They Might Be Giants

[fox69]

 

[fox69]

"'85 Radio Special Thank You"

"'85 Radio Special Thank You"


Hello. They Might Be Giants are happy to be on a radio program for the first time in their long-illustrious careers. 1985 has been a very good year for They Might Be Giants. In January, Bill began at a new school. Everyone liked him, And he likes everything. In March, we were all trapped deep inside a subway car racing down tracks going faster and much faster untin they never let us out a full ten blocks later. In April, we all sang a duet with Tina Turner. In a way it was nice, and it was our favorite song. But we spent the entire summer resting up, looking for some vital link missing in the big picture. Bill said he had found it, but in fact he had lost it. Well, in September Bill chipped a tooth skyriding far above the Planet Earth. And then came the end of the year when we were on our very last radio show, which we are glad that you have become a part of. Thank you for listening to They Might Be Giants. We do have a Dial-a-Song service at 718-387-6962. Service at 718-387-6962. Thank you.

 

[fox69]

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective"

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective"


She's got her ear to the walls and she's tappin' the calls
If you've got a secret boy, forget about it, 'cause she's a

Hotel Detective
my little
Hotel Detective
yeah she's a
Hotel Detective
Why don't you check her out

Well the bellhop is funky
The dumbwaiter's a monkey
If there's a knock at the door, boy, forget about it, 'cause she's a

Hotel Detective
my little
Hotel Detective
yeah
Hotel Detective
Cone on and check her out

She says she likes my face
She says she owns the place
Forget about it, 'cause she's a

Hotel Detective
my little
Hotel Detective
come on her
Hotel Detective
Why don't you check her out

Hotel Detective
Come on and swing with me
Hotel Detective
From the top of a tree
Hotel Detective
And make me feel like a bee
Hotel Detective
That's where I want to know you

 

[fox69]

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective (Single Mix)"

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective (Single Mix)"


She's got her ear to the walls and she's tappin' the calls
If you've got a secret boy, forget about it, 'cause she's a

Hotel Detective
my little
Hotel Detective
yeah she's a
Hotel Detective
Why don't you check her out

Well the bellhop is funky
The dumbwaiter's a monkey
If there's a knock at the door, boy, forget about it, 'cause she's a

Hotel Detective
my little
Hotel Detective
yeah
Hotel Detective
Cone on and check her out

She says she likes my face
She says she owns the place
Forget about it, 'cause she's a

Hotel Detective
my little
Hotel Detective
come on her
Hotel Detective
Why don't you check her out

Hotel Detective
Come on and swing with me
Hotel Detective
From the top of a tree
Hotel Detective
And make me feel like a bee
Hotel Detective
That's where I want to know you

 

[fox69]

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future"

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future"


She was a hotel detective in the future (future, future, future)
She had a hundred mechanical fingers (fingers, fingers, fingers)

She held an electrical eyeball
She shot the beam of a laser
Into my heart, into my heart

[unintelligibly:]
My heart is sinking through the detective spy beyond the Milky Way
It shoots through up a void detective spy-eye-eye and then it was destroyed

It was destroyed, it was destroyed

She has the replicant motives of a cyborg (cyborg, cyborg, cyborg)
She amputated my resistance with her mind warp (mind warp, mind warp, mind warp)

She walks with the beard of a rainbow
I weep, alone in my wormhole
Forever more, forever more

Mee mee mee mee
Mee mee mee mee mee
Mee mee mee mee
Mee mee mee mee mee

Mee mee mee mee
Mee mee mee mee mee
Mee mee mee mee
Mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee

She walks with the beard of a rainbow
I weep, alone in my wormhole
Forever more, forever more

 

[fox69]

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future Commentary"

"(She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future Commentary"


[David Remnikopf:] Hi, this is the commentary track for the They Might Be Giants song, "Hotel Detective In The Future".

[Anne Hathaway:] Hi. Welcome.

[DR:] Hi. We should start by saying who this is. I'm David Remnikopf and I did the computer assisted, three dimensional special effects for the song. I work out of my home studio which is called Animotion, and about eight months ago I received a print of the song with instructions for the type of visual effects that the Giants were looking for. And I and my team set to work.

[AH:] My name is Anne Hathaway and I did the foley work, which means doing the sound effects. They Might Be Giants are really great to work with. I mean, the e-mail they sent is so typical of their humor. I love this type of work. I guess I'm the type of girl who loves foley work.

[DR:] You mean you're doing a girl's voice?

[AH:] No, no. (sigh) I am a girl. I'm a girl.

[DR:] Okay let's begin. This is the beginning of the song. This is what we call the establishing shot of the intro with some kind of little guitar thing...

[AH:] Yeah there's some kind of bells.

[DR:] Uh huh. And now, the vocal. Pretty much classic Giants. Really tinny vocals. Very uncomfortable sounding. I don't know how he does that.

[AH:] Does he use a computer?

[DR:] Now for the chorus, here, this is the chorus. They wanted some sort of big explosion, like something that would really grab the listener by the throat, and shake their throat.. a lot. So, I spent several weeks creating a very expensive effect, here. Uh, they didn't really like it. They wound up using something else; I don't know what they did.

[AH:] Yo, yo.

[DR:] How'd you make this crunching noise, in this part of the song, here?

[AH:] Well, it's, it's really a combination of... I-I used celery. I broke celery sticks, and then pitched it down, and I added lots of reverb. I guess I'm giving away some trade secrets here.

[DR:] But nobody will ever really know exactly how much celery you used.

