Talk:Ana Ng

One of the great great songs that most people have never heard of.

I'm considering changing that fact about the Sever Tire Damage version, he clearly says "whirlpool," not "movie."

You're correct there, it definitely is whirlpool. -CapitalQ ♫ talk ♪ 18:25, 17 Feb 2006 (CST)

Am I the only one who when they 1st heard "I don't want the world, I just want your half.", thought she said "I don't want to work, I just want to wear a hat."? [jkazoo]

Very probably. Very probably. ;) magbatz

I always thought she said '... I just want to wear hats' LN

My brother and i had an arguement over whether it was "Wear a Hat" or "... i just want half", we were both worng... but i was close. On another topic... what the hell is this song doing outside the top 30?! back in my day it always followed "Birdhouse", i wish i could have multiple votes... jadeybeans

Video

The Ana Ng Video is on Yahoo! Music. Specifically, it is here. I'd add it to the article, but I don't know how links to videos are usually formatted. You do have to watch an ad before you can see the video unless you already subscribe (in which case you probably already knew it's on there) and you can't use Mozilla, Netscape versions besides 4.x and 7.1 and probably other browsers that I don't use and so can't test for error messages. — User:ACupOfCoffee@ 02:21, 28 Oct 2005 (CDT)

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Does anyone know where the video was made?

It's at a fireman training grounds, on Long Island if i'm not mistaken. -TDK 06:26, 7 Feb 2006 (CST)

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Great song. Does anybody else find the video extremely bizarre?! I was staring at the computer asking myself what the heck this video is supposed to be about. o_O; Love the song, scared by the first chorus by the video. {rolls eyes} Typical TMBG. =) --Lemita 19:26, 27 Mar 2006 (CST)

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I did a little research, pausing the video while it is focused on the maps. On the first map, the town name Mecombeoni is magnified, which indicates that it is a map of Peru. On the second map (the one with the clampy thing), there is a town called Bragadiri as well as a larger word "Slobozia" (a county name), indicating that the map is of Romania. I was both bored and curious. I wasn't sure if it should go in the trivia section or not, so I put it here first. -FlinnsyFan

Pronounciation

How do you even pronounce Ana Ng?

Well, you should sign your posts, BTW. To business. In the song, it's pronounced "Ang" but it's really pronounced "Ong." Check the fun facts, it says it better. =) --Lemita 18:24, 18 Mar 2006 (CST)

Well, we're just going to say it's Ang because it's the way the song does it. We aren't Cantonese, ja?

No, but we want to be correct. Do not change the article back. If your poor virgin ears are offended by "bong" (-_-), then you may replace it with "long".--tehbagel ( o ) 12:54, 19 May 2006 (CDT)

I think that "Ang" can be a way to say "Ng". I am Cantonese and my last name is 伍 which is Wu or Ng. How we say it in Chinese is pretty much an "n" and a "g" with no vowels before or after it. In Wikipedia, it says that it (Ng) is sometimes romanized as Ang, Eng, Ing and Ong in the United States. So, I'm pretty sure that Ang is correct.--ARandomGuy 04:53, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Aneurysm

There's this version of Ana Ng live around 1996 where the sound's pretty slow and creepy, and John and John stick in the word "aneurysm" a lot, which adds to the creepification. I heard it at TDK's live archive (not sure if those are still working though), and I was wondering if this variation was a one-time thing, or if they used to do that version a lot while touring. ~ magbatz 00:07, 21 May 2006 (CDT)... still wondering-- does anyone know? Thanks. ~ magbatz 20:10, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure about the whole song, but I saw them at one show in '98 where they started the song sounding really slow and atmospheric, then at the first chorus kicked into the faster rocking version we all know and love. This was actually my first TMBG show and it sounded very, very cool! --Oddjob 14:03, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

About Clarissa

I used to watch Clarissa Explains It All all the time, but as I was maybe 7 or 8, many of the clever cultural references in TV at the time went right over my head. Would anyone happen to know where I can find the clip that mentions Ana Ng? I find it very funny that she finds John Linnell dreamy, because I thought she was great and also happen to find him quite dreamy. :) --Shellbelle 12:35, 26 Jun 2006 (MDT)

Yeah, I used to watch that show all the time when I was younger, and I can't remember all the great stuff they might have hidden in the show. My sister, who's three years younger than me, remembers when Clarissa mentions John Linnell just because she could remember the clip of "Ana Ng" they played. The first season is available on DVD, and I'm not sure if the scene was even in the first season, but I suppose it's worth checking out. And yes, John Linnell is quite dreamy. - Overjoy

