@@toastje9733😂 spoiler alert. Never Google a series you're still watching or read the comments in a TMBG video. Funny thing is I find them so interesting to try and decipher that I never look up the lyrics until I'm really stumped. Each TMBG song is like a cryptic crossword.
In my opinion one of the most beautiful TMBG songs. It's a perfect duet between Flans and Linnell, and while most of the lyrics are pretty goofy, the ending is very somber. When the flute comes in, it's almost like its the signifier of their death. The entire ending of Join Us is TMBG like I've never heard them. 2082 and Three Might Be Duende have the same feeling as this song
Not mentioned in the comments I've seen so far: it's great how the hands are forming vowels, not just opening and closing with the syllables. Nice touch, and I bet it took some figuring to pull it off!
Join Us, in my opinion, is the cream of the crop in terms of They Might Be Giants albums. There is not a single song on this album that I don't absolutely love. I know some people will disagree with me, say that there is an album that they like better. And honestly, I love that: anyone can say that any They Might Be Giants album is the masterpieces masterpieces, and, you know what, they're all right. Please never stop writing and making music! You guys are truly a testament to experiencing and making joy through music!
Spoiler Alert analysis: One driver is very concerned with how his own life will turn out as he's choosing and applying effort in how to write his book. Think of his book as an autobiography. The writings inside represent the choices he's made in his life up to this point and he is very much in control of his life and seems very goal oriented. He is, however, concerned with his social status and how he'll be remembered. We know this from the following line: "They're gonna be so impressed, When they get a load of me." This driver is looking for the perfect ending to his ideal life, or the "punctuational mark" on his life as a whole that will ultimately help define his legacy. The other driver is the complete opposite. This individual has no control of his own life. His life choices feel forced onto him and are all but too much for him to handle on the day to day. "This truck is driving me out of my mind." This line explains to us that he lacks the ability take control of his own life. He is merely floating through life allowing the truck to drive itself. Take the following lines for example: "But this truck has a mind of its own." and "My leg is so short that I can't reach the brake." These two lines illustrate to us how little control this man feels he has over his own life. His control is very limited compared to the other driver thats not only able to control his car but he's actually multitasking. Unfortunately, both of these driver's stories end abruptly when they collide head on in a traffic accident. So, in total, I think this song is meant to express the meaninglessness of earthly achievements and life as a whole. Basically a song about the futility of life itself because "spoiler alert" we all end up dead with nothing to show for it whether we were amazingly successful or just floating through life without a care in the world. Of course, I disagree whole heartedly with this idea but TMBG tends to grasp onto very dark topics when it comes to their music and usually have a dark outlook on life overall, imo. But obviously some of their negative sounding songs are meant to be more satirical and actually attempt to make the listener think. I very much appreciate TMBG!
At the end I just think of two guys standing outside of their cars, they look at each other and say almost at the same time: "That deer sure came out of nowhere huh?".I love John and John, equally.
The last thing I expected was for a song called "Spoiler Alert" to actually be GOOD. They Might Be Giants, you have exceeded my expectations once again.
LYRICS: Here comes (This truck is driving out) The last page All I need is an ending (of my mind) (But this truck has a mind of its own) Nearing The end of the last page (Which is a lucky thing) And the end of the whole book (‘cause my leg) (is so short that I can't reach the brake) Yeah What to do with these loose ends? (This truck is driving out) I should change the beginning (of my mind) But I shouldn't be typing (But this truck has a mind) While I'm driving (of its own) While I'm making a phone call (which is a lucky thing) While I'm searching through the glove box (‘cause my leg) While I'm writing it all down (is so short that I can't) While it's happening (reach the brake) They're gonna be so impressed (Something is nagging at me...) When they get a load of me (But nevermind, it's gone) (This truck) It's like I've got two (can practically find its) extra pairs of hands (own way without my help) Two to write, two to steer, one to scratch my head, and one to (Maybe I should lie back and) cover my eyes (cover my eyes) Which would help me to think up an end (I think I'll do that) (Yeah) Yeah Some kind of punctuational mark (Now I'm totally resting, I’m reclining) Some kind of (while I'm driving) Some kind of... (Why) Some kind (have) of (I) trouble (not tried) up (this) ahead (until now?) What (I'm) the (letting) hell? (go) What (I'm) the (letting) hell? (go)
No but you see that's the beauty of it: an octopus arm is full of neural tissue, effectively giving it a pseudo-mind of its own, so BOTH parts of the song are from the perspective of the SAME octopus.
