i can never tell if these guys are super smart and make these deep songs and videos that have layers of interpretation, or if they are just super weird in a way that attracts people who interpret their videos in really deep ways. probably both.
similar to the song on it's own, this video seems to have been made with no hidden, ominous message in mind, and yet feels *incredibly* ominous somehow, and makes me feel slight unease
I remember them asking fans about In the Middle, In the Middle, In the Middle, scouring the Internet for a copy of it, and sending them a link. I have no idea if it actually helped or if they even saw my message. The good ol' days of TMBG Unlimited.
Sometimes I forget how completely happy TMBG songs make me, but "Birdhouse" is the apex for me: it's cheery and thoughtful, comforting and clever all at the same time.
"Wait, you're paying me to wear a flannel shirt, blindfold myself with a picture of some dude's eyes, and march around in a weird sandwich board?... How much?"
I think this song just saved my life... wasn't feeling very well yesterday & my spotify recommended me this. I was like "alright, maybe it's a good song, the name of it sounds cute" I did end up liking it and after some research I found out that all the metaphors and stuff are just so perferct and they really comfort me. I've already listened to it about 50 times. Thanks a lot
Please listen to more of TMBG's stuff! John Linnell is a songwriting genius and his music (and Flansburgh's too) has brought me more mental comfort and safety than I can describe. Lincoln is a good album to check out.
In the late 90s, I was fired from a job for calling Dial-A-Song with much frequency. "Its free if you call from work." Management expected me to pay for a hundred calls from Chicago to Brooklyn. Hahahaaaaa. I think not.
😂 😂 This is hilarious! “It’s ok, don’t worry bc this is a tax write-off.” “That’s only for business expenses!” “But it was business at my work!” “Do you even know what a tax write-off is??” “Yeah....yeah, um if you use stuff at work to do things that cost money, you don’t have to pay for it.” “So dialing up songs is part of your job then?” “Umm...I just know it wasn’t my phone making those calls. Why should I have to pay for them?” “Then tell me, son! Who is supposed to pay for all those long-distance phone calls??” “The tax write-off people!”
I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul I have a secret to tell From my electrical well It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells So the room must listen to me Filibuster vigilantly My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e My story's infinite Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am There's a picture opposite me Of my primitive ancestry Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free Though I respect that a lot I'd be fired if that were my job After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts Bluebird of friendliness Like guardian angels its always near Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul (And while you're at it Keep the nightlight on inside the Birdhouse in your soul) Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it) Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the) Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul) Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it) Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the) Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul) Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Still one of my favourites and still such a creepy unsettling video, too. The William Allen White eyes on all those people still freaks me out, especially when they do all those weird dance moves in unison and then just stare blankly at you. But I love it so much.
This song, and Flood turn 30 years old today. I remember seeing this video when I was 10, and being completely transfixed on it. I didn't think to write down or remember the band name since I figured I'd see the video a million more times. That, of course, was completely wrong, since TMBG wasn't hair rock or grunge. It took me 6 years before I finally found it again, when one of my friends randomly had Flood playing in his car. I've been in love with TMBG ever since.
The Animaniacs played their Istanbul and another song. Then I found them in a record store and bought the tape. I played the SHIT out of it that the tape warped so badly I couldn't hear it anymore. After finally getting a CD player in my car, I started to buy up their other albums. But FLOOD was by far the best!! Hands down!!
I was 11 or twelve seeing my estranged mother for the first time in years. Had a weird moment where I just started singing this eclectic song to her. She started to cry. She passed years ago. I have listened to this song countless times since then. But last night, hearing it live at the concert in asbury park. With a room full of people singing this along with you guys. I wept again. Feeling the crazy magic of this song.
Right, I taught/am teaching my children about "albums." Mostly, they think I want to listen to a lot of one artist. "Flood" is among the very most important albums from my childhood and forward. We also played "Stop Making Sense" Talking Heads as an album. Also super important to me.
@Wayne Rocha-- While the song is fantastic(never gets old imho), the video is just strange enough now to an older me as to be terrifying(the robotic movements, the square shapped jumping, etc)....
"Aren't we living in such a weird time?" ask the voices from the TV. "No," I reply defiantly, standing into sure-footed conviction. "For I was alive in the 90s."
