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Deciphering TMBG

From This Might Be A Wiki

An article by Vixus

I can't say exactly when I discovered the wonders of this group, their quirky lyrics, and deep tunes. Sure, we all heard the great title music to the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, but I had utterly no idea who wrote and played it, or even if it was an actual song all by itself. I think I truly decided to check out these guys further was when I was surfing a great little animation site, "Homestarrunner.com" and discovered a new animation called "Experimental Film". I clicked on it anyway and was brought into a beautiful new world of music.

I must confess, I am not one of these people with dozens of albums, keeping up with the latest music going around. I just go by ear really. Anyway, so I was listening to Experimental Film, and the song got stuck in my head. I found it was on an album called "The Spine" by some band called "They Might Be Giants". I checked for their name on Winamp's Internet Music section and guess what? I found The Spine, waiting to be listened to. I don't know if it was legimate or whatever, but I just had to listen to the other songs by these people. Experimental Film got me hooked, Prevenge reeled me in and Don't Let's Start stuffed me and put me over the mantlepiece.

As I sit here listening to a particularly great little number, Birdhouse in Your Soul, you can't help but just sit and listen. Many of us simply hear music, in passing, or while doing something else. But sometimes we just have to sit and listen.

How else would we see the depth of the lyrics in such songs? I was visiting a TMBG community site (namely "This Might Be a Wiki") and was checking out the ways people had deciphered Birdhouse. The multitude of different meanings was amazing, even a line such as:

'I am your friend...'

brings up something as complex as a description of the oscillations of the AC electricity we find in our national grid. However, you're all melting your brains digging too deep. It's music, you listen to it and enjoy it. The guys at TMBG reportedly put their lyrics to the tune when they have to, you know? And that's sometimes (or most of the time as the case may be) the better option. Their music itself is pure magic, perhaps we owe it to the fact that both Johns are so fluent with so many instruments. They have inspired me to learn a dozen or so instruments that I'll probably never get into (piano and electric guitar are a must however, with drums for backing).

You know what I hate about bands these days? They make you listen to them so that you don't get laughed at by your peers. If you're not listening to those angsty lines or those boyband groans you just aren't cool. The thing about TMBG? Their songs are fun. You listen to them because you want to. I have a friend, and an idiot. The idiot says: "You don't listen to Nirvana? They're the best, they rock." Sure, even I liked them for a while, but boy are their songs depressing. Eventually it gets boring. Anyway, my friend says: "Yeah, Nirvana are my favourite actually." When both he and I know that's utter bull. He may not like that kind of stuff, and he shouldn't have to say he does. However if he honestly does like it *cough* then I apologise. By the way, that idiot's band crashed and burned.

Anyway, at my school if you don't listen to rap, grunge, punk or some other trash, you're a geek. Pah, small towners. I can't wait to get to a university full of eccentrics (Oxford, get it?) Eccentrics make the world go round. People on the dole do not. Simple. Anyway, I'm deviating from my little article here. I've listened to this same TMBG CD that I... burned. OK, I admit it. But I was leaving for holiday and... don't tell, OK? It wasn't actually a copied CD or anything. That's another reason why I love you guys, free MP3s? Come on, name another (good) band that does that! I can't think of any. I'm still not bored of this little piece of musical plastic, and I've listened to it around 20 times now. I even got a CD-man just for it. Now it's my dream to earn some money so that I can buy things I want without having to resort to parents. TMBG. All the CDs. Oh yes. Or maybe I should save up for those flying lessons I want. And that car, and...

TMBG doesn't need deciphering I've decided... yeah, ok, so that puts my enter article down the drain, it's my first, ok? They don't need deciphering because they're simple enough already. All their songs make utter sense, right? No, not really... but they don't need to. I listen for the music, not for the meaning. If I wanted to do that, I'd read a novel called "The Omega Project" or something.

Like I said, don't hear. Listen. And reading is reserved for use on books.

Please send all feedback to Vixus's Page

[edit] Two Years On...

Hey, I just read this article I wrote a while ago and some of it really makes me laugh. For instance, the stuff about University... oh silly me, I didn't realise it would be nothing like I described it. I didn't make it into Oxford, unfortunately, even though I did called up for interviews. I'm at Edinburgh now and I like it. I am studying Physics.

No scintillating musical talk as of yet and no one knows of TMBG, at least no one I've met face to face. But thankfully everyone is a lot more open-minded towards music and my tastes have really grown. Sadly I find myself listening to TMBG less, partly because I listen to mainly CDs now and don't own any by the Johns!

The Omega Project comes from Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent just so y'know.

Flying lessons? Haha!

I have changed, it's nice to see my old stuff though. I guess I will have to write some more articles sometime. See you round, party folk!

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