Lost Music: Birdhouse In Your Soul (They Might Be Giants)
Remembering Forgotten Songs!
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
Today's Lost Music is a quirky and happy-go-lucky song called Birdhouse In Your Soul as parlayed by a combo called They Might Be Giants. The lyrics are taken from the perspective of a nightlight by a bed. The song employs some digital composition that provides it with some unconventional musical elements for a pop song.
Here's some info from songfacts.com: "Birdhouse In Your Soul was They Might Be Giants' biggest hit in both the USA and the UK. The song is a story of a child's blue canary-shaped night light, told from the night light's point of view. Across the room from the night light is a picture of a lighthouse, which would be his primitive ancestor. It could be interpreted that the night light is a metaphor for God or a guardian angel protecting the child.
The lyrics refer to Jason and the Argonauts, who were a band of heroes who in Greek legend set out in the ship Argo to fetch the Golden Fleece. It is unclear what relationship they have to the night light. Possibly the night light is comparing the small amount of light it beams with the lighthouse's powerful beam and it is admitting that if it had been me on that shore when Jason and the Argonauts arrived rather than the lighthouse, they would have been smashed on the rocks because of its shortcomings.
The song's video, directed by Adam Bernstein, was filmed inside the New York County's Surrogate's Court and Hall of Records building in Manhattan."
John Linnell of They Might Be Giants
On They Might Be Giants' website, John Linnell stated that 'Birdhouse In Your Soul is a song about a night light. That's it. It's written from the perspective of a night light serenading the occupant of its room. The thing is, there are so many syllables in the songs that we have to come up with something to fill the spaces. So it ends up being kind of Gilbert and Sullivany.'
Linnell also told Rolling Stone Magazine that 'The melody and chords were cooked up years earlier, and the lyrics had to be shoehorned in to match the melody, which explains why the words are so oblique. I mean beautiful. I didn't find out what the Longines Symphonette was until after the song was released. It rhymed with 'infinite' (sort of).'"
They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul
BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL
I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I have a secret to tell From my electrical well It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells So the room must listen to me Filibuster vigilantly My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e My story's infinite Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I'm a little glowing friend But really I'm not actually your friend But I am
There's a picture opposite me Of my primitive ancestry Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free Though I respect that a lot I'd be fired if that were my job After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts Bluebird of friendliness Like guardian angels its always near
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch Who watches over you Make a little birdhouse in your soul Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
(and while you're at it Keep the nightlight on inside the Birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it) Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the) Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it) Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the) Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet Make a little birdhouse in your soul
