't know, R. Stevie Moore is a multi-talented composer/singer/multi-instrumentalist/pop eccentric who has spent the better part of these last twenty years recording sublime music and releasing most of it through his own cassette club, which he runs out of his home. Much like TMBG, it's difficult to describe his music to the non-initiate -- it's kind of like what you'd get if you threw the Beatles, Zappa, Talking Heads, Thelonius Monk, and Kraftwerk in a blender, and even that doesn't begin to describe the enormous range and stylistic diversity of his music. And if you thought TMBG were prolific, Stevie has nearly 200 cassette currently available (the equivalent of, say, 320 albums)!!! I have thirty of them, and can vouch that every one is a winner. There are currently two ways to check out his music. First, there are two compilation CDs out that I know of (_GreatestTits_ on New Rose, and last year's _Compact Risk_), both of which you might find at larger record stores like Tower. Second, you can send a SASE to Steve himself, and he'll send you a catalog of his work, which even rates each cassette for "listenability"! His address is: R. Stevie Moore's Cassette Club 429 Valley Road Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 And John Relph <relph@presto.ig.com> opines: The Pooh Sticks are wonderfully cheesy and inane, you gotta love the way they take bubblegum pop and twist it into an erotic ear feast. Check out their latest albums "Million Seller" and "The Great White Wonder". The former has some wonderful music on it. One of the best pop albums of the last few years. Very silly, and very very good. Keep your ears and mind open. ------------------------------ 24. What is the sample at the beginning of "Boat of Car"? Johnny Cash, sampled from the chorus of the song "Daddy Sang Bass" (not the fish). We think he was sampled from the first line of the chorus, but others are not so sure. Those people believe it's the line "Daddy'll sing bass". Andrew Russell Mutchler <andym@owlnet.rice.edu> writes: The name of the song is "Daddy Sang Bass" (words & music by Carl Perkins), which is also the first line of the chorus. Yes, I know that's not "Daddy'll sing bass," but the entire chorus is as follows: Daddy sang bass, Mama sang tenor, Me and little brother would join right in there. Singin' seems to help a troubled soul. One of these days and it won't be long, I'll rejoin them in a song. I'm gonna join the fam'ly circle at the throne. No, the circle won't be broken Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye. Daddy'll sing bass, Mama'll sing tenor, Me and little brother will join right in there In the sky, Lord, in the sky. ------------------------------ 25. What are the palindromes in "I Palindrome I"? In the bridge section of the song, the lyrics are a WORD palindrome (rather than the usual LETTER palindromes): "Son I am able", she said "though you scare me." "Watch", said I "beloved," I said "watch me scare you though", said she, "able am I, Son". After "see the spring on the grandfather clock unwinding" the background lyrics are a well-known palindrome: "Egad, a base tone denotes a bad age!" john <rejoyce@ucscb.ucsc.edu> writes: one you all missed is the background chorus of "man o nam" or "man oh man" ------------------------------ 26. Who is "dead uncle allotheria"? Jennie Larkin <jlarkin@leland.stanford.edu> writes: OK, I now know who dead uncle allotheria is. Class Mammalia is broken up into 2 subclasses: Prototheria and Theria. Subclass Prototheria is broken up into 2 Infraclasses: ALLOTHERIA and Eotheria. Infraclass ALLOTHERIA has 2 orders: 1. Order Monotremata- The duckbill and spiny anteaters of Australia & New Zealand. 2. Order Multitubercalata (extinct)- Jurassic to Eocene forms (think dinosaurs) perhaps comparable in habits to the later rodents. The definition for Infraclass ALLOTHERIA is "Forms with widened braincases and no Jugals". The definition for subclass Prototheria is "Primitive mammals defined by certain technical characters, such as the small alisphenoid bone and no tritubercular teeth." Subclass Theria ("Normal mammals with well-developed alisphenoids") is subdivided into 3 Infraclasses: 1. Patriotheria- small, primitive ancestral forms 2. Infraclass Metatheria, which is inclusive of Order MARSUPIALIA 3. Infraclass Eutheria- the higher mammals, with an efficient placenta. Any more questions? To which Andrew Raphael <raphael@research.canon.oz.au> adds: > 1. Order Monotremata- The duckbill and spiny anteaters of > Australia & New Zealand. That should be the platypus and echidnas of Australia & Papua New Guinea. No monotremes in New Zealand. Their