My iPod #276: They Might Be Giants - Dinner Bell

If it wasn't for this track.... I would not be listening to They Might Be Giants today. "Dinner Bell" was the first song of theirs I heard, and I was instantly hooked. Maybe that's why I hold such a fondness for "Apollo 18". The thought that without hearing "Dinner Bell" I probably wouldn't have bothered to find more TMBG songs is quite mind-blowing, and I am very grateful that I did play when I was listening to Internet radio.

Written and sung mostly by John Linnell, with John Flansburgh providing the unusual backward vocal of the bridge, "Dinner Bell" 'indirectly refers to Pavlov's famous experiment involving a dog's reaction to the ringing of a bell after associating the sound with food.' Thank you TMBW. But I had no idea that it was about that when it came on about ten years ago. I just thought it was someone waiting for dinner. Anyway, the topic of the song wasn't what attracted me. It was the likable melody which changes against the major and minor key changes during the verses. The multi-tracked vocals panning from one ear to the other, one syllable falls right into the next becoming something of a tongue-twister. Its 2/4 signature, which keeps the track on a steady pace with every chord change occurring at the beat. And obviously the lyrics that seem to mean nothing at all, but sound right because they fit in with the song's music so well.

This welcomed me to the world of They, and I embraced it with open arms.

My iPod #273: They Might Be Giants - Dig My Grave

This video is weird (bear in mind it isn't the official one), but it's the music we're here for.

Opening They Might Be Giants' fourth album "Apollo 18" is "Dig My Grave", another typical rocker by John Flansburgh that lasts only for a minute and few seconds. Only They will know why it took four albums for Flansburgh to get an opening track, the first two were penned by Linnell and the previous one didn't feature the Johns at all. This was Flansburgh's time to shine. That time was used well. Even if it was very quick.

There is not a lot to say just because it is so short. Not even its page on the band's dedicated fan Wikipedia site states a vast amount of information. Nevertheless, it is the perfect way to get things started. It's a track that one doesn't have to think about. The lyrics are from the perspective of a person who wants their grave to be dug when they see someone and when that same someone calls the person's name. Whether it's because the person hates that someone so much that they would rather die than be in contact with them or they're simply too shy is the real question I have about 'the meaning of the lyrics'. But I'm not so deep about that stuff.

I just like the song's simplicity. The four chords accompanied with Flansburgh's double tracked vocals and shrieks of the song title, the messed up 'guitar solo' which consists of the high guitar strings being plucked at a fast rate way up the fretboard and especially the last few seconds when the song speeds up and the cello and violin rise in volume before the song comes to a stop. Just a short and sweet way to start it all off.

I hold "Apollo 18" with very high regards; I feel as if it is a TMBG album that doesn't get much love as it should do..... I love you "Apollo 18". I think you're better than "Flood". I am not ashamed.