Ugh. I wasnt even born when this song came out. I really wish I could've been an adult at this time, the music industry has no place for people like me anymore.
This song makes me malfunction. No, really: If I'm walking in a hallway and this song comes on, I'll start walking into the walls, then bounce off of the wall straight into the other wall WHILE WALKING BACKWARDS... I swear at some point, if I heard this song for too long, I'll start walking on the CEILING.
Totally. I mean, who comes up with "blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you?"??? These guys were fun. Flood is a great album.
The two culprits are Jonathan Coulton (who opened for them in a lot of shows and has a ton of nerdy songs about math and history, and wrote the song you hear at the end of Portal, Still Alive) and their science album (They say they play Why Does the Sun Shine? at every show they do, which is a cult favorite).
@@Fishingworth These guys wrote still alive! Holy hell, so not only have these guys helped me get onto science and music, but also wrote one of the most memorable experience of my, and me few orhers, childhoods. Jesus.
I saw John & john in Australia in the 80's, They played so many instruments & had the whole audience whistling. Happy that TMBG are still doing great stuff. Especially the kids stuft like 'conifers'
When I was tiny this song confused the hell out of me. Now i’m older and it still confuses the heck out of me. But now that i’ve finally seen the music video, I can safely say it scares the shit out of me too!
Hey serious question, has anybody ever confirmed if these guys are, in fact, giants? They've been telling us they "might be" for years, the least they could do is tell us one way or the other, gosh. But yeah, this song bangs and the video is [chef kiss] top notch. Take care friendos
I regret having waited so long to see the video for this song. It has such heavy Once in a Lifetime vibes that I can't help but pair the two, a fine wine with the most artisan of cheezes. Lovely.
I feel very fortunate to be kind of old, so I've seen TONS of different kinds of lights and bulbs and methods of illumination from plain old candles to kerosene lamps, and there were a lot of crazy types of Christmas tree bulbs in the 1960s, the military had a lot of oddball bulbs, then there was the advent of the LED and I remember when blue LEDs were a big deal.
I wouldn't say it's BY FAR the best song on the album... it's certainly among their most famous songs (and definitely one of the catchiest), but we can't forget about Your Racist Friend, Particle Man, Istanbul and Twisting. Flood also had one of my all-time personal favorites, which I don't think gets nearly enough recognition: Women and Men. That song is absolutely brilliant. Saying this is the best song on the album is like saying World 1-1 is the best level in Super Mario Bros.-they all rock!
eceived positive attention from critics. In his review of Flood for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it one of the band's "finest singles".[11] Reviewing the single alone, Stewart Mason elaborates that, compared to previous releases, the high production value highlights Linnell's and Flansburgh's "knack for dynamics and arrangement." Mason also speculates that the song's popularity stems from the modest depth of its lyric, which is somewhat oblique on the surface but ultimately "easy to figure out", giving the listener a sense of pride in their understanding.[12] Chris Willman, writing for the Los Angeles Times, predicted the track would become a "college radio standard".[13] Commercial performance edit "Birdhouse in Your Soul" peaked at #3 on the United States Modern Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart.[14][15] It is They Might Be Giants's highest-charting single in both countries. In 2010, the song was featured in an advertisement for Clarks shoes; the song returned to the UK singles chart for three weeks, peaking at #70
That's a type of "herald trumpet" look at how a normal trumpet curves around, now imagine the longer curves were straightened out. You can get them, too. Not cheap. But you can get them. The technique the player is using is called "growling" where he's playing but also making a note in his throat and the two combine to make a rough sound.
I'm 112 years old and I'm so glad I like music like this and not the crap that my age-group listen to, such as Jelly Roll Morton, George and Ira Gerschwin and the Memphis Jug Band.
I've just discovered this song for the first time and fell in love with it. The Yugi-Oh parody "The Abridged Series" used it as their opening theme for Season O, and it blew me away as a song and as a perfect fit for Yugi's relationship with his alter ego, at least as it was in Season O.
These Men have taken creative license to a new level in our lifetime. We cannot understand the message, perhaps in part, but it does seem to me that there is something of a Nihilistic message in a lot of their stuff. Regardless, I have seen them live here in San Antonio, Texas, several times with my kids dragging me out past my bedtime, and they are one awesome performing rock band, no argument.