only native mammals are bats, which are placental mammals. > 2. Order Multitubercalata (extinct)- Jurassic to Eocene forms > (think dinosaurs) perhaps comparable in habits to the later > rodents. Nothing to do with dinosaurs. Multitubercalata were mammals living at the same time as dinosaurs. Theria means beast, but sauria means lizard. The mammals & dinosaurs evolved at about the same time. ------------------------------ 27. What are the lyrics of "James K. Polk"? Richard (Rick) Yanco <thorin@guardian.wpi.edu> writes authoritatively: In 1844, the Democrats were split The three nominees for the presidential candidate Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist James Buchanan, a moderate Louis Cass, a general and expansionist From Nashville came a dark horse riding up He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump Austere, severe, he held few people dear His oratory filled his foes with fear The factions soon agreed He's just the man we need To bring about victory Fulfill our manifest destiny And annex the land the Mexicans command And when the votes were cast the winner was Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump In four short years he met his every goal He seized the whole southwest from Mexico Made sure the tariffs fell And made the English sell the Oregon territory He built an independent treasury Having done all this he sought no second term But precious few have mourned the passing of Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump "Napoleon of the Stump" was one of his nicknames, according to Joseph Nathan Kane's _Facts About the Presidents_. I validated most of the song, and there's very little poetic licence employed. The only major "error," as it were, was that the top nominees on the first ballot were Martin VAN BUREN (146 votes), Lewis CASS (83), Cave Johnson (24), John Caldwell Calhoun (6), James BUCHANAN (4), Levi Woodbury (2), John Stewart (1), John Knox POLK (0). That is, there were *seven* nominees, not three, and Buchanan was fifth. On the eighth ballot it went CASS (114), VAN BUREN (104), POLK (4), Calhoun and BUCHANAN (2 each). On the ninth, Polk was nominated unanimously. ------------------------------ 28. What is "The Statue Got Me High" about? Andrew Weiskopf <ST891425@pip.cc.brandeis.edu> writes: Our French Literature specialist has brought to our attention the Moliere work called "Don Juan." The relationships between this work and the TMBG song are too numerous to ignore: "And though I once preferred a human being's company, They pale before the monolith that towers over me..." Don Juan, the king of all lovers, sees a statue one day, when suddenly, the statue strikes up a conversation with him. The two have a good rapport, and so Don INVITES THE STATUE OVER FOR DINNER, as opposed to one of his many LADY FRIENDS. "The statue got me high..." During dinner, our hero suddenly realizes that his dinner guest is not the kind person he originally met. But before Don can run away, the statue HYPNOTIZES him, and makes him sit back down at the dinner table. "...it killed me..." The statue KILLED Don Juan. 'Nuff said. "The statue made me fry..." Then, the statue sent him down to HELL, to FRY for all eternity. "And what they'll find is just a statue standing where..." Had angry villagers busted down the door, I suppose all they would have seen was A STATUE STANDING WHERE the statue got Don Juan hypnotized... Pretty incredible, huh? All you TMBG/Moliere fans- is there any truth to this?!?! Did all of this really happen in the same book? If so, one cannot deny that there must be some creedence to this theory. During the 1994 They Might Be Giants tour, John Linnell introduced the song as having been written about _Don Giovanni_, although ``I didn't know it when I wrote it.'' ------------------------------ 29. What are the missing lyrics to "Someone Keeps Moving My Chair"? Mr. Horrible / Mr. Horrible / We're not done with you yet Mr. Horrible / You have to try on these pants so the Ugliness Men / can decide if they're just as embarrassing as we think. / We have to be sure about this. ------- 30. What is "Purple Toupee" all about? As interpreted by: + jens_alfke@quickmail.apple.com (Jens Alfke) + brown@merlin.plk.af.mil (Justin) + Sadiye Guler <guler@ecs.umass.edu> + melinda@world.std.com (Melinda M Hale) + Guy Jacobson <guy@research.att.com> + tracyk@cs.washington.edu (Tracy Kimbrel) + John Relph <relph@presto.ig.com> + schmidt@kickapoo.cs.iastate.edu (William J. Schmidt) + trainman@merle.acns.nwu.edu (Jim Ellwanger) + jason.kreitzer%goucher@wb3ffv.ampr.org (Jason Kreitzer) I remember, the year I went to camp, I heard about some