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Fun Music Information -> They Might Be Giants

Album cover parody of Spine by They Might Be Giants
Parody album cover
click to see the original

This is the most recent information about They Might Be Giants that has been submitted to amIright. If we have more information about They Might Be Giants, then we provide a link to the section where it appears (the actual page whenever possible).

Our newest site, amIwrong has an albums order quiz where you need to put this performer's albums in order of release.
 
 

Possible Misspelled Names:

These are the alternate spellings of the performer's name we've had to correct in submissions to amIright.

They Must Be Giants, They Might be Giants

Quotes:

Basically, we put our songs together in very much the same way the guys in Metallica do.
- John Flansburgh-TMBG
Submitted by: LucidLupin
 

Band Name Origins:

  • Of course, [Quixote] carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be... Well, all the best minds used to think the world was flat. But, what if it isn't? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we'd all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes. Submitted by: Tobias Balick-Schreiber
  • I interviewed John Linnell years ago, and he said: "It's the name of a movie. It's not a very interesting answer, unfortunately; it's not a very good movie and it doesn't hold that much significance for us, particularly, except that we thought the name was good." Submitted by: Karlos

Stupid Band Names:

  • It isn't hard to tell if they are giants. Are they freakishly tall? If so, they are giants. Submitted by: Travis
  • They might be giants. Or they might not. What an interesting subject Submitted by: Sarah
  • They might be giants......or they might not be giants........ Submitted by: Annie
  • Are they all exceptionally tall or do they just overestimate their musical talents compared to others? Submitted by: Alderia

Vainity Songs:

Song Name
Comments & Submitter Name
"They Got Lost"A song about They Might Be Giants getting lost driving around. - Shivers
"They Might Be Giants"From the album Flood. The song, fun as it is, unfortunately doesn't explain anything about the band or where the name came from! (It actually came from a 1970's movie) - Agrimorfee

Song Titles Not Used as Lyrics:

Song Name
Comments & Submitter Name
"How Many Planets?"The answer is the track's position on the album: 8. - All-Starr
"Apophenia"The song is about the effects of apophenia, meaning there's no need to say the title. - All-Starr
"AKA Driver"Supposed to be called "NyQuil Driver", which is said in the song, but was changed as a request from Elektra and Vicks. - All-Starr

New Band Names:

New Name
Why It's Better
Submitter Name
They Might Be JetsNew York's other NFL teamRobert
They Might Be MidgetsMidgets: the vertical opposite of giants.Opie M.
They Might Be 49ersSan Francisco's other pro-sports team!Danela
They're Definitely GiantsSeriously, you'd think they'd have figured it out.Meg
John and JohnThey are John Flansburgh and John LinnellCircle Man

New Song Names:

Original Song Name
New Song Name
Submitter Name
"Google in Your Soul""Birdhouse in Your Soul"Sheogorath
"Diamond Handgrenades Of Pure Love""Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love"D. Melody Dole, MD
"Emerald Spears Of Pure Love""Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love"D. Melody Dole, MD
"Ruby Arrows Of Pure Love""Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love"D. Melody Dole, MD
"Instant Bull, Not Constant Ignoble""Istanbul, not Constantinople"D. Melody Dole, MD

There are additional new song names available.

Literally Impossible Song Titles:

Song/Performer
Comment
Submitter Name
"Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love,"No bullets are of love,nor would love be sapphireHeather Brockwell
"E Eats Everything,"Letters of the alphabet don't eat anything.Yvette Bristle
"Particle Man,"How can a man be a particle?Christy McDaniel
"Everything Right Is Wrong Again,"Is it right or wrong? How can it be wrong again?Arrogant Oriole
"Birdhouse In Your Soul,"Seeing as a soul isn't a physical place...Relik86

Use a Song Title to Answer a Different Song:

Song & Band Name
Song & Band Name
"Light The Flame Of Love," 5000 Volts"I've Got A Match," They Might Be Giants
"Light One Candle," Peter, Paul & Mary"I've Got A Match," They Might Be Giants
"Where Am I Going?," Barbra Streisand"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," They Might Be Giants
"Where Are We Going?," Remy Shand"The Edison Museum," They Might Be Giants
There are additional songs titles that answer other songs available.

Remove a Letter From a Song Title:

"Old Pie Box" originally "Old Pine Box"
All-Starr
"Your Om's Alright" originally "Your Mom's Alright"
Good to know your sacred sound's okay :)
All-Starr
"Istanbul (No Constantinople)" originally "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
Regina Olsen
"Talk Of Wheat" originally "Stalk Of Wheat"
I'm sure farmers do this.
Taylor Swift Kick In The Pants
"The State Got Me High" originally "The Statue Got Me High"
Carmen Mistletoe

There are additional song titles with a letter removed available.