I will never forget jamming to this song at the Barbican in London UK circa 2003. Oh my goodness! One of the most incredible live music experiences of my life!
i grew up listening to TMBG, ( in still a teenager) my mum said i used to belt out their songs at random intervals when i was younger......i was a strange child
+Celeste Elliott Keep it strange. It makes you unique. No one will forget you, and you'll stand out from the drones. Don't let anyone tell you not to :)
The fact that the iconic 'Blue Canary Lite' didn't even exist in 1990, when this sing came out. It's just... Something John & John made up for the song. I read this on a Genius annotation for this song so don't quote me on it, but I AM BAFFLED.
i heard this on an old music tv channel my mum was playing, i then went on to listen to Istanbul and realised they also made this song and tbh i love it!
This song makes me so happy and has helped me so much with my anxiety, now whenever I have to participate in activities that make me anxious I play this song and I feel better about it. :^)
I know this song is supposed to be about a night light, but like, Come on, it has to be a little deeper then just that. I mean, the line "Birdhouse in your Soul" in the context of a bird shaped night genuinely just has to mean something beyond the literal translation.
So I have for ages loved this song, I even had a ninja in ad&d named blue canary who would tell people to make a little birdhouse in their soul when she killed them ( real name, Ana Ng of course lol) and this is the first time I’ve ever seen the video for it.
i can never tell if these guys are super smart and make these deep songs and videos that have layers of interpretation, or if they are just super weird in a way that attracts people who interpret their videos in really deep ways. probably both.
Just brilliant 👏 👌 😊😊😊
The answer to your query is: YES 😂
secret third thing (having fun)
All of those, and more
well uuh
this song is about a nightlight, specifically one in the shape of a blue bird.
I have never seen an official TMBG’s music video before.
I am not at all surprised that this is what they look like.
Oh, check out some of their videos from "The Else" or "The Spine." Those ones are really fucking weird.
And this was them trying to go mainstream!
you are sooo young
😂😂😂😂
similar to the song on it's own, this video seems to have been made with no hidden, ominous message in mind, and yet feels *incredibly* ominous somehow, and makes me feel slight unease
"Flood," in general, is an ominous album...
I'm glad someone agrees with me at least o_o
that's interesting. for me this song is deeply reassuring. well, in any case, words can't express how much i love this song.
i love this song and i think ive worked out wwhat its about- a nightlight's View of the occupant of the room
I grew up listening to their children's music, and I guess I've come full circle and now listen to them devoutly
They talk about this happening quite a bit in interviews.
I grew up listening to their regular albums and now play them for my children. I'm full circling all over this sumbitch.
Yeah, I grew up listening to John Henry, Flood, Apollo 18, and others. IT WAS 200[] - 2014! And now I have about 24 of their albums.
I remember them asking fans about In the Middle, In the Middle, In the Middle, scouring the Internet for a copy of it, and sending them a link. I have no idea if it actually helped or if they even saw my message.
The good ol' days of TMBG Unlimited.
Here come the ABC's was my introduction to them.
Sometimes I forget how completely happy TMBG songs make me, but "Birdhouse" is the apex for me: it's cheery and thoughtful, comforting and clever all at the same time.
+mara.iara I have gorged on these vids this week. Don't, don't let's start.
same as, I cant believe I never heard of them until last year when my girlfriend introduced me to them
I learned about them from Caroline.
You made a birdhouse in your soul.
@@grigoriyefimovichrasputin7897 good
"Wait, you're paying me to wear a flannel shirt, blindfold myself with a picture of some dude's eyes, and march around in a weird sandwich board?... How much?"
I read that in strong bad's voice and that made it 20 times better.
Strong Bad: making funny quips since 1996
Tooty -two dollars. Oh and air strong bad... Do you know the times?
* sir, I meant sir. Curse autocorrect.
DAISHORYUJIN 95 you know you can edit your comments, right?
I think this song just saved my life... wasn't feeling very well yesterday & my spotify recommended me this. I was like "alright, maybe it's a good song, the name of it sounds cute" I did end up liking it and after some research I found out that all the metaphors and stuff are just so perferct and they really comfort me. I've already listened to it about 50 times. Thanks a lot
Please listen to more of TMBG's stuff! John Linnell is a songwriting genius and his music (and Flansburgh's too) has brought me more mental comfort and safety than I can describe. Lincoln is a good album to check out.
