We start with lead singer's head floating in darkness. He tells us, his audience, that he is our only friend, but not really. But he is a glowing friend, except not, except so. Buh?
This if followed with a close up of a iridescent light bulb. Are we allowed to see that? Lead singer is now on a balcony in a lit room and he tells us that he is like a blue canary in an outlet by a light switch. What the heck does that mean? As near as I can piece together, a blue canary is a police officer who acts like a canary in a tunnel for firefighters. So what does that have to do with a light switch? Ok, so it took me a while, but the singer is singing from the POV of a light. Therefore, he's not talking about a person but a night light. Lights can help people read and think in private so it can help them think. Singer says this is like building a birdhouse in your soul.
We see the other band members jump around and sit in chairs across from each other. There are plenty of lamps near them. Lead singer tells us that he must tell his story. His name is blue canary (one note) which is spelled l-i-t-e. His story is infinite. At this point the first few times I watched this song I thought it was originally from the viewpoint of God. The song paints the light as omniscient and omnipresent. Meanwhile one of the band member is making something with a blowtorch while bikers out of nowhere circle the room.
After the chorus we see a bunch of people lined up with their eyes covered with George Washington's eyes, or something. Someone plays a weird looking trumpet while the people do the Robot. I'll be honest and say I have no idea what they're about.
Singer repeats the part about friendship while several light bulbs float by. Then we see more dancing by the weird people while singer tells us that his ancestors were torches in light houses. He respects that but it's not his job. He claims that he was the one who killed Jason and the Argonauts. I'm not sure what They Might Be Giants are going for here, because a quick look at that mythology says that Jason was killed by his rotting boat after he betrayed his wife and lost favor with Hera. I do like the creey way lead singer looks as he sings that, though.
The eye people are now wearing the eye on signs while TMBG do the Robot. Than the weird eye people do fist pumps. Their signs also want rock videos to stop. Singer tells us to leave the night light on in our souls. Oh, so I guess it's more about being positive instead of thinking. Ok, I get it now. As the video wraps up the eye people walk around like zombies. Happy zombies who dance! Thank you, light bulbs, for brightening even the dead.
This song is about having a spark in your life. It took me a long time to figure that out. Good song, but I like some of the other songs I've heard by this group better. Strange music video but I guess it matches.
The awesome part is the weird dance that I jokingly called The Robot. The runner-up awesome thing is the lack of curly elf-bulbs.
1 comment:
Wow! You have a really sinister take on this song!
You are right that it is being sung by a nightlight. He's singing to the scared little kid in his room, telling him, "Hey, Kid, all through history mankind has relied on guys like me to get them through rough times. You don't have to worry. I got your back." The little canary-shaped nightlight is there to keep scary things away and help the kid be brave. He wants the kid to build a birdhouse in his soul. I find that sentiment to be incredibly sweet. Every time I hear this song I go all :3
He's not taking credit for killing Jason and the Argonauts, either. He's saying he wouldn't have been a very successful lighthouse, so he's glad he's just a nightlight. :o)
Now that I've said all that with so much confidence, watch Mickety show up and be all like, "You guys both suck! This song is about that group of fighter jets that flies in formation at airshows!" or something equally bizarre and have all kinds of evidence that supports his claim.
Your new video, whenever you get to it:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2631645
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