Add a Letter to a Song Title:

"The Statute Got Me High" originally "The Statue Got Me High"
Carmen Mistletoe
"The Stature Got Me High" originally "The Statue Got Me High"
Carmen Mistletoe
"Santa's Becard" originally "Santa's Beard"
Becard= a tropical bird in the flycatcher family
Penelope Beckinsale

Change a Letter:

"Old Nine Box" originally "Old Pine Box"
Edward
"Old Pine Pox" originally "Old Pine Box"
Edward
"Old Pine Fox" originally "Old Pine Box"
Edward
"Old Wine Box" originally "Old Pine Box"
Edward
"Old Mine Box" originally "Old Pine Box"
Edward

There are additional song titles with a letter changed available.

Recordings:

Feb 4
a parody of "Particle Man" by They Might Be Giants
Winner of the fashion/indie round of the Decathlon.
http://www.jeffreuben.com: (mp3)

Song Parody Lyrics:

Original Song Name
Parody Song Name
Parody Author
"Particle Man""Rockinoutlive’s Rude!"LoriLoud33
"Speed and Velocity""Steve and Waluigi"Ethan Hall
"Underwater Woman""Underwater Game Nerd"Snappy710
"I Can't Remember the Dream""Skiing with My Dad"Ethan Hall
"Synopsis for Latecomers""Synopsis for Virgins"Ethan Hall
"Particle Man""Gregoncpu"LoriLoud33
"Particle Man""Mathew Reina"LoriLoud33
"Don’t Let’s Start""Don’t Let’s Start 2.0"LoriLoud33
"Particle Man""Lincoln Loud"LoriLoud33
"Particle Man""Pitiful Man"Stupendous Man 1999

There are additional song parodies available.

Songs for Commercials, That Haven't Been Done Yet:

Song Name
Product
Submittor
SpiderSpider-Man moviesDominicmgm
See The ConstellationTelescopesJake
Birdhouse In Your SoulNightlightsThe Deke
LetterboxUS Postal ServiceJake
Subliminal"Clue" Board GameMr. V
There are additional commercials that haven't been done yet available.

Bad Choices for On Hold Music:

Song Name
Company/Organization
Submittor
Say Nice Things About DetroitDetroit tourist agencyProject Bluestreak
Minimum WageMcDonald'sThe Deke
Wake Up CallCompany that makes LunestaBrent F
Doctor WormHospitalJessica
The Statue Got Me HighNew York City Anti-Drug LeagueJake
There are additional on hold music ideas available.

Songs for Duets, That Haven't Been Done Yet:

First Band/Song Name
Second Band/Song Name
New Song Name
Submittor
Tin Man
   America
Particle Man
   They Might Be Giants
Tin Particle Man
Serafina
Bombay
   Timbaland
Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love
   They Might Be Giants
Bombay Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love
Gin could be love bullet material as much as gems!
Heather Brockwell
Gotta Get Paid
   Lil' Jon
Minimum Wage
   They Might Be Giants
Gotta Get Paid Minimum Wage
Brent F
It's The End Of The World As We Know It
   R.E.M.
The End Of The Tour
   They Might Be Giants
It's The End Of The Tour As We Know It
Anna Ng
There are additional duets that haven't been done yet available.

If Groups Combined, Their Names Might Be:

Percy and the Giants
Percy Sledge combined with They Might Be Giants
I heard someone make up this name once. These two performer names were probably combined in order to come up with it.
Submitted By: Billzy
New York Giants
New York Dolls combined with They Might Be Giants
It's been done for the Jets, so why not NYC's other NFL team (which also used to be a pro baseball team until *those* Giants moved west to San Francisco)
Submitted By: JeReMy
Lemons Might Be Demons
Lemon Demon combined with They Might Be Giants
Submitted By: Kez
They Might Be In Flames
In Flames combined with They Might Be Giants
Submitted By: Mr. V

There are additional They Might Be Giants Combined Groups that haven't been done yet available.

Misheard Lyrics:

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
Misheard Lyrics:
Now it's Thursday night on a moonlit night
Original Lyrics:
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night.
"Santa's Beard"
Misheard Lyrics:
I saw my baby wearing Santa's beer
Original Lyrics:
I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard
"Birdhouse in Your Soul"
Misheard Lyrics:
Like the London Symphony, it doesn't rest
Looking into the attic by the light switch
Who watches over you
Original Lyrics:
Like the Longines Symphonette, it doesn't rest
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
"Don't Let's Start"
Misheard Lyrics:
N, do I need Apostrophe T, need destruction?
Original Lyrics:
N, do I need Apostrophe T, need this torture?
There are additional misheard lyrics available.

Misheard Lyrics Stories:

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
Misheard Lyrics:
Now it's Thursday night on a moonlit night
Original Lyrics:
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night.