@@floridaflamingogirl3119Thank you.
In the late 90s, I was fired from a job for calling Dial-A-Song with much frequency. "Its free if you call from work." Management expected me to pay for a hundred calls from Chicago to Brooklyn. Hahahaaaaa. I think not.
Praxis.
At least you weren't calling internationally.
😂 😂 This is hilarious!
“It’s ok, don’t worry bc this is a tax write-off.”
“That’s only for business expenses!”
“But it was business at my work!”
“Do you even know what a tax write-off is??”
“Yeah....yeah, um if you use stuff at work to do things that cost money, you don’t have to pay for it.”
“So dialing up songs is part of your job then?”
“Umm...I just know it wasn’t my phone making those calls. Why should I have to pay for them?”
“Then tell me, son! Who is supposed to pay for all those long-distance phone calls??”
“The tax write-off people!”
@@stacieball977 This got a real good chuckle out of me, well done!
Absolute legend
I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I have a secret to tell
From my electrical well
It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e
My story's infinite
Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am
There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
(And while you're at it
Keep the nightlight on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it)
Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the)
Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it)
Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the)
Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Still one of my favourites and still such a creepy unsettling video, too. The William Allen White eyes on all those people still freaks me out, especially when they do all those weird dance moves in unison and then just stare blankly at you. But I love it so much.
This song, and Flood turn 30 years old today. I remember seeing this video when I was 10, and being completely transfixed on it. I didn't think to write down or remember the band name since I figured I'd see the video a million more times. That, of course, was completely wrong, since TMBG wasn't hair rock or grunge. It took me 6 years before I finally found it again, when one of my friends randomly had Flood playing in his car. I've been in love with TMBG ever since.
The Animaniacs played their Istanbul and another song. Then I found them in a record store and bought the tape. I played the SHIT out of it that the tape warped so badly I couldn't hear it anymore. After finally getting a CD player in my car, I started to buy up their other albums. But FLOOD was by far the best!! Hands down!!
this is a very light hearted song, it always manages to lighten the mood, everybody should thank lightbulbs for being our bestest only friends
I was 11 or twelve seeing my estranged mother for the first time in years. Had a weird moment where I just started singing this eclectic song to her. She started to cry. She passed years ago. I have listened to this song countless times since then. But last night, hearing it live at the concert in asbury park. With a room full of people singing this along with you guys. I wept again. Feeling the crazy magic of this song.
Who else can't hear the end of this song without hearing 3 snare hits and then:
I LOST MY LUCKY BALL AND CHAIN...
Right, I taught/am teaching my children about "albums." Mostly, they think I want to listen to a lot of one artist. "Flood" is among the very most important albums from my childhood and forward. We also played "Stop Making Sense" Talking Heads as an album. Also super important to me.
NOW SHE'S 40 YEARS GONE
@@aaronlittle5478she's FIVE FEET TALL AND SICK OF ME
And all my rattling on!
She threw away her baby doll
you know for some reason this video wasn't nearly as terrifying in middle school as it is now
Wow
I totally agree with you there.I loved this Video when i was younger,but now i'm terrified when i watch it...
@Wayne Rocha-- While the song is fantastic(never gets old imho), the video is just strange enough now to an older me as to be terrifying(the robotic movements, the square shapped jumping, etc)....
I'm still wondering what the heck stop rock video means on the back of those signs
You're wiser now
"Aren't we living in such a weird time?" ask the voices from the TV.
"No," I reply defiantly, standing into sure-footed conviction. "For I was alive in the 90s."
Calls back from May of 2020... "2020 makes the 90's look as strange as a white, styrofoam cup... Your idea of a 'weird time' is going to change..."
Here's a nice comment from before the pandemic. Simpler times when we thought the 90s were the craziest times yet.
Ugh. I wasnt even born when this song came out. I really wish I could've been an adult at this time, the music industry has no place for people like me anymore.
"The ninties... It's like the sixties ate the seventies and threw up on the eighties..." -Studio C
@@MicrowavedAlastair5390 Nice Studio C reference.
This song makes me malfunction.
No, really: If I'm walking in a hallway and this song comes on, I'll start walking into the walls, then bounce off of the wall straight into the other wall WHILE WALKING BACKWARDS... I swear at some point, if I heard this song for too long, I'll start walking on the CEILING.
