Chess Piece Face – In Which We Meet a Face Made of Chess Pieces

"Chess Piece Face" by They Might Be Giants was once a quirky mystery to me—until I learned the heartbreaking truth behind the song.

Yeah, yeah, Happy New Year, etc. Let’s keep this thing moving—time is an illusion anyway.

"Chess Piece Face" is a significant song for me because it’s the first time I encountered continuity and world-building lore in music. That I’m aware of, anyway. I have no idea exactly how old I was when I first heard it, but it was early in my They Might Be Giants …