Story about this misheard lyric by: Falling leaf

Always thought this sounded awfully redundant, saying that it's night at night.

There are additional misheard stories available.

Funniest Song Lyrics:

"I Palindrome I"
The Funny Lyrics:
Someday mother will die and I'll get the money!
Mom leans down and says my sentiments exactly.
Why They're Funny:
One of TMBG's best lyrics. The way Linell sings the first line with such joy and enthusiasm has to be heard. And the weird part is his mom agrees with him!
Submitted by: Tom
"Meet James Ensor"
The Funny Lyrics:
He lost all his friends
He didn't need his friends
He lived with his mother and repeated himself
Why They're Funny:
This is funny only if you remember that the first three lines are verbatim from a previous verse. Actually I think TMBG are funny most of the time...
Submitted by: Chris Kuan
There are additional Funny lyrics available.

Repetitive Song Lyrics:

"Violin"
The Repetitive Lyrics:
Violin, lin, lin
Violin, lin, lin
Violin, lin, lin....
Why They're Repetitive:
hahaha I love this song it rocks
Submitted by: Ben
"Boss Of Me"
The Repetitive Lyrics:
you're not the boss of me now,
you're not the boss of me now,
you're not the boss of me now
and you're not so big
Why They're Repetitive:
dear god!! how many times?? that is practically the entire song! argh!!
Submitted by: wimmill
There are additional repetitive lyrics available.

Nonsensical Song Lyrics:

"I'll Sink Manhattan"
The Nonsensical Lyrics:
I've got a message, so before I get through
I'll find your answering machine
And I'll sink it first.
Why They're Nonsensical:
Allright. If he wants the person to hear the message, it would be rather stupid to sink the answering machine.
Submitted by: Bob S.
"Rat Patrol"
The Nonsensical Lyrics:
Moths beat on the windowpane
Telling me I'm not the same
Sounds of nothing, sounds of fear
Speak to me when no one's near
Why They're Nonsensical:
Truth is, They Might Be Giants is the poster child for nonsensical lyrics, and many of their songs contain them. I could go on and on and list them all, but then other people wouldn't have any fun. I want to know what stuff they are smokin? (laugh) Some of them are more surreal than others, though.
Submitted by: Chuck Cochems
There are additional nonsensical lyrics available.

Insincere Song Lyrics:

"Finished With Lies"
The Insincere Lyrics:
Starting now I’m telling the truth
I’m finished with lies, lies
If you don’t believe me now
You’ll never believe me now
Why They're Insincere:
I don't believe him- do you?
Submitted by: LizziCC
 

Misrhymed Song Lyrics:

"E Eats Everything"
The Misrhymed Lyrics:
H burns food so horrible, all I tastes is smoke,
J likes drinking juice, and K drinks only soda.
Why They're Misrhymed:
As you can tell, 'smoke' and 'soda' don't rhyme, but I think they were just fooling people into thinking they were gonna sing 'Coke' instead.
Submitted by: n8jorge
"Kiss Me, Son of God"
The Misrhymed Lyrics:
I look like Jesus, so they say
But Mr. Jesus is very far away
Now you're the only one here who can tell me if it's true
That you love me and I love me
Why They're Misrhymed:
To rhyme, the last line would read: That you love me, and i love you.
Submitted by: Dan DeMonium
There are additional misrhymed lyrics available.

Inappropriate Song Lyrics:

"Don't Let's Start"
The Inappropriate Lyrics:
No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful
Everybody dies frustrated and sad and that is beautiful
Why They're Inappropriate:
No, I'd call that depressing...
Submitted by: LizziCC
 

Song Lyrics That Mention Brand Name Products:

"AKA Driver"
The Lyrics:
Hey, NyQuil driver
It's NyQuil driving time
Hey, NyQuil driver
Get outta my lane, get outta my way
Product Brand Name:
NyQuil cold medication
Submitted by: Gjarble
 

Song Lyrics That Mention Other Songs:

"XTC vs. Adam Ant"
The Song Lyrics:
Ant Music, once a phoenix
Song They Mention:
"Antmusic" by Adam & The Ants
Submitted by: Richard
 

Songs That Open With Their Titles:

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
Opening Lines:
Istanbul was Constantinople, now it's Istanbul not Constantinople
Comments:
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Snowball in Hell"
Opening Lines:
Avalanche or roadblock, I was a snowball in hell
Comments:
Submitted by: All-Starr
There are additional spelling lyrics available.

Made Up Words in Songs:

"Don't Let's Start"
The Made Up Words:
Deputy dog dog a ding dang depadepa
Comments:
"Thanks for stoppin' by!"
Submitted by: Mickey D.
 