lady named Selma and some blacks Civil rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama, and the fact that Rosa Parks, who would not move to the back of the bus, is a black woman. somebody put their finger in the president's ears it wasn't too much later they came out with Johnson's Wax During the Johnson administration, and perhaps before, the following were a popular type of stupid riddle: Q: How do you make a Venetian blind? A: Poke his eyes out! Q: How do you make Johnson's wax? A: Put your finger in the president's ear! Johnson's Wax is a polishing product made by S.C. Johnson Wax. There was specifically a famous photograph that was published at the time, showing Johnson holding this hound dog by the ears. I think it made a stir because it made the president look like a buffoon (the strange pose plus LBJ's own sizable ears). Could be a reference to "finger on the trigger" and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Also could refer to Johnson's implacable attitude towards continuing the Vietnam War, despite the mood of the country, advice of aides, etc. I remember the book depository where they crowned the King of Cuba The book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassin, hid, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and of course the Cuban missile crisis (with JFK in office). Also since Oswald was supposedly involved in a CIA plan to overthrow Castro (the King of Cuba). That's all I can think of, but I'm sure there's something else, way down inside me I can hear it coming back Purple toupee will show the way when summer brings you down Purple toupee and gold lame will turn your brain around "Purple Toupee" could be a play on both the title and the music of Prince's song "Raspberry Beret". Purple is widely regarded as the color of psychadelia. Jimi Hendrix' biggest smash hit was, of course, Purple Haze. Jimi didn't wear a toupee, but had a wild hairstyle, and wore gold lame (at the same time as every color of the rainbow; He certainly had a unique sense of fashion). Purple Haze and some of the rest of Jimi's debut album are definitely about drugs. There was a variety of LSD known as Purple Haze, though I don't know whether it was named after the song or vice versa. Another possible (drug-free) interpretation of "turn your brain around": Jimi was and still is considered one of the most (if not the most) influential rock musicians in history. He turned the music world upside-down. Chinese people were fighting in the park we tried to help them fight, no one appreciated that But it seems to me that one of the leading Asian generals on one side of either the Vietnam or Korean War was named General Park. I've always thought that's what the "park" here was referring to. This may also be a reference to the fact that the USA "interfered" in the Vietnam War. Martin X was mad when they outlawed bell bottoms ten years later they were sharing the same cell Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. again, and Malcolm X (ten years later they were both dead). I shouted out "Free the expo '67" 'till they stomped on my hair, Abby Hoffman and the Chicago 7 were widely regarded as political prisoners following their arrest for disrupting the Democratic National Convention in 1968. This probably is a confused reference to "Free the Chicago 7". Also a possible reference to the De Gaulle's "Libre Quebec" speech at Expo '67, in Montreal, Quebec. and they told me I was fat When the Beatles first arrived in the US during the British Invasion, John was just a trifle porky. The newspapers immediately dubbed him "the fat Beatle". Now I'm very big, I'm a big important man and the only thing that's different is underneath my hat. Purple toupee is here to stay after the hair has gone away the purple brigade is marching from the grave _Hair_ was a popular and influential Broadway musical, from which came the songs "Aquarius" (the dawning of the age of aquarius / the spawning of the cage and aquarium), "Let the Sun Shine In", and of course, "Hair" (give me a head with hair / long beautiful hair). Louise <Mowder@zodiac.rutgers.edu> writes: People who saw John&John in the new york area prior to 1988 may remember that Purple Toupee was ALWAYS dedicated to Joe Franklin, a local TV personality whose very-late-night show was a celebration of local, rather Times-Square of the '50s talent... comics, singers, minor celebs etc. Joe, who just retired last year, would be very generous with his air time, and it was on "The Joe Franklin Show" that John & John first met the etherealized waves.