Talk:McCafferty's Bib

Refrain

This song is great and all, but couldn't the Johns thought of a better refrain than "McCafferty's Bib?" I can't take the lyrics seriously... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Roken The Minotaur (talk • contribs) 19:35, January 11, 2018

If you're struggling with the (admittedly) bizarre and (seemingly) random clothing item referenced in this song, here's a suggestion. Imagine it's 20 years ago, and Linnell is envisioning his grand State Songs project. Instead of the words "McCafferty's Bib", he sings "North Carolina". None of those songs really had anything to do with their namesake states--the absurdity and whimsy of the project excused all oddities contained therein. So this new song could be about anything at all, and since it doesn't seem to involve Flansburgh in any way, it might as well be a long-lost state song. --MisterMe (talk) 13:10, 19 January 2018 (EST)

I guess you could change it to something that sounded less rt'd, but I can't think of another pun that works the same way in 5 syllables.--WhatTheHeckLinnell (talk) 10:09, 1 February 2018 (EST)

Wait do people not recognize the pun on McCafferty's Bid? Linnell changed the trailing D of Bid to a B.--WhatTheHeckLinnell (talk) 11:21, 29 October 2018 (EDT)

I Came here to say this. I genuinely don't think McAfferty's bid is well known outside the area where it happens. I'm in Ontario but I grew up as a military brat in the U.S., and we lived around the southwest and on the west coast. I allways got weird looks when I tried to talk to people on the coast about McAfferty's bid.

General comments

I really didn't like this one at all when I first heard it, but it's growing on me. So many lyrics though! (Mr Tuck) 15:51, January 24, 2018‎

This is actually 1 of 4 songs from the album that kept my attention all the way through -The thing 16:47, January 24, 2018‎

It's weird, 'cause my own subjective "ratings" seem to align pretty well with the rest of the community on most of the songs on the new album. But this one was one of my instant favorites, and it seems to be quite unpopular. This, along with Last Wave, is one of my two favorite songs from the album! -Mallow 20:46, February 9, 2018

Name origin?

Any idea where the name "McCafferty" came from? I mean, of all the possible random names to choose, that seems pretty specific. Perhaps it's an oblique reference to their work with McSweeney's years ago? --MisterMe (talk) 12:24, 25 January 2018 (EST)

My take on it is McCafferty's is just an impressionistic sort of product name prefix. To me it vaguely recalls old timey items, like the MacGuffey Reader or a cure-all, perhaps a hypothetical McGarnagle's Brain Tonic at a medicine show. Nothing more than that. As a fake product it's a bit like Ubik! Or Skub. ~ magbatz 00:39, 13 June 2018 (EDT)

👍 Ubik reference! --Nehushtan (talk) 01:49, 10 November 2019 (EST)

Isn't it a play on McCafferty's Bid? I am pretty sure that's what he is aiming at....! --WhatTheHeckLinnell (talk) 11:20, 29 October 2018 (EDT)

Maybe a variation on a "MacGuffin"? --Nehushtan (talk) 22:07, 23 October 2019 (EDT)

There's a band by the name McCafferty, which Linnell may be referencing (see my speculation about how that might relate to the song's theme). --Nehushtan (talk) 07:06, 12 January 2020 (EST)

Its a quite clear reference to placing the McAfferty's bid on the Mojave desert. Not super well known in popculture, I guess.

Paul Simon

A couple of years before the Metro interview, Paul Simon's album Stranger To Stranger was released which incorporates the microtonal instruments developed by Harry Partch. No shade on Flansburgh, it's just not possible to keep track of everything in pop music. --Nehushtan (talk) 20:45, 14 February 2020 (EST)

That ringing sound took some time to get adjusted to

My first impression hearing this song I was fighting a cold at the time, and hearing that triangle-like percussion play with earphones was headache-inducing.

It took a loooong time afterwards to really enjoy the song without thinking of that moment, and it's one of the few TMBG songs I have to turn down the volume significantly-- if I'm doing a full-album listen or shuffle. Unusually, it sounds a lot more easier on the ears watching the music video on YouTube than hearing the song normally. -Charlie5L