Song Title Space Change:

"Your Mom Sal, Right?" originally "Your Mom's Alright"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Kiss Meson Of God" originally "Kiss Me, Son Of God"
Meson= type of sub-atomic particles
Submitted by: Adlai Alda
"The Y Got Lost" originally "They Got Lost"
How can the YMCA get lost?
Submitted by: Jonathan S.

Band Name Anagrams:

Them Ain't Big Eye Ants Submitted by: All-Starr
Used as the name of a 2012 video compilation
Thea Might Be Stingy Submitted by: Rachel
They Might Be In Tags Submitted by: Newt Gingpoor
Hey, It Might Beg Ants Submitted by: Karen Smith
Beating Eight Myths Submitted by: John

There are additional Band Name Anagrams available.

Song Title Anagrams:

"Broad Ear Pot" originally "Robot Parade"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"A Bad Trooper" originally "Robot Parade"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Adobe Raptor" originally "Robot Parade"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Bad Operator" originally "Robot Parade"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Uranus Robots" originally "Brontosaurus"
Submitted by: All-Starr

There are additional Song Title Anagrams available.

Real Places Mentioned in Songs:

"Austin"
The Lyrics:
Ladies and gentlemen, we're They Might Be Giants of Brooklyn, New York.
Why:
Brooklyn, Borough of NYC. Also the title is referring to Austin, TX.
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Four of Two"
The Lyrics:
Underneath the big clock at the corner of 5th Avenue and 22nd Street
Why:
5th Avenue and 22nd Street in New York City
Submitted by: All-Starr
There are additional Real Places Mentioned in Songs available.

Super Short Pop Songs:

"T-Shirt" Length: 2:10
Released as a single on iTunes in 2005. Left off of eventual album "Here Come the ABCs"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Dr. Evil" Length: 1:50
Released as a promo single in 1999. Track #11 on the "More Music From Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me OST"
Submitted by: All-Starr
"Here Come The ABCs" Length: 0:11
I bet fans of They Might Be Giants wished that the band didn’t have a career making children music too.
Submitted by: Clever Name
"Token Back to Brooklyn" Length: 0:52
Submitted by: Joe Pearson
"Dollar for Dollar" Length: 0:24
Submitted by: Joe Pearson

There are additional Super Short Pop Songs available.

Song Title Spoonerisms:

"Lack Bops" originally "Black Ops"
That's unfortunate.
Submitted by: All-Starr
"'Til High Med Falls Off" originally "'Til My Head Falls Off"
Submitted by: Evil Olive
"Kiss Me, Gun Of Sod" originally "Kiss Me, Son Of God"
Submitted by: Margo Gram
"Kiss Me, Gun Of Sod" originally "Kiss Me, Son Of God"
Submitted by: Margo Gram
"Miss Key, Son Of God" originally "Kiss Me, Son Of God"
Telling Jesus to sing off key?!?
Submitted by: Margo Gram

There are additional Song Title Spoonerisms available.

Foreign Language in English Songs:

"Au Contraire"
The Lyrics:
Au contraire, Dave
Quite the opposite, in fact
As it happens, au contraire
Au contraire, mon frère
Why:
Majority in English except for a small bit of French in the chorus
Submitted by: All-Starr
 

Upbeat Songs With Depressing Lyrics:

"My Man"
The Lyrics:
My man won't walk again
In conflict with express instructions given by the brain
Why:
It's about a paraplegic!
Submitted by: Mel
"Don't Lets Start"
The Lyrics:
No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful
Everyone dies frustrated and sad and that is beautiful
Why:
The fast happy beat doesn't go with lyrics about dying or not being happy
Submitted by: Brent F

Lyrics Alliteration:

"Don't Let's Start"
The Lyrics:
Deputy Dawg dog a ding dang depadepa
Deputy Dawg dog a ding dang depadepa
Why:
Almost entirely Ds
Submitted by: All-Starr
 

Band Name Spoonerisms:

They Bite Me Giants originally "They Might Be Giants"
Submitted by: Jacqui O'Day

Hidden Tracks:

"Hidden track before Track 1"
On the album Factory Showroom, hit the Reverse Search button on your CD player when track 1 starts playing. You will find a brief song, about 1 minute long, that is playable forwards once the CD player stops searching.
Submitted by: Agrimoirfee

What A Band is Best Known For (aside from their music):

"TV theme song"
TMBG also do the theme for "Malcom in the Middle"
Submitted by: Robert
"Theme show tunes"
They did the themes for The Daily Show (a cover of "Dog on Fire"), The Drinky Crow Show, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Submitted by: dxman

Products Bands Should Endorse Based on Their Name:

Elevator Shoes
with elevator shoes you might be a giant
Submitted by: Brent F
Green Giant Vegetables
Eat your veggies, or else!
Submitted by: big

Other Artists:

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