--back in '83-84, I beleive. Anyway, if you ever saw Joe, you'd know that "Purple Toupee" and "gold lame" are both appropriate to the show's dress code. The show had been on in the NYC area since forever, and by the '80s was the site of a lot of cultural nostalgia for those of us who were little kids in the real early 60s, as the Johns were. "Lady named Selma and some blacks" and the President's ear joke are about the way that Big Current Events sound to a first grader in 1964. And The Joe Franklin Show always seemed stuck right about there. For those of you who caught the 7-night extravaganza in NYC last year, you may remember that Joe Franklin introduced TMBG on the final night, and briefly reminisced about their early days. This was the night when the show that consisted of the exact replication of the first album (the Bar-None/ Rodney Alan album). The show brought back extremely fond memories of crowded nights at Darinka. (Anyone else remember Darinka?) ------------------------------ 31. Where did the cover of _Flood_ come from? Annie Sattler <annie@nevada.edu> contributed this: The cover of "Flood" is from a photograph by Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) from _LIFE Photographers: Their Careers and Favorite Pictures_ by Stanley Rayfield (Doubleday, 1957): ``An original LIFE staff photographer, Margaret Bourke-White made the cover picture for LIFE's first issue. She was the first woman photographer in World War II to be accredited to the U.S. Armed Forces, the first authorized to fly on a combat mission. She was torpedoed in the Mediterranean and was the only non-Russian photographer on the Russian front. Margaret Bourke-White was the last person to interview Gandhi, six hours before he was assassinated. Because she was a dangerous woman to have in Korea with a camera, the Communists put a price on her head. Margaret Bourke-White's quarter of a million pictures are a major contribution to the revolution in photography which has taken place in LIFE's first 20 years. Margaret Bourke-White has written several books and received many major photographic and civic awards.'' ------------------------------ 32. What is the Hello Recording Club and how do I join? The Hello Recording Club is a subscription-only record company run by John Flansburgh. The Hello Recording Club releases ten CD singles by different bands per year. The singles are recorded exclusively for the Hello Recording Club. Some current releases include CD singles by Spanish Fly and Andy Partridge (of XTC). Some forthcoming releases include singles by Charlie Chesterman and the Motorbikes, and Mono Puff, featuring John Flansburgh. To join call 1-800-HELLO-41 for ordering information. It is still possible to order the 1993 and 1994 selections (not including the the 1985 They Might Be Giants demo tape, which is sold out). ------------------------------ 33. Did you know that _Nightgown of the Sullen Moon_ is a book? Martin Holger Peters <mrpeters@ocf.berkeley.edu> writes: Thanks to my handy-dandy Books in Print computer at work (the general bookstore on campus, if you must know), I found this out: Nightgown of the Sullen Moon; author Nancy Willard, illus. David McPhail 32 pages Paperback copyright 9/87 $4.95 Hardcover copyright 9/83 $14.95 Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company phone orders: 1-800-346-8648 paper ISBN 0152574301 hard ISBN 0152574298 ------------------------------ 34. What is the song "Birdhouse in Your Soul" all about? Jens Alfke <jens_alfke@quickmail.apple.com> writes: The narrator of "Birdhouse" is of course a blue canary-shaped nightlight. I'll quote: "...but I'm a little glowing friend..." "...bluecanary in the outlet by the light switch..." "...my name is bluecanary, one word, spelled L-I-T-E..." "...there's a picture opposite me, of my primitive ancestry..." "...so keep the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul..." All this describes a blue canary-shaped nightlight plugged into an electrical outlet, on the wall of a (bed)room, opposite which is a picture of a lighthouse. [The lighthouse is a type of nightlight.] The whole metaphor makes sense: a glowing nightlight [in the shape of a] bird in the birdhouse in your soul, making you feel safe from danger. David Levine <davidl@ssd.intel.com> adds: There's a picture opposite me of my primitive ancestry Which stood on rocky shores and kept our beaches shipwreck free Though I respect that a lot, I'd be fired if that were my job After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts. That is, the canary-shaped nightlight *would be* fired if he *were* a lighthouse. In the lyric, he imagines that if he'd been on the job when Jason and the Argonauts came by, they would