Huh. I dunno about that-- I haven't stopped listening to this song since it debuted here on UA-cam. Give it another shot, and listen to both halves of the harmony separately, and how their stories interconnect with each other. It's sort of a cyclical idea, where the beginning of the driver's story might've been the ending of the writer's story. Besides, that is one sweet... bass flute, I think.
I'm not sure if I'm reading into this too much, but notice how the left hand claims to somehow be in a truck that's driving itself, with minimal input, but the right hand is doing extra work. I get the impression that both singers are halves of the same guy's brain that are out of sync. He's so distracted by all these other things he is/wants to do that his mind is wandering away from the primary task of driving the truck. The left half thinks everything is fine and rests because the right half is bearing all the weight.
this is not the first comment. I love everything you two guys do, this song is no exception. The sillyness of the lyrics make me smile everytime I listen to a song
I think this video perfectly matches this song. It's kind of a sad song but like all their songs it's cheerful at the same time. The video totally adds the cheerfulness despite the dark lyrics.
Thank You! That is a great video and also my favorite song on the new album. So when are we gonna see the fan created video winner? I am anxiously awaiting your arrival in Colorado, but I just can't understand why you guys keep choosing Boulder instead of Denver....
TMBG make so many god damn songs a year they had to combine two songs together for an album. Presumably so as not to explode into a cloud of analog cables, old newspaper clippings, and a World Almanac from 1976 in French.....Canadian
I think that this song is telling us that there is no such thing as multitasking and that you can only concentrate on one thing because the two hands are driving a car and their multitasking and then at the end they crash and they die.... Or it a octopus multitasking
Louis Pepper Mrs. Wheelyke has a similar tone with the two parts at once and heavy use of bass clarinet. Not quite the same feel that the flute has but the song as a whole is a bit similar
One half of the song refers to the end of a book, which would be a spoiler. The other half refers to a truck, which has something called a spoiler on it.
Hmm someone forgot to put their hand inside the puppet head.
They are just some blind Oobi characters.
My hands really enjoyed this music video. They don't often see other hands singing, and started to sing along themselves because they were so excited.
I just realized this is a story about two distracted drivers eventually crashing together.
I was today years old.
Holy crapola. I was today years old in when I learned this
quite a *spoiler* for me because i was listening to it for the first time lol
@@toastje9733😂 spoiler alert. Never Google a series you're still watching or read the comments in a TMBG video.
Funny thing is I find them so interesting to try and decipher that I never look up the lyrics until I'm really stumped. Each TMBG song is like a cryptic crossword.
OMG- i just realized this!! another car crash song to add to the collection
In my opinion one of the most beautiful TMBG songs. It's a perfect duet between Flans and Linnell, and while most of the lyrics are pretty goofy, the ending is very somber. When the flute comes in, it's almost like its the signifier of their death. The entire ending of Join Us is TMBG like I've never heard them. 2082 and Three Might Be Duende have the same feeling as this song
Join Us is maybe their best and most thematic record and songs like this are just next level, even for an all time great band like TMBG.
2082 is criminally underrated.
WHAT I'M THE LETTING HELL GO WHAT I'M THE LETTING HELL GOOO
*sick bass flute breakdown*
its sooo epic
And that's why you don't write, make a phone call, search through the glove box, scratch your head and cover your eyes while driving.
And recline!
