History Funny / TheyMightBeGiants

* "Erase," the first Dial-A-Song exclusive featured once the service was reinstated, is a gleefully dark tune which includes such gems as:

-->gurb long trom flom dim fim lim
--> (pretty sure that’s gibberish)
--> dog dog dog dog dog dog dog
--> (now you’re just repeating the word “dog”)
*** This particular passage is made funnier by the 8-bit style music video, where dog sprites materialize with every repetition of the word dog... Then one of the dogs promptly [[ToiletHumour lifts its leg as a stream of yellow pixels come out]].

*** This particular passage is made funnier by the 8-bit style music video, where a dog sprite appears in the background every time Flansburgh says "dog".

** This particular passage is made funnier by the 8-bit style music video, where a dog sprite appears in the background every time Flansburgh says "dog".

--->gurb long trom flom dim fim lim

---> dog dog dog dog dog dog dog
---> (now you’re just repeating the word “dog”)

Please don't call it strangulation, that is such an ugly word

* The live version of "Hideaway Folk Family", as captured on the online-only release ''First Album Live'', has them taking the SubliminalSeduction parody aspect of the "fake backwards" singing section a little further: Among the usual nonsense syllables are "Natas", "Yasmin Bleeth", and "Creator/MerylStreep".

* From ''The Spine Surfs Alone,'' there's "Skullivan," a hilarious inversion of their usual take on LyricalDissonance. It feature's Flansburg's distorted voice wailing such lines as "I'll make you a pot of tea, how does everyone like their tea" and "I rented ''Film/{{Tootsie}},'' you gotta check this out" as Linnell chants the refrain over a tense, powerful instrumental.

* From ''The Spine Surfs Alone,'' there's "Skullivan," a hilarious inversion of their usual take on LyricalDissonance, with Flansburg's distorted voice wailing such lines as "I'll make you a pot of tea, how does everyone like their tea" and "I rented ''Film/{{Tootsie}}, you gotta check this out" as Linnell chants the refrain over a tense, powerful instrumental.

''Whoa. Your head's on fire''

* There was an anecdote about falling for a SnipeHunt-like trick that John Linnell used to routinely tell between songs during a tour in 1999: While in Rhode Island, someone recommended he go out to a particular deli and try a local delicacy called baby fingers. The deli existed, but "baby fingers" do not - the punchline was a breathlessly exclaimed "...it was a trick, there's no such thing as baby fingers and the guy thought I was a ''freak''!"

-->"Hi, this is John of They Might Be Giants, and you're listening to the Frank O'Toole radio show on WFMU. If you're driving your car now, we urge you to sit back, relax, close your eyes, and drive really fast."

-->Seems like only yesterday, our D-I-V-O-R-C-E\\
I love you both, but yuletide is still H-E-double-L for me
:::...but the spoken word on the bridge of this version qualifies it by a long shot:

* The entire "We Just Go Nuts At Christmastime" song could qualify as this, or TearJerker, as it's about a how the holidays are pure "H-E-doulble-L" for the narrator ever since his "D-I-V-O-R-C-E". But the message from Flansburgh at the bridge of the version they played on the Frank O'Toole Show in 1987 is undoubtedly hilarious.
-->"Hi, this is John of They Might Be Giants And you're listening to the Frank O'Toole radio show on WFMU If you're driving your car now, we urge you to Sit back, relax, close your eyes, and drive really fast"

''Whoa. Your head's on fire''\\

''Whoa. Your head's on fire;;\\

--> ''No, you can't park there\\
Whoa. Your head's on fire\\

I read an article all about them''

* The entire "We Just Go Nuts At Christmastime" song could qualify as this, or TearJerker, as it's about a how the holidays are pure "H-E-doulble-L" for the narrator ever since his "D-I-V-O-R-C-E". But the message from Flansburgh at the bridge of the version they played on the Frank O'Toole Show in 1987 is undoubtlably hilarious.

* "You're On Fire" is incredibly blasé, even though the narrator's telling the subject that ''their head is on fire''.

* Most of the in-between banter and discussion from the Frank O'Toole radio show on WFMU counts as this. It might be one of the silliest things ever recorded, and can be downloaded [[http://www.museumofidiots.com/john/mp3s/ here]]

* Most of the in-between banter and discussion from the Frank O'Toole radio show on WFMU counts as this. It might be one of the silliest things ever recorded, and can be downloaded [[here http://www.museumofidiots.com/john/mp3s/]]

* On the Amazon release of "Here Come The ABCs," there is a re-recorded and re-worked version of their song "Hovering Sombrero" (originally of their "Mink Car" album). The original song is slow and relaxing. Their new version is fast, cacophonous, and only one original verse is kept. Every other lyric is replaced with Linnell, singing gibberish in a comically deep voice, and several overdubs of Flansburgh in the background shouting "B!" and "BO!" whenever the other John is silent.

* On the Amazon release of "Here Come The ABCs," there is a re-recorded and re-worked version of their song "Hovering Sombrero" (originally of their "Mink Car" album). The original song is slow and relaxing. Their new version is faster, cacophonous, and only one original verse is kept. Every other lyric is replaced with Linnell, singing gibberish in a comically deep voice, and several overdubs of Flansburgh in the background shouting "B!" and "BO!" whenever the other John is silent.

* "Did you say... what I think you just said -- my hat looks good on me? I agree! I agree!" It makes an especially good ChewOutFakeOut because the song sort of dies down to create tension and then kicks back up again when it turns out the narrator is still happy. The music is being funny as well as the lyrics.

-->"Hi, this is John of They Might Be Giants And you're listening to the Frank O'Toole radio show on WFMU If you're driving your car now, we urge you to Sit back, relax, close your eyes, and drive really fast"

* There was an anecdote about falling for a SnipeHunt-like trick that John Linnell used to routinely tell between songs during a tour in 1999: While in Rhode Island, someone recommended he go out to a particular deli and try a local delicacy called baby fingers. The deli existed, but "baby fingers" do not - the punchline was a breathlessly exclaimed "...it was a trick, there's no such thing as baby fingers and the guy thought I was a ''freak''!"

** That's also in the Album Raises Troubling Questions remix.

* In the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anWrcmKsYI8 video for You Probably Get That A Lot]], Linnell goes completely mute near the end, leaving the rest of the band to play on. He then comes back to say the "-ly" in the word "spontaneously."