Okay, in the very first episode of Clarissa Explains It All, she mentions that one of her "likes" (as in Likes/Dislikes) is "John, the one without the glasses, from They Might Be Giants," so that's probably what she meant. She also had a poster of John & John on her wall, as well as the Flood sign next to it. --Overjoy 18:41, 27 December 2006 (UTC)

On a whim, I went looking for that clip over at YouTube and "JACKPOT!" First clip I tried. Here you go: Watch it on  — User:ACupOfCoffee@ 09:48, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Awww... they took it off 'cause of copyright issues. T_T I used to watch that show too! --Lemita 16:40, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

here ya go tgies 08:16, 31 October 2007 (UTC)

Oh, here I posted it with just the clip: [1]

              -Yamfox

I know this I'm replying to something from 3 years ago but if you have iTunes and you look up "Clarissa Explains it All", preview the first result. Clarissa's right, John Linnell is dreamy. ^_^ --Sparkling_Omelets 11:32, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

Heywaitaminute...

While staring at my desktop backround of "The Desk Pound" scene from Ana Ng, I noticed... There's two, small, pictures over to the right of and behind Flans, and another near Linnell... Isn't that their Grandfathers (Great Grandfathers?) from the cover of Lincoln? My point is should I add this to the page? --Lemita 23:32, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

They appear again later, in the scene with the two girls. My idea would be a visuals page for songs with videos, as seen on the Homestar Runner Wiki.- Whirrrlwind (Woosh!) 00:00, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Good point! Anyone else second this motion? --Lemita 15:20, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

I do. But videos like Dr. Worm would take forever. :) --Valerie 15:28, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

True, true... --Lemita 15:40, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

There would be something to do, at least. - Whirrrlwind (Woosh!) 16:02, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, I will third that, as it sounds like fun, and would be a great addition to the wiki. - ( Herwwiyal ? )/ 17:18, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm sorry, but I just think making a Visuals page is a really bad and cheesy idea. The only reason this seems to work for hrwiki is because of all of the references that are jammed into it. If I want to know what's in a video I'll just watch it. I think Lemita had the right idea at the start, if you see something that you think other people will be interested in knowing either add it to the trivia or, if you're not sure, put it on the talk page here. And if it's just work you're looking for, the TMBW To-Do List has been in need of people and you could clean up some pages too. --badqueso 19:34, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Hmm... I think you're right. So, I'm-a gonna go add that to the page. Thanks for the feedback. =) --Lemita 23:26, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

Geography

If one were to take opening lines of the song literally, and shoot through a globe to determine the hometown of Ms. Ng, it wouldn't work: The spot directly opposite NYC (where, I believe, they were located when the song was written) on the Earth is somewhere in the middle of the South Indian Ocean. (40deg43minS, 74degE) Angling it a bit so that the shot is parallel to the equator, you end up in Kyrgyzstan (40deg43minN, 74degE), in Central Asia, a bit more likely a locale. Man, I get bored at work. -S.

What about Lincoln, MA? --Dunklekuh81

I used this website here... antipodr and the opposite of both NYC and Lincoln, MA is around Australia. But still in the water. -- AB

Ouch

I almost don't know what to think of the cover on this disc after hearing the clip. [2] — User:ACupOfCoffee@ 21:45, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Ballot box stuffing

Attention - if you are trying to stuff the song ratings ballot box for this song and A Shooting Star Is Not A Star, please stop doing that. I manually approve all votes, and I have been deleting them. So, please stop. --Duke33 22:45, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

H*R connection

According to the H*R wiki article for different town:

• The rhythm of Strong Bad's email song is taken from the They Might Be Giants song Ana Ng – the first time is the same as the rhythm part under the verse, and the second time is this and the vocal rhythm mixed together.

Is this perhaps worth mentioning in the trivia section? - 68.146.234.184 12:43, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

keyboard, accordion, and rest

I was wondering if somebody could let me know which instruments are used and when...y'see...I'm doing my best to figure out how to cover it...as a whole...with more than just guitar and bass. thanks.

I think the discordant strum is, according to the video, a Bulbul Tarang, otherwise known as an Indian Banjo. -Alex H.

Doesn't sound like a Bul Bul to me; it sounds exactly like an autoharp. I am by no means an expert, but I do play both. --Karlos (Extra drowsy Formula)

Wire? Pole? Horn?

"Or the time where the storm tangled up the wire to the horn on the pole at the bus depot"

What is with the wire and the horn and what not? Explain the process of the bus that has anything to do with this. --Dunklekuh81

You have to understand two things. One is that TMBG lyrics don't necessarily mean anything all the time. And really, you'd do well to think of many lyrics that way, regardless of the artist. The second thing to keep in mind however, is that the lyrics can really mean something, but specific to you. Half the fun of good lyrics isn't about knowing what the writer had in mind, it's about what the lyrics put in your mind. Don't be a lazy listener, don't ask people to do the work for you. If you want to know what the lyrics mean, figure it out for yourself. You'll be glad you did. --Luke 17:02, 21 December 2008 (UTC)

Those Coldplay Jerks...

