The Beatles
From This Might Be A Wiki
The Beatles were a popular and influential rock band formed in Liverpool in the 1960s. The band consisted of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
Like most children of the decade, John Linnell and John Flansburgh grew up listening to The Beatles, who were therefore among their first exposures to pop music. John Flansburgh recalls that the first album he purchased, when he was just 5 years old, was A Hard Day's Night.[1]
In Gigantic, Linnell refers to They Might Be Giants themselves as "The Shitty Beatles". At live TMBG shows, the band has been known to execute a synchronized bow at the close of a song, particularly "James K. Polk." Flansburgh has referred to this as the "Beatle Bow."
Contents
References in TMBG's music[edit]
Lyrically[edit]
- Beatles And Bugs - Likely an alternate title for "King Weed" found in the User's Guide liner notes
- Goodnight - "Good Night"
- Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal - Lyrics referencing other songs by the band à la "Glass Onion"
- Idaho - Written about a supposed LSD trip John Lennon once had
- Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes - Referencing the line "Nothing's gonna change my world" from "Across the Universe"
- XTC Vs. Adam Ant - "Beatle-based pop..."
Musically[edit]
- Fibber Island - Flute solo similar to "Strawberry Fields Forever"
- Maine - Intro similar to "Good Day Sunshine"
- May Day - Joke section is the same tune as With A Little Help From My Friends.
- Particle Man (Live At XM Studio) - "Strawberry Fields Forever"-style
- S-E-X-X-Y - Song's ending shifts into a minor orchestral piece à la Glass Onion.
- S-E-X-X-Y (Kendal Mintcake Remix) - Twice uses samples from the beginning of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
- We Just Go Nuts At Christmastime - Verses sung similarly to the verses in "Across the Universe"
- Where Do They Make Balloons? - Chorus and ending contain elements strikingly similar to "Getting Better"
Covers[edit]
The Beatles[edit]
- Best Of Spin The Dial - Contains a smashing cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
- Get By With A Little Help - Parody of "With a Little Help from My Friends"
- Savoy Truffle - Wikipedia article
- Yellow Submarine - Wikipedia article
Solo careers[edit]
Paul McCartney[edit]
- Ram On - From the Listen To What The Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute To The Music Of Paul McCartney tribute album
Honorable mentions[edit]
- Don't Worry Kyoko - Originally by Yoko Ono, John Lennon's wife
- Lazy - David Cowles' cover illustration is inspired by the film Yellow Submarine