I always end up in a good mood whenever I listen to any TMBG songs especially this one.
i agree, there songs are always wierd and fun to listen too.
I'm working on a political parody that uses REAL FACTS to insult Trump and praise our REAL president (Hillary Clinton) #AlwaysWithHer
@Sonic: GO AWAY. We don't want any here. From either side.
SonicTheBlueBlur2 hey can I make you mad please
Totally. I mean, who comes up with "blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you?"??? These guys were fun. Flood is a great album.
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts. What a line!
I'm looking at all the comments here. This genre truly brings people together, or a lot of nerds at least.
Paladin Luke Said genre is "Geek Rock/Experimental Rock"
+Paladin Luke It's more alternative rock than anything really
The two culprits are Jonathan Coulton (who opened for them in a lot of shows and has a ton of nerdy songs about math and history, and wrote the song you hear at the end of Portal, Still Alive) and their science album (They say they play Why Does the Sun Shine? at every show they do, which is a cult favorite).
@@Fishingworth These guys wrote still alive! Holy hell, so not only have these guys helped me get onto science and music, but also wrote one of the most memorable experience of my, and me few orhers, childhoods. Jesus.
Bringing together music nerds and regular nerds.
I saw John & john in Australia in the 80's, They played so many instruments & had the whole audience whistling. Happy that TMBG are still doing great stuff. Especially the kids stuft like 'conifers'
Greg Warren still the only band I've ever seen turn a moshpit into a conga line
I was around 16 when Flood came out. This is still one of my most favorite songs on that album.
I called to hear the song of the day on their answering machine. It was always awesome. My parents did not like the bill.
The phone number is back up!
I remember the 80s
Why does this song both break my heart and give me hope at the same time?
RobotBacon I legit cannot listen without crying. I have no idea why. Love this song so I’ll keep listening. And crying lol
@@plantgurl11 Let me know if they're tears of joy or sadness. I'm still trying to figure it out.
They are tears of hope. You light a little light - and maybe the love you wish for will visit and stay. It’s beautiful.
TMBG will do that to ya
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who experiences this.
This is my favorite band, They Might be Giants
+LucasBoone C yep, TMBG are AWESOME!!!
When I was tiny this song confused the hell out of me. Now i’m older and it still confuses the heck out of me. But now that i’ve finally seen the music video, I can safely say it scares the shit out of me too!
it’s about a nightlight (like it’s from the POV of a nightlight)
John Linnell in these early music videos always comes across as slightly demented.😁
He still does lol
Those shots in front of the printed/illustrated backdrops are - I can't put my finger on it - so freakin' iconic. They transcend.
watching this in 2019 with all the feels from 1990... GOOD GOD THESE PEOPLE ARE WEIRD AF AND BRILLIANT and it makes me so happy!
Got made fun of as a kid for being a TMBG fan.... but who's laughing now!? I get to spend the rest of my damn life with this music!
This came out when I was in high school which was a very long time ago and I still love this album!
Hey serious question, has anybody ever confirmed if these guys are, in fact, giants? They've been telling us they "might be" for years, the least they could do is tell us one way or the other, gosh.
But yeah, this song bangs and the video is [chef kiss] top notch. Take care friendos
They are giants in my heart!!!!
They’re probably giants
I regret having waited so long to see the video for this song. It has such heavy Once in a Lifetime vibes that I can't help but pair the two, a fine wine with the most artisan of cheezes. Lovely.
2:10 - Why does he look so excited about killing off the Argonauts? I now feel uncomfortable.
Wow, I kept singing this song to myself after leaving my family to fly to Guam to catch my ship going to Desert Storm. It kept me from crying.
Can't believe they got Jerma to star in this
It looks like they filmed this in an I Spy book
I feel very fortunate to be kind of old, so I've seen TONS of different kinds of lights and bulbs and methods of illumination from plain old candles to kerosene lamps, and there were a lot of crazy types of Christmas tree bulbs in the 1960s, the military had a lot of oddball bulbs, then there was the advent of the LED and I remember when blue LEDs were a big deal.
Need to buy myself a blue canary night light now
Max Grafe Hey thanks for posting that Blue Canary link!
