It’s easy to feel uncomfortable listening to They Might Be Giants songs.
A lot of pop music is popular because it’s relatable. Somebody is singing about experiences in the human condition like falling in love or breaking up, and talks about those feelings you’ve felt in ways that you can imagine yourself talking about them. Then there’s They Might Be Giants. After 40 years on the road and in the studio the kings of alt-rock still sing about things you can’t relate to at all, in ways you would have never thought to talk about them, because: “Triangle Man hates Particle Man,” who knows, right?
If you’re new to They Might Be Giants, or coming back after a while, you’d better get comfortable with that amused bewilderment. Here are a few songs to give you a taste.
Experimental Film (The Spine, 2004)
TMBG have lots of high-energy, fun-to-listen-to songs you don’t need to think too hard about. This is a great one.
Dirt Bike (John Henry, 1994)
A nice example of their early band sound with a gorgeous horn arrangement.
Purple Toupee (Lincoln, 1988)
Did this song unintentionally predict the willfully ignorant, MAGA hat-wearing uncle three decades early? You decide!
She’s an Angel (They Might Be Giants, 1986)
Paul Sahre points out the ironic connection between the line “I heard they had a space program / when they sing you can’t hear; there’s no air” and the fact that you can’t sing along to the chorus of this song without running out of air yourself.
Cloisonné (Join Us, 2011)
Flansbergh may have just liked the sound of the word “Cloisonné,” and threw in “Quonset hut” and “Sleestak” as a bonus.
Fingertips (Apollo 18, 1992)
If there’s any song (it’s actually 21 less-than-a-minute, completely non sequitur songlets meant to be played consecutively) that epitomizes the range, personality and general weirdness of They Might Be Giants, this is it.
With the Dark (The Else, 2007)
The moody-yet-manic vibe of this Dust Brothers-produced album is encapsulated here; it’s three bizarre, eerie songs in one.
Spiraling Shape (Factory Showroom, 1995)
The xylophone solo at the end is iconic.
You’re on Fire (Nanobots, 2013)
If your head isn’t on fire at this point, congratulations: you might be a They Might Be Giants fan!
Mink Car (Mink Car, 2001)
Unclear if this is a send-up or an earnest tribute to Burt Bacharach, but the horn solo is terrific.
Road Movie to Berlin (Flood, 1990)
This slow ballad’s lyric “We were once so close to heaven / Peter came out and gave us medals / declaring us the nicest of the damned” is a standout.
Push Back the Hands (I Like Fun, 2018)
Another catchy, “don’t think about it too hard” song. Because if you do, you’ll finish the playlist sad. Or maybe that’s the point.