Rabid Child: A Song About Isolation, Truckers, and Nostalgia
How They Might Be Giants’ "Rabid Child" brought me back to my first concert and introduced me to the world of trucker lingo.
In the mid-'90s, I saw They Might Be Giants live for the very first time. My best friend and I were dropped off in front of the Moore Theatre in Seattle, WA, and I remember standing in line with a bunch of people who also knew who this band was. Were these my people? Probably not—we were still too young to drive, and these fans seemed much older, but we were there for the same reason: to see our favorite band.
As we stood in line, we heard the soundcheck happening inside the venue, and suddenly, the first couple bars of "Rabid Child" echoed out into the street. It was electrifying—a reminder that we were about to see They Might Be Giants live for the first time. I’ll never forget that moment.
Trucker Talk: Hammer Down and Rabbit Ears
"Rabid Child" is responsible for introducing me to two CB radio trucker terms:
Hammer Down: to accelerate or go full speed.
Rabbit Ears: This one is tricky. I thought it was a common CB radio term, but apparently, it’s not. From what I can gather, it refers to someone who’s listening in on their CB radio, but it could also reference the twin radio antennas on trucks. Either way, I’m sticking with my interpretation.
According to the song, these are the only words known by Rabid Child and her friends Chess Piece Face and The Big Duluth. They call her every day, and all they say to each other is "Hammer down" and "Rabbit Ears." Are these literally the only words they know in the English language, or are they just the only trucker terms they’ve picked up? Maybe there’s some weird TMBG universe where there’s a song like "Rabid Child" that taught them these words.
"Rabid child stays at home, talks on a CB.
Truckers pass, calling out their handles to the kid."
A Weirdly Nostalgic Connection
The song paints a picture of an isolated kid, stuck at home, spending time talking on a CB radio to passing truckers. It’s this kind of odd immersion into trucker culture, a world where she has friends of all ages and backgrounds who share the same interest in CB chatter. This isn’t all that different from kids of my generation who were early adopters of internet chat rooms and bulletin boards.
The truckers tipped their baseball caps, acknowledging that even though they were from different walks of life, they all shared this weird, niche hobby. It’s not unlike how I felt standing in line at the Moore Theatre, surrounded by older TMBG fans who had easily been following the band for a decade longer than I had. But once we heard "Rabid Child" during soundcheck, we were all the same. Fans, bonded together by this quirky, niche band.
The Driving Beat and Haunting Organ
Musically, "Rabid Child" has a driving drum beat that propels the song forward with energy. The haunting electric organ adds an eerie layer, and by the time John Linnell belts out the final "Rabid child!" with all that emotion, it’s an incredible way to end a short but impactful track.
At just 1 minute and 31 seconds, "Rabid Child" manages to create a world of its own, filled with strange, lonely kids connecting through radio waves. It’s brief, but powerful.
CB Radios: A Relic of the Past?
Who’s even used a CB radio since the ‘90s? I’ve only ever seen them on TV shows and movies from the ‘70s. If you’ve ever had actual experience using one, I’d love to hear about it! What was that world like? And hey, should you ever pass the Rabid Child, give her a "Hammer Down" on my behalf.
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Wow, I have seen TMBG maybe 8 or 9 times and don't think they ever played "Rabid Ears" at any of them. I assume it was played at the show, not just for sound check? I was already in my early 20s when their first album came out, so I was likely part of the "older" college crowd in line with you. Well, except that I didn't see them live until Apollo 18.