As suggested by Jaime, I am working on a list of favorite interview quotes for an Audience Participation entry. However, that is a topic that needs more time and research than I have had this weekend so I am going to save that one for a future date. I am warning you so that you too may start hunting down all your favorites (though you lot are probably more organized than me and have them bookmarked.)
In the meantime....
I was reading someone called DB Telford's recap of TMBG's London shows last weekend (which can be found here if you are interested: http://www.musicomh.com/music/gigs/they-might-be-giants_0610.htm) and was struck by his closing line. "They Might Be Giants are here to remind us all that while we indeed get older by the second, we are in no way required to grow up."
I think that sums up things beautifully and I am taking it to heart in today's Audience Participation topic: 15 Favorite TMBG Songs for Kids (and Grown-Ups Too). We may be adults but that doesn't mean we don't love the children's albums as much as the average five year old! I was going to just do ten songs until I realized how many of those would just be recycled from my 25 TMBG Songs You Can't Live Without List and decided I needed to expand (which probably says something about my musical taste).
And to put you in the proper mood, here is your host and sponsor for this list: BROOM!
15. Impossible - What exactly is an octoflange anyway?
14. How Many Planets? - This is kind of making it onto the list because I love the video and kind of because I love the way Linnell says Uranus.
13. 813 Mile Car Trip - Story of my life with this band....
12. Violin - I realized my boyfriend and I quote this song too much for it not to be here though we probably do talk about hippos more than most people.
11. Sleepwalkers - This one is just really pretty. But it always makes me think of the old Rick Charette song Where Do My Sneakers Go At Night?
10. Can You Find It? - I actually think this song is really clever and I bet it is the only song for children that uses the word "aforementioned."
9. Clap Your Hands - I know this one has some haters in the group. I'm sorry. I just love it. I can't help it. *jump, jump, jump*
8. One Everything - Deep philosophical concepts. Seriously.
7. Seven - We want cake, Where's our cake?!
5. Alphabet Lost and Found - Song = so much fun, especially if Marty is dancing.
5. Alphabet of Nations - No, that's not typo, these songs really are tied. I can not choose between them. Especially when you add in the live versions and they become that much more awesome.
4. Meet the Elements - It Might Be Pizza. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (that is me doing Dan's back-up part in case you can't tell).
3. Where Do They Make Balloons? - We still don't know the answer but I know I love the song.
2. I Am A Paleontologist - Yes, I did just put two of Danny's songs in my top 5. Deal with it. I've loved this song since the first time it was played. I dance like the little dancing dinosaur when I hear this song.
1. Nine Bowls of Soup - This is the song that made me fall in love with the band. No joke.
Now to make up for the fact that I didn't actually include Broom's song on this list, please enjoy this video of him singing it while you compile your lists.
Posts
I still haven't listened to a lot of the children's songs apart from those on the album Here Come The ABCs and various others here and there. If I have, they've been in bits and pieces a long time ago and I don't really remember them because it was only that one time. I have every intention of listening to more and buying more, I just haven't yet. So this list is basically the children's songs I know that I really really like, so far.
ReplyDeleteIn no particular order, as usual:
1) I Am A Paleontologist -- I've only heard this one maybe 6 or 7 times (including live at the only show I've been to), but even so I believe that Danny does an excellent job with it, and it's so fun and dancey. Haha to the little dancing dinosaur! :D
2) Why Does The Sun Shine? -- One of my first, as heard on the User's Guide compilation. Fun and very informative. :) I often sing it when I'm making pizza and watching the cheese bubble on top.
3) Seven -- Crazy fun and lovely audience participation memories from the concert. :D
4) Seven Days Of The Week -- Simple and fun with the ability to get stuck in my head for days (which I don't mind a bit). The video is really cute, too.
5) John Lee Supertaster -- This one I have to be in the mood for, but I do really like it.
6) Alphabet Of Nations -- Catchy and fun with a lovely piano part. I love memorizing things, like random countries, to music. So I really enjoy this one.
7) Flying V -- I just really like this one. The video isn't my absolute favorite, but I love the melody and there's just something about it.
8) QU -- I absolutely love this one. I love the video so much. I can't describe how badly I would like to dress up as a Q and a U with someone and just walk around and have fun. And it makes me laugh. It's been a while since I've seen it, though. I also really, really like the (is it bass? I really don't know enough about these things to be certain) guitar part.
9) Pictures Of Pandas Painting -- Alliteration will win me over every time, especially catchy, clever, weird alliteration with a fun little melody.
10) Fake-Believe -- I just really like the sentiment. And it's a fun song with lots of silliness in the mix. :)
11) Can You Find It? -- For the same reasons you listed. :]
12) LMNO -- Catchy, fun, short.
Heh, whenever she hears Where Do They Make Balloons? my mother insists that it's Rick Charette. And I don't haaaate Clap Your Hands, it's just that jumping in the air is rarely convenient, and it is really embarrassing when you're jumping in the air and a band member is looking at you and you want to yell at him to LOOK AWAY, you jerk, I am being undignified.