It warms my heart that the product page is full of references to this song
Make sure you read the comments on Amazon!!!!!
ahem, it's one note spelled L-I-T-E...
@@DogzDinette what link? im curious....
I wouldn't say it's BY FAR the best song on the album... it's certainly among their most famous songs (and definitely one of the catchiest), but we can't forget about Your Racist Friend, Particle Man, Istanbul and Twisting. Flood also had one of my all-time personal favorites, which I don't think gets nearly enough recognition: Women and Men. That song is absolutely brilliant. Saying this is the best song on the album is like saying World 1-1 is the best level in Super Mario Bros.-they all rock!
Women and Men is a lovely song with a beautiful sentiment.
Minimum wage! YAHHH!
i love all tmbg songs!
He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking 🎶
eceived positive attention from critics. In his review of Flood for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it one of the band's "finest singles".[11] Reviewing the single alone, Stewart Mason elaborates that, compared to previous releases, the high production value highlights Linnell's and Flansburgh's "knack for dynamics and arrangement." Mason also speculates that the song's popularity stems from the modest depth of its lyric, which is somewhat oblique on the surface but ultimately "easy to figure out", giving the listener a sense of pride in their understanding.[12] Chris Willman, writing for the Los Angeles Times, predicted the track would become a "college radio standard".[13]
Commercial performance
edit
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" peaked at #3 on the United States Modern Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the UK Singles Chart.[14][15] It is They Might Be Giants's highest-charting single in both countries. In 2010, the song was featured in an advertisement for Clarks shoes; the song returned to the UK singles chart for three weeks, peaking at #70
I need that trumpet.
That is a very long trumpet.
Perfect.
That's a type of "herald trumpet" look at how a normal trumpet curves around, now imagine the longer curves were straightened out. You can get them, too. Not cheap. But you can get them. The technique the player is using is called "growling" where he's playing but also making a note in his throat and the two combine to make a rough sound.
I'm 112 years old and I'm so glad I like music like this and not the crap that my age-group listen to, such as Jelly Roll Morton, George and Ira Gerschwin and the Memphis Jug Band.
03:09 I'm no expert, but I don't think that's how you play guitar
Kristen Kidd 0:33 I don’t think he’s actually playing. Lil synced
It's a joke.
I don't know. I think he might actually be playing that guitar for real. He gets pretty crazy when a performs.
I love their stringing together of idiomatic expressions. It's one of the things that have made their songs so amusing over these many decades.
I've just discovered this song for the first time and fell in love with it. The Yugi-Oh parody "The Abridged Series" used it as their opening theme for Season O, and it blew me away as a song and as a perfect fit for Yugi's relationship with his alter ego, at least as it was in Season O.
These Men have taken creative license to a new level in our lifetime. We cannot understand the message, perhaps in part, but it does seem to me that there is something of a Nihilistic message in a lot of their stuff. Regardless, I have seen them live here in San Antonio, Texas, several times with my kids dragging me out past my bedtime, and they are one awesome performing rock band, no argument.
2021 TMBG still intensely timely and relevant. Rock on Johns!
When 'odd' is the raw material from which you make art. Bless you, Giants.
I learned recently that this was directed by the same guy who did the "Baby Got Back" video.
Just something to think about.
Also the same guy who did the “Love Shack” music video.
I will never forget jamming to this song at the Barbican in London UK circa 2003. Oh my goodness! One of the most incredible live music experiences of my life!
Nickelodeon used to have a morning show in 1990. That was where I first saw this video. Love TMBG.
Was it Nick Rocks? A comment on that read "I feel this is the thing that traumatized Neil Cicierega as a child."
full force BOP!!
your mum
Hello Rebecca
Oh goodness, how much do I love this?
Just so much. So dang much.
I consider myself mostly into women but John Linell in this music video was my first crush when I was like 5. I was like “men can be pretty?”
one of the best pop songs ever!
Absolutely amazing for people who like bangers.
Lowes guy: So how many lamps do you need?
John Linnell: *Y E S*
I started on TMBG when the album Lincoln came out. I first saw them on MTV'S 120 Minutes in the mid 80's.
Everyone jumping around like crazy Jiangshi; I almost forgot how fun 80s Mtv videos could be! 📺📼
One of the best outfits i’ve ever come across since yr 2000. Robo Jim from Detroit gave me a cd and life has been better since then! 🎸
By far the best song on the "brand new record from 1990", that of course being Flood. Now THAT is how you start an album.