surely have all been smashed on the rocks below, and he would have been fired for it. Brian Rees Haag <bhaag@churchst.ccs.itd.umich.edu> writes: someone asked why the blue canary nitelite was fillibustering. (yes, i prefer the nitelite interp to the electricity interp) the nitelite is there to make the kid forget that it's a dark night and there could be monsters under the bed, in the closet, etc. in effect, the nitelite is "fillibustering vigilantly" against the kid's fears. David Rysdam <drysda02@ursa.calvin.edu> adds this dissenting viewpoint: The Jason an Argonauts reference is a little play on words. Jason and the Argonauts were ancient Greek dudes who sailed around looking for adventure, treasure, and babes. (See: Fleece, Golden) Anyway, at one point J and the As were trying to sail through this strait that kept opening and closing and thus was extremely difficult to pass (they had to time it just right). In order to get through they sent out a dove and followed close behind. The dove, by instinct, presumably, timed the journey correctly and thus saved the lives of J and the As. Since electricity is being compared to a "blue canary", the play on words comes in by comparing electricity's primitive ancestry (fire) to a dove. I think this verse points out the irony of the song. It's about electricity, but it's saying, "Don't rely too heavily on technology." Actually Holly, Brent Lewis' <bclst3+@pitt.edu> sister, says: Has anyone ever mentioned the similarity to Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope is the thing with feathers?" Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I've heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me. But really, John Linnell (They Might Be Giants) says: I mean, for example, "Birdhouse In Your Soul" is a song about a nightlight. That's it. It's written from the perspective of a nightlight serenading the occupant of its room. The thing is, there are so many syllables in the songs that we have to come up with something to fill the spaces. So it ends up being kind of Gilbert and Sullivany. ------------------------------ 35. Can someone tell me who Marvin Gaye and Phil Ochs are? Don Marks <dmarks@tsegw.tse.com> writes: Phil Ochs is only one of the best folk singers ever. His songs are caustic, sarcastic, touching, hard-hitting, funny, and usually right on the mark. If you have an aversion to 60's left-wing politics, you may want to avoid him, but I'd recommend picking up the CD compilation "There But For Fortune" which contains some great music. TMBG covered Phil's "One More Parade" on the _Rubaiyat_ compilation. Marvin Gaye is a soul singer from years gone by, but I'll let someone who knows his stuff better fill in the details. Both are dead now, sadly. Bo Orloff <boo@netcom.com> writes: Marvin Gaye was a quite famous & successful soul music (Motown) singer/musician/songwriter. He was shot (and killed) by his father. Representative works: I Heard It Through The Grapevine, What's Going On?, Sexual Healing Phil Ochs was a somewhat less famous & successful folk/protest music singer/musician/songwriter. He hung himself in his sister's bathroom. Representative works: I Ain't Marchin' Anymore, Outside of A Small Circle of Friends, Tape From California ------------------------------ 36. Who originally did the song "Frankenstein" that They play at live shows? The song "Frankenstein", lately a staple of They Might Be Giants concert performances, was originally performed by The Edgar Winter Group, from their album _They Only Come Out At Night_. Good title. Positively prescient. The song "Frankenstein" has never been officially released by They Might Be Giants. However, the song was released on a bootleg album entitled _Dr. Spock's Back-Up Band_ as "Instrumental No. 2". ------------------------------ 37. Where did the song "Lady is a Tramp" come from? The Man <jll9w@poe.acc.virginia.edu> writes: "Lady Is a Tramp" is from a musical called _Babes In Arms_ (not _Babes in Toyland_). I don't recommend seeing it. It was a mild success when it first hit Broadway in the first half of this century, but that was mostly due to the fame of it's creators. The libretto [read: book, script, the non-musical portion of a musical stage show] was SO bad that when one of the pair of creators died, the other immediately rewrote the libretto and put in his will that the original must NEVER be performed. At the time, librettos were only to give some kind of reason to sing on stage, and this was a bad one. The rewrite isn't much better though, because it kept the same songs, just even more out of context, a sacrifice to get a plot. You might want to get a CD