ReplyDelete10. In the Middle, In the Middle, In the Middle - just really fun to sing. And I have fond memories of the Avatars performing it at Mohegan Sun last year.
9. Why Does The Sun Really Shine? I love how Flans throws himself into this performance every time, and the falsetto "woo!" in the middle kills me.
8. Science Is Real - it is.
7. Seven Days Of The Week (Never Go To Work) - my personal anthem.
6. Electric Car - catchiest song ever. And so beautiful with all the instruments, and the video is amazing, etc.
5. Alphabet Of Nations - like Jamie, I love songs that let me memorize lists of random things. (Tom Lehrer, anyone?) And of course the live version is out of this world.
4. Four Of Two - I love the tongue-twisty lyrics. Linnell is excellent at using a lot of fun words in his songs.
3. Bed Bed Bed - BED BED bed bed bed bed bed bed bed.
2. Meet The Elements - "AHHHHHHHH" /dan
1. Seven - this might actually be the greatest children's song ever imagined. I loooove hearing this live.
Mine are in no particular order:
ReplyDelete1. Four of Two – Such a tragic story! And a healthy dose of reality for children. (Heh, heh, kidding.) Also, accordion!
2. NO! – I’ve always liked this one because it’s silly and playful. And its message is simple and effective.
3. Violin – I was so happy when I finally saw this one live! I’m a big fan of the zany stuff. This song is pure delightful weirdness. And why is Flans in a bear costume in the video? Love it!
4. Bed Bed Bed – Very catchy, makes me want to march around rather than actually go to bed. And the live version is SUPER fun!
5. Meet the Elements – Another one that’s a favorite of mine at the shows. I like to sing along with Flans’s backup vocals. It’s an all-around great song. And the elephants part rules.
6. Roy G. Biv – This has been my favorite track on “Here Comes Science” since the first time I listened to it. I love the dance beat, the concept and the lyrics!
7. Cells – I just think that this song is the perfect example of John Linnell’s intellectual brilliance. I mean, this is a pretty tune about DNA. Come ON!
8. Alphabet of Nations – Of COURSE this is on my list! It’s only my FAVORITE song to see live. And the keyboard melody is cute.
9. Can You Find It? – I think this song is genuinely beautiful, which is funny considering it’s such a simple concept. But it SOUNDS so much more complex and meaningful!
10. I C U – So clever! So cute! Such a cleverly veiled stalker anthem! I approve.
11. One Everything – I agree that this song is mad profound. Also, nice synth!
12. Triops Has Three Eyes – This song makes the list because it contains some of my all-time favorite TMBG lyrics: “Everything with eyes has some amount of eyes.”
13. Seven – Another live favorite. Linnell gestures! Plus, any song about gorging oneself on cake is fine by me.
14. Figure Eight – Partly because eight is my favorite number and partly because I just think the song is catchy. I also like the pronunciation of “Zamboni.”
15. Even Numbers – This song is weirdly epic. It always makes me laugh. Especially the whole “You like French fries, but you don’t like French fries” part.
Wow, I love how diverse everyone's lists are!
ReplyDeleteJaime, I had to go back and re-listen to QU after you posted because I hadn't heard it in a while and I don't think I had ever really LISTENED to it, if you know what I mean. And you're right, it does have a good bass line (and yes it is the bass). Out of curiosity, which Fake Believe do you prefer?
Megan, I think I love Clap Your Hands for the exact reasons that you don't. It is silly and undignified and I love that it allows a whole audience of adults to be ridiculous together. I also feel a strange obligation as a front row fan to set an example for those behind me with my obedient audience participation. Also, Four of Two was one of several songs that really wanted to be on my list but didn't quite make it and I too enjoy the songs of Tom Lehrer. I think the Animaniacs learned a lot from him.
Stacy, the line in Cells about Eisenhower made me laugh so hard the first time I heard it I had to listen to the song again to hear the end because I was no longer paying attention.
I am tempted to make another list of my next set of favs just because there are a bunch of other kid songs that I love that no one else put on their lists and I am curious if other people like them.
I'm definitely going to have to check out this Tom Lehrer fellow. Though, if he had something to do with the Animaniacs, I'm sure I've come across him already.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the Clap Your Hands reasons you gave, as well. I especially love that my friend Jackie, who went to the concert with me and who is a very goofy individual but who will rarely act physically goofy with me (i.e. dance weirdly) actually participated in the Clap Your Hands bit and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. :D
Of course, I was also dancing the Ana Ng dance, probably terribly, but I was so excited that I couldn't contain my limbs! XD
I'm glad you re-listened to QU. :D
And I suppose I like the first version of Fake Believe. I don't know. I like them both. The video for the first is very cute, and the lyrics for both are good. But it's nice to see actually video of the band in the second version. And John Linnell's look of seemingly extreme consternation at one point while he's playing his accordion cracks me up for some reason. Of course, I haven't seen or heard these in over a year I guess, so I'm sure I'm forgetting things.