They Might Be Giants: the Chaos and Genius of Their Self Titled Anthem
TMBG gave themselves a theme song. What more could you want?
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Theme Songs and Cookie Monsters
Who else watched The Monkees reruns as a kid? It was one of my favorite shows, and yet, I distinctly remember wondering why none of my friends ever talked about it. I don’t recall much of the show’s details, but the theme song? That stuck.
Hey, hey we’re The Monkees,
People say we monkey around,
But we’re too busy singing
To put anybody down.
This week, I’m writing about another band that also wrote themselves a theme song. We’re talking about They Might Be Giants, from the penultimate track of the Flood album. Appropriately titled... They Might Be Giants.
Cookie Monster Takes the Mic
Now, I wish this wasn’t the case, but the first image that pops into my head when I hear this song? Cookie Monster. Yes, the blue muppet from Sesame Street.
Here’s why: when my best friend and I first started listening to the song, we got to a section toward the end where the chorus is being sung with a bunch of effects and filters. Suddenly, the vocals took on this garbled, distorted quality that immediately reminded us of Cookie Monster singing “tHeY MiGhT Be GiAnTs.”
And after that, we couldn’t un-hear it. I challenge anyone to listen to the end of this song without imagining Cookie Monster in a cloud of cookie crumbs, bellowing out the chorus amongst the audible cacophony that is this track. Once that association is there, it’s there for life. You are welcome/my apologies.
The Song’s Journey: A Back Catalog Classic
“They Might Be Giants” was originally recorded in 1985 and, according to John Flansburgh, it was considered for the Lincoln album but didn't make the cut. Eventually, it found its way to Flood.
Apparently, the band thought it was too weird for their debut album. Admittedly, it’s a complicated track. It’s packed with layers: tons of vocals, multiple guitars, trumpets, samples galore. It’s an audio buffet. As a Flood fan, it’s hard to imagine the album without it. The song feels like a final hurrah—like a victory lap for all the oddball energy of the album.
That Drumbeat Though
One of my favorite parts of this track is the drumbeat. It’s got this bluegrassy simplicity, with these satisfying moments where the rest of the music drops away, and you’re left with three isolated bass drum hits. I don’t know why, but those hits just do something for me.
Last week, I talked about a livestream show I watched, and the pre-show music playing before They Might Be Giants took the stage? Yep. This song. Honestly, you can't go wrong with having your own theme song, especially from one of your most iconic albums.
Everything Needs a Theme Song
A theme song sets the stage for a unique and singular experience—not just for TV shows but for life. Honestly, more things should have theme songs. I often daydream of joining a work zoom, and instead of the standard chime, my own personal theme song kicks in. I don’t want to say that this would fix would the entire world but it would be a step in the right direction.
In that sense, They Might Be Giants were onto something. Their own theme song, in all its absurdity and brilliance, isn’t just self-referential. It’s a reminder of how music can shape an experience and set the tone for what's to come. What’s interesting to me is that this theme song wasn’t setting the tone for what’s to come on the album Flood but rather what had already come. Like playing the Avengers theme while you roll the end credits and await post-credit scene.
A Merry-Go-Round with Wolves
One part of this song I’ve always loved is a sampled line from an old cassette that goes:
To make the merry-go-round go faster
So that everyone needs to hang on tighter
Just to keep from being thrown to the wolves.
Something about that phrase has always been welcome in my ears. It’s fitting in a song that’s a little chaotic, a little relentless. You hang on tighter, just to keep up. Maybe that’s part of the genius of They Might Be Giants—they take you for a ride, and you’re all the better for it.