Their voices work so goddamn well with one another it's like it was meant to be.
John and John make such bouncy and head-bopping tunes about death and disaster. ))
Not mentioned in the comments I've seen so far: it's great how the hands are forming vowels, not just opening and closing with the syllables. Nice touch, and I bet it took some figuring to pull it off!
Join Us, in my opinion, is the cream of the crop in terms of They Might Be Giants albums. There is not a single song on this album that I don't absolutely love. I know some people will disagree with me, say that there is an album that they like better. And honestly, I love that: anyone can say that any They Might Be Giants album is the masterpieces masterpieces, and, you know what, they're all right.
Please never stop writing and making music! You guys are truly a testament to experiencing and making joy through music!
I agree completely, I think this song, 2082, and Three Might Be Duende get over looked, and they're all so good.
It's my favorite album as well. Flood's also loaded with greats.
whenever my headphones break, i think of this song, and how i can't hear it properly anymore
Try only having one ear
my speakers have one Johns' voice and the instrumentals, and then the other speaker has the other John.
This sounds amazing
this song is great for testing ear buds and stereo settings.
Spoiler Alert analysis:
One driver is very concerned with how his own life will turn out as he's choosing and applying effort in how to write his book. Think of his book as an autobiography. The writings inside represent the choices he's made in his life up to this point and he is very much in control of his life and seems very goal oriented. He is, however, concerned with his social status and how he'll be remembered. We know this from the following line:
"They're gonna be so impressed, When they get a load of me."
This driver is looking for the perfect ending to his ideal life, or the "punctuational mark" on his life as a whole that will ultimately help define his legacy.
The other driver is the complete opposite. This individual has no control of his own life. His life choices feel forced onto him and are all but too much for him to handle on the day to day.
"This truck is driving me out of my mind."
This line explains to us that he lacks the ability take control of his own life. He is merely floating through life allowing the truck to drive itself. Take the following lines for example:
"But this truck has a mind of its own."
and
"My leg is so short that I can't reach the brake."
These two lines illustrate to us how little control this man feels he has over his own life. His control is very limited compared to the other driver thats not only able to control his car but he's actually multitasking.
Unfortunately, both of these driver's stories end abruptly when they collide head on in a traffic accident.
So, in total, I think this song is meant to express the meaninglessness of earthly achievements and life as a whole. Basically a song about the futility of life itself because "spoiler alert" we all end up dead with nothing to show for it whether we were amazingly successful or just floating through life without a care in the world.
Of course, I disagree whole heartedly with this idea but TMBG tends to grasp onto very dark topics when it comes to their music and usually have a dark outlook on life overall, imo. But obviously some of their negative sounding songs are meant to be more satirical and actually attempt to make the listener think.
I very much appreciate TMBG!
At the end I just think of two guys standing outside of their cars, they look at each other and say almost at the same time: "That deer sure came out of nowhere huh?".I love John and John, equally.
Interesting juxtaposition of John and John's different styles of singing.
The last thing I expected was for a song called "Spoiler Alert" to actually be GOOD. They Might Be Giants, you have exceeded my expectations once again.
The song is good??? Wow, spoiler alert...
LYRICS:
Here comes
(This truck is driving out) The last page
All I need is an ending (of my mind)
(But this truck has a mind of its own)
Nearing
The end of the last page (Which is a lucky thing)
And the end of the whole book (‘cause my leg)
(is so short that I can't reach the brake)
Yeah
What to do with these loose ends? (This truck is driving out)
I should change the beginning (of my mind)
But I shouldn't be typing (But this truck has a mind)
While I'm driving (of its own)
While I'm making a phone call (which is a lucky thing)
While I'm searching through the glove box (‘cause my leg)
While I'm writing it all down (is so short that I can't)
While it's happening (reach the brake)
They're gonna be so impressed
(Something is nagging at me...)