Does anyone else think Coldplay's Viva La Vida could have taken the main part of Ana Ng and just replaced the guitar with a violin? [URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5TNK-TvIcI]Listen to the start[/URL] until they start singing then go play Ana Ng and listen to the guitar in the beginning until Linnell starts singing. I swear they took it.

Oh my--you are exactly correct. They must've taken it! That's crazy. --Sparkling_Omelets 15:16, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

Possible Riff "Borrow"?

Quoth JasonDeLima: The main riff may have been borrowed from Bob Marley's 1980s song Redemption Song. The riff occurs at around 2:10.

by the way, Jason, it's possible I was listening to the wrong part (or listened to a live recording or something). if you have just the part in mind, could you share that? ~ magbatz

I'd be glad to share. Here's the studio version, right where the riff starts, and a couple of the lyrics afterward to prove I didn't audio record it or anything (as if I could play guitar). streaming audio

Remember, this is a band that took a 5/4 drum track and wrote 4/4 music over it, and sampled a Johnny Cash song. TMBG's allowed to do that, I mean, they're TMBG! :D I'm just saying, it MIGHT have been borrowed, I just don't like seeing my edits reverted by random people without a reason. -- Jason DeLima - ♥! - 20:28, 3 February 2010 (UTC)

Alright, I was definitely listening to the wrong thing. No comment on the rest. ~ magbatz 23:31, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Coquet Coquette

Any "of Montreal" fans out there that have heard the new song, "Coguet Coquette"? The first 15 seconds' drums and guitars really remind me of Ana Ng. Thoughts? --Duke33 20:36, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

I agree, and even outside of the first 15 seconds, I would say that the songs have a very similar tone (and maybe theme?). In any case, both are excellent. -Apollo 16:35, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

Narrator mood

Just out of curiosity, I was wondering what most people around here think of the narrator's mood in this song. Is he sad/wistful that he and Ana have never met, or is he ticked off about it? Some people could interpret the term "majestic presence" as sarcasm; I personally think it's an exaggerated sense of longing, but longing nonetheless. He might even be frusted--Linnell delivers the line "They don't need me here and I know you're there" with more indignation than just about anything else in the band's catalog. Granted, Linnell is typically safely detached emotionally from most of what he sings, with some exceptions ("I've Got a Match" springs to mind). And just because he's singing the lines and wrote the song doesn't mean he personally has wanted to meet/know a Vietnamese woman by this name.

Geez, this got long. Sorry 'bout that. Thoughts? --66.193.49.130 14:29, 27 July 2013 (EDT)

Live Tempo

In a recent interview, Flansburgh was asked a question about replicating songs onstage. He had this to say about Ana Ng:

One song we have talked about over the years is Ana Ng. It was a popular early track for us, and when we recorded it we had probably had seven cups of coffee apiece and were jazzed at being in the studio and working with a new drum machine. We just kept pushing the tempo up and up and ended up recording the song at a bit fast. I don't want to say too fast because it's a very successful recording sonically. But needless to say, in the fullness of time as we have performed the song hundreds of times, and we came to the conclusion that at a more moderate tempo Ana Ng actually FEELS much groovier. Now here's where I can't help but wonder—if you see a bunch of old dudes playing their old songs at a slower tempo—doesn't it seem likely that as an audience member you're gonna think—they're tired! Either bored of this song, or just too damn old to play it at full speed? Now of course at any given moment we are all that too—but what we're doing in our performance in Ana Ng entirely for musical reasons I suspect could scan in an entirely different way to an audience member. But who knows?^[1]

--MisterMe (talk) 11:52, 30 October 2013 (EDT)

Pen Pal

Somewhere along the way I heard that Ana Ng was an actual penpal Linnell had, but seeing no mention in the article this must have just been an interpretation that got around in the 80's-90's.--Pittsburghmuggle (talk) 06:31, 9 February 2015 (EST)

flag

Any theories as to why they were flying a Canadian flag (0:55)? Brian 10 Oct 2016

i do believe it's this. -- 22:31, 10 October 2016 (EDT)

Antipodes

Today I learned that there's an actual word for the narrator and Ana! It's antipodes and it means both "places diametrically opposite each other on the globe" and "those who dwell there." As both an obsessive TMBG fan and a word nerd, it makes me really happy that there's a word for this! --Self Called Nowhere (talk) 02:49, 29 January 2017 (EST)