of the music, if you like cheezy musicals, or, just go to a good library and get the lyrics. ------------------------------ 38. Is the song "We're the Replacements" a mockery or a tribute? A tribute to a band that mocked themselves. Jeffrey Chen <a540jef@pic.ucla.edu> writes: They Might Be Giants' song "We're the Replacements" is a parody of the lifestyle of The Replacements based on their public reputation, and that it was unknown whether the Johns revered them or is just making fun of them. I could be wrong. Koenig Feurio <payn@chaph.usc.edu> writes: Personally, I believe that the song is both a tribute and a parody. I have no quotes from John or John to back this up, but I have quotes from Slim and Tommy of the 'Mats: Me: "Have you guys heard the They Might Be--" Tommy: "Yeah, I heard that, it was pretty funny." Slim: "What? What are you talking about?" Tommy: "They Might Be Giants, their song about us." Me: "'Hey where's Tommy, someone find Tommy.'" Tommy: "Yeah, it's pretty funny." Slim: "Is it supposed to be an insult?" Tommy: "I think it's more like 'Alex Chilton.' Kinda both." ------------------------------ 39. What are the strange background vocals in "Dinner Bell"? hutchens@swanee.ee.uwa.oz.au (JL HUTCHENS) writes: Also, in reference to Dinner Bell, I mailed my interpretation of the mysterious message at the start of the song: I...drip...ping...mast...ter It...is...a...bee...ell (I can only make out this bit from the left channel) And...walk...a...way At the end of this I said the words could be in Russian, which was just a of a joke (because Pavlov was, of course, Russian). But coon@ecn.purdue.edu (Matthew S Coon) writes: Well, I put in an intensive listen last night and I deciphered the background bit. First, I am absolutely positive that each syllable is repeated as the sound bounces back and forth. Those of you who disagree should follow my original advice and use the fader on your stereo to isolate the left and right channels and you will hear (basically) the same thing on each side. Secondly, I am POSITIVE that the dripping master thing is WRONG. I am very confident that what is actually said is I reheat my soup Give it a good look And walk a(way) This is most clearly heard on the right channel (thw lower pitch) because the high one is very unclear period. Listen to the right a few times, then try the left and you will hear the same thing. Then listen normally and you will hear how they fit together. I think it is really clever how the isolated right channel says and walk a waiting for the... with the word waiting completing the phrase "and walk a(way)". ------------------------------ 40. Who is James Ensor? In an interview with Peter Koechley (koechley@facstaff.wisc.edu), John Linnell says: Well, he's a painter. The song just tells you everything you need to know; he's a Belgian painter. . . He's a real guy. In another interview, a John said: In my art history class, while in college, we were bored and all of a sudden his works came up and we were surprised at how exciting it was. He was an expressionist, like other 20th century expressionist painters, who was ahead of his time and was very eccentric. The line, ``Dig him up and shake his hand,'' is actually very specific -- a parallel idea to a lot of his paintings which involve resurrections, skeletons and puppets being animated. It's not an accident that the language of the song reflects his work. He did a painting -- titled something like _Self Portrait in 1970_. It's a skeleton, wearing his clothes. He became a phenomenon right before the turn of the century. With the song, I'm trying to encapsulate the issues of his life -- an eccentric guy who became celebrated and was soon left behind as his ideas were taken into the culture and other people became expressionists. ------------------------------ 41. Why aren't the lyrics to "AKA Driver" printed in the liner notes? In an interview with Peter Koechley (koechley@facstaff.wisc.edu), John Linnell was asked that very question, and he says: We're afraid of getting sued because it mentions a product name. We can't print the word NyQuil on the record, so we had to call the song something else besides "NyQuil Driver". But we can say it in the song all we want, we're just not allowed to [print it on the record]. We didn't want to get sued. . . I don't even know why NyQuil would be upset. Is it that we are suggesting that there is something wrong with their product? Or, is it that we would be stealing their customers away by getting them to buy records instead of cold medicine? ------------------------------ End of They Might Be Giants FAQ *******************************