When they get a load of me
(But nevermind, it's gone)
(This truck)
It's like I've got two (can practically find its)
extra pairs of hands (own way without my help)
Two to write, two to steer, one to scratch my head, and one to (Maybe I should lie back and)
cover my eyes (cover my eyes)
Which would help me to think up an end (I think I'll do that)
(Yeah)
Yeah
Some kind of punctuational mark (Now I'm totally resting, I’m reclining)
Some kind of (while I'm driving)
Some kind of...
(Why)
Some kind
(have)
of (I)
trouble (not tried)
up (this)
ahead (until now?)
What (I'm)
the (letting)
hell? (go)
What (I'm)
the (letting)
hell? (go)
I think I finally understand what this song is about
[SPOILER ALERT] it's about an octopus driving a truck while multitasking
And nobody suspects a thing.
^ That comment reply is my reason for living
Seriously, that is the greatest reply I've ever seen on youtube
Frogenshtein yeah probably but the flansbourgh part is about a guy who thinks a truck can drive itself and lets go and then dies.
No but you see that's the beauty of it: an octopus arm is full of neural tissue, effectively giving it a pseudo-mind of its own, so BOTH parts of the song are from the perspective of the SAME octopus.
Frogenshtein oh that's cool. that also explains why he cant reach the breaks.
So John's in my left ear and John's in my right ear. Or is it the other way round?
My mind can't comprehend this level of creativity. They've officially transcended.
More songs need bass flute. It has such a beautiful sound!
It's the avatars of They!
flansburgh's vocals on this track are top notch. i really get the vibe he put his heart into this one.
i only listened with the right headphone at first;; thank God I went back and read the description before scooting along to another video
Huh. I dunno about that-- I haven't stopped listening to this song since it debuted here on UA-cam. Give it another shot, and listen to both halves of the harmony separately, and how their stories interconnect with each other. It's sort of a cyclical idea, where the beginning of the driver's story might've been the ending of the writer's story. Besides, that is one sweet... bass flute, I think.
yo what this is NSFW man the avatars of they don't have any clothes on
I could listen to this song on an endless loop and never get sick of it.
I have an unhealthy with this song. I figured it'd be a deep cut and that I'd find a few fan made videos, but this is SO GOOD.
I listen to this shit every day
I love this song. So conceptually interesting, the way it plays with the form to tell the story. You guys are so great.
I'm not sure if I'm reading into this too much, but notice how the left hand claims to somehow be in a truck that's driving itself, with minimal input, but the right hand is doing extra work.
I get the impression that both singers are halves of the same guy's brain that are out of sync. He's so distracted by all these other things he is/wants to do that his mind is wandering away from the primary task of driving the truck. The left half thinks everything is fine and rests because the right half is bearing all the weight.
spoiler alert: we die alone we die afraid we live in terror
Nice.
Everybody dies frustrated and sad and that is beautiful.
this is not the first comment.
I love everything you two guys do, this song is no exception. The sillyness of the lyrics make me smile everytime I listen to a song
looks like Dan is having a good time.
This video reminds me of Oobi!
It reminds me of old school Sesame Street. really cool stuff!
@BlueFlashProductions I was totally there too, and it was totally awesome. totally. =) That was the best fFountains of Wayne concert ever!
Can someone give me a hand with thinking up a pun? I'm empty here.
Do you need a HAND?
+Beep Boop You NAILED it
I've got to hand it to you guys.
hands
This was posted quite awhile ago, but I hope you got a grip on one eventually.
ALWAYS HAVE FAITH IN THE GIANTS
I think this video perfectly matches this song. It's kind of a sad song but like all their songs it's cheerful at the same time. The video totally adds the cheerfulness despite the dark lyrics.
@Harley033 The fan created video winner was posted on their Facebook page. I'd find it for you but I'm way to lazy.
Such a brilliant and clever song.
Love the song.