Heck, ocean levels may have set a brand new record in 1990 as well!
Damn.... Class of 1990 senior trip...... TMBG and Violent Femmes.........played numerous times on the bus........has it been that long?
Just bought my tix to see They Might Be Giants play their Flood album in Spring 2022. Can't wait! Thanks, you guys totally are Giants 😎
Certified banger, a rare instance where my sister and I can agree that a song is good
The reference to Greek mythology makes me happy. Also is this from the perspective of a nightlight
That's what I thought! A bluebird nightlight, right?
@@AbandonedVoid Jason and the argonauts
Why does this only have 1468 likes!?! World, you must do better.
John Flansburgh [the guitarist] looks like he's left the scene of Kingsman for this video.
God himself incorrect, he left this song for a scene in Kingsman.
John Linnell simple writes some of the best songs of all time.
My headphones weren't working and I heard "make a little burger in your soul"
Who wouldn’t have a little birdhouse in there soul? This song and video just cheers me up, it did that back in the day as it still does today 👍
When he's singing from the balcony, John looks like he's possessed
@ParticleMen, thank you so much for making this channel.
i grew up listening to TMBG, ( in still a teenager) my mum said i used to belt out their songs at random intervals when i was younger......i was a strange child
+Celeste Elliott Do tell.
And there ain't a damn thing wrong with that :)
agreed +applejack1310
applejack1310 agreed XD
+Celeste Elliott Keep it strange. It makes you unique. No one will forget you, and you'll stand out from the drones. Don't let anyone tell you not to :)
This song will forever hold a special place in my heart
This is a very spiritual song to me. Life long fan.
John L is so babygirl in this ❤️❤️
I hate this comment... but it's so true I mean LOOK AT HIM (◕-◕)
I now own a blue canary night light, (you can get them on Amazon), but I have no outlet by the light switch to put it in. That's sad.
The fact that the iconic 'Blue Canary Lite' didn't even exist in 1990, when this sing came out. It's just... Something John & John made up for the song. I read this on a Genius annotation for this song so don't quote me on it, but I AM BAFFLED.
this song makes me so fucking happy
They are amazing! Such a song, apparently derived from a childhood nightlight.
i heard this on an old music tv channel my mum was playing, i then went on to listen to Istanbul and realised they also made this song and tbh i love it!
This song makes me so happy and has helped me so much with my anxiety, now whenever I have to participate in activities that make me anxious I play this song and I feel better about it. :^)
Man, this song/video makes me miss the early 90s. It also makes me want to watch Pete & Pete again for some reason.
Adam Bernstein, the director of this video, was quite literally a director on Adventures of Pete and Pete.
@@floridaflamingogirl3119 that’s awesome and doesn’t surprise me. Thanks for the info!
Great to see TMBGs at Mr. Smalls again here in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. After this song I need to listen to Dr. Worm now.
Few songs are perfect. In a rarefied category, this sits with pride of place.
ok lowkey, lowkey linnell pretty cute in this
I know this song is supposed to be about a night light, but like, Come on, it has to be a little deeper then just that. I mean, the line "Birdhouse in your Soul" in the context of a bird shaped night genuinely just has to mean something beyond the literal translation.
C'mon Araki, Birdhouse Soul would be a perfect Stand name for Part 9, give TMBG their due!
I especially enjoy the synchronised jumping.
ok, my and my dad used to listen to they might be giants alot. I'm 14 now, but they are still definitely one of my favourite bands
So I have for ages loved this song, I even had a ninja in ad&d named blue canary who would tell people to make a little birdhouse in their soul when she killed them ( real name, Ana Ng of course lol) and this is the first time I’ve ever seen the video for it.
Great video, and the song, after almost 30 years, remains a pop-music classic.
Wow not heard this in ages top tune.
One of the best songs and videos of ALL TIME!
There is a strange beauty to this song, but all I can think of are the three episodes of ygotas season 0
DOWNHEARTED Captain Black: "I thought you knew me Better Than THAT"-The Fantastic Clancy Brown
I love being old enough to remember this and the Animaniacs :)
Nostalgic. Pure classic.
i have been listening since early 80's... love them so much
Johns face at 1:38. Priceless.