[AH:] I also added corn starch, and then we went and crashed our van. And recorded that. And I mixed it in.

[DR:] It sounds incredible.

[AH:] Yeah. It's really a shame they mixed it down so low, you can't really even hear it at all on the final version.

[DR:] It sounds incredible. So this is... I think this is... They referred to this part of the song as the "bridge". I don't know why. I don't know what that is. Maybe you can explain it.

[AH:] Well, I, I think it's the part of the song where they used up all the other ideas. You've heard the same things over and over. And, just when you--

[DR:] Right. When you're completely tired of it--

[AH:] Yeah, that's when they put in the bridge. Which is maybe not as catchy as the verse or the chorus.

[DR:] But, it comes as a big relief. That's really the craft of the artistry of song craft.

[AH:] Yeah. Here comes your big moment...

[DR:] Right. This is where the whole song is supposed to turn completely inside-out. You've gotten all comfortable with this notion of what you think "Hotel Detective In The Future" is supposed to mean. And then, all your preconceived notions are completely--

[AH:] Those aren't real humans...

[DR:] No, no we used models painted to look like humans and then set on fire.

[AH:] Wow. They're so real. What about the bugs?

[DR:] Those are real insects. I don't want to say where we got them. I don't want to get into trouble. And this is where things get a little messy--

[AH:] Ewwwwwwwwwwwww... totally gross.

[DR:] Ah ha ha ha... that's what the Giants asked for. And, I live to serve.

[AH:] You're such an ass.

[DR:] Well, that's it. End of song. Thanks for listening. I'm David Remnikopf.

[AH:] And I'm Anne Hathaway. Bye bye.

 

[fox69]

"2082"

"2082"


Draw the curtain, look, you're only sleeping
Or is this only what the other you is dreaming?
Either way
Hard to take

Ashen features unmistakably your own
Familiar posture, recast in skin and bone
Person from today
Here is you in 2082

Remove your helmet, first equalize the pressure
No, but first, take readings to be sure
The atmosphere is safe
Yes, it's safe

As the ancient one [?] to look
You see his hand's been replaced with a hook
But it's clear you're very much alive
It's 2105

No, it's 2240
No, it's 3415
How can you still be living?
What does this mean?

You must honor and respect the older fellow
Even as you suffocate him with his pillow
Though you're strong
He was wise

There is much you can learn from the sage
And though you'll leave and travel back to your own age
You will meet again, you two
In 2082

What was the look he gave intended to convey?
Was there something else he was trying to say?
It will all be revealed to you
In 2082

 

[fox69]

"25 O'Clock"

"25 O'Clock"


The urge to take you grows more strong
For time had made me wait too long
Each watch I smash apart
Just adding to my power
Each watch I smash apart
Just bringing near the hour
of 25 o'clock, that's when you're going to be mine
25 o'clock, we'll be together 'til the end of time
At 25 o'clock

The ticking seconds hear them call
My spell of hours will make you fall
Each timer that I break
Will halt the flowing sands
Each timer that I break
Will put you in my hands
At 25 o'clock, that's when you're going to be mine
25 o'clock, we'll be together 'til the end of time
At 25 o'clock

Each watch I smash apart
Just adding to my power
Each watch I smash apart
Just bringing near the hour
of 25 o'clock, that's when you're going to be mine
25 o'clock, we'll be together 'til the end of time
of 25 o'clock, that's when you're going to be mine
25 o'clock, we'll be together 'til the end of time
'Til the end of time
'Til the end
'Til the end of time

 

[fox69]

"32 Footsteps"

"32 Footsteps"


32 footsteps leading to the room where the paint doesn't want to dry
32 footsteps running down the road where the dirt reaches the sky
32 feathers in my brand-new Indian headdress
32 new moons shining in 32 skies
What's the reason, why'd she go
Where's my baby, I don't know
32 footsteps, counted them myself, 32 footsteps

Bing bang bingalong, cing cang cingalong, ding dang dingalong day
Fing fang fingalong, Ging gang gingalong, hing hang hingalong hay
Jing jang jingalong, king kang kingalong, ling lang lingalong lay
Ming mang mingalong, ning nang ningalong, ping pang pingalong pay

What's the reason, why'd she go
Where's my baby, I don't know
32 footsteps, counted them myself, 32 footsteps

32 lies my ears never saw when the floorboards gave way
32 walls come tumbling down and the night turns to day
32 infantrymen running in place
32 boxcars, all of them have your face

What's the reason, why'd she leave
Don't you know we're on the eve of
32 footsteps, counted them myself, 32 footsteps

(no) 28
(no) 29
(no) 30
31

 

[fox69]

"9 Secret Steps"

"9 Secret Steps"


Throw away the thing that tells you
Not to throw the thing away
You'll forget to rue the day
You went ahead and threw the thing away

Nine secret steps
To the key to the door that you'll
Throw in the well and let go
Of all your thwarted dreams
And visions of success

Amputate the thought that says
You shouldn't ever amputate a thought
You'll be overwrought until
You go ahead and amputate the thought

Nine secret steps
To unlock the potential
To forgo the knowledge
Of what can be attained as long
As nothing's ever gained

I can't tell you what's in secret step five
You will know when you're no longer alive

Inhume your gloom within a tomb
Confine your mind behind a line
There's only doom outside your room
Confine your mind behind a line

Nine secret steps
To the key to the door that you'll
Throw in the well and let go
Of all your thwarted dreams
Let go of all your thwarted dreams
Let go of all your thwarted dreams
Of all your thwarted dreams