...this is brilliant...
bass flutes are shaped strangely, the end really had me wondering why there was some tube above the flute
Thank You! That is a great video and also my favorite song on the new album. So when are we gonna see the fan created video winner? I am anxiously awaiting your arrival in Colorado, but I just can't understand why you guys keep choosing Boulder instead of Denver....
@alblaha They didn't make a video for "Dog Walker", as far as I know. :P
It's about bi-lateral coordination and the hemispheres of the brain
@easybeat77 It's an alto flute.
^THIS. YES. OH MY GOD.
Okay someone please tell me why I need to listen to this on headphones? The sound sounds the same to me on both channels.
Am I the only one that finds John Flansburgh's gigantic hands a little creepy?
So, who had a hand in making this video?
TMBG make so many god damn songs a year they had to combine two songs together for an album.
Presumably so as not to explode into a cloud of analog cables, old newspaper clippings, and a World Almanac from 1976 in French.....Canadian
This song works with just the right or just the left earbud in too!
this is the true version on TMBG's channel.
@Drmushman I think they just changed it so you can rate it now.
Well at least we saw their hands in a music video...
Red hand is best hand
fight me over it
The Skeleton left hand is about a guy who thinks a truck can drive itself and lets go and dies. the right one is about an octopus and a book.
Steevious The red hand jerked me off back in the 80s...
Linnell has the best hand, though.
Sigh.. I MISS the 80s...
@@johnmichael4806??????
Whoa, avatars of they, put some clothes on!
I think that this song is telling us that there is no such thing as multitasking and that you can only concentrate on one thing because the two hands are driving a car and their multitasking and then at the end they crash and they die.... Or it a octopus multitasking
You are rigth....😊
@@brandonhernandez2171 did you just reply to your own comment?
JOHNS IS THAT U GUYS
two thumbs up
I see what you did there 😆
Can anyone link me to any songs that share the feel of that last flute bit. I love it.
How about this? m.ua-cam.com/video/HbMlIsdyJTA/v-deo.html
Louis Pepper Mrs. Wheelyke has a similar tone with the two parts at once and heavy use of bass clarinet. Not quite the same feel that the flute has but the song as a whole is a bit similar
I'm putting my foot down, enough puns already.
Wait, holy crap is that a bass flute at the end?
my headphones are broken,, i can only hear linnell
All of you people making puns are incredibly intelligent.
loadingscreens here, i can give you a hand with making them puns.
i fucking hate myself.
*me and who?* 😳
@fiddledops lol :)
The one on the right was rather handsome..
@MrCraigjclark haha
AQW sent me here
Reading while driving a truck
oobi
Spoiler alert, Join Us is going to be awesome!
*slow clap*
Very odd... But I like it! =D
Why do I get the feeling they couldn't decide between the two sets of lyrics for the same instrumental, so they combined both of them into one song?
The formaTs dog probLems
I was going to glance at the lyrics while I watched this but I didn't have them handy.
*SPOILER ALERT:*
They Might Be Giants dies in Infinity War
Bold you to assume They Might Be Giants can die
You can scream your fingers to the bone, I'm deaf to your complaints.
DUMBELDORE DIES.
Thumbs up, since you can't rate this video!
me n who
ME ! 🚘
YESSSS ILY@@no1legobatmanfan
i
Linnell has pretty fingernails.
Why's it called "Spoiler Alert"?
Matt Kuhlen does that matter
One half of the song refers to the end of a book, which would be a spoiler.
The other half refers to a truck, which has something called a spoiler on it.
I saw the Avatars live. Was badass til the fuckin camera gave out. :(
thumbs up if you play AQW...
smart cars, or two really bad drivers? you decide!
This one did NOT age well
No spoilers on reality! Too soon!
You people just say shit.
Why did they make a video for the WORST song from the album? I wanna see a video for WHEN WILL YOU DIE!!!
alblaha there is one. and this is probably one of the best songs on the album. besides all of them because the album is perfect
They didn't, they made a video for Spoiler Alert
love john and john hands