Unintentionally Scary Song by They Might Be Giants

Unintentionally Scary Song

I have been a fan of They Might Be Giants for quite some time, actually since before college. But until today, for some reason, the actual words to this song titled “Sleepwalkers,” on their “No!” album have escaped me.

If you listen to the original version, which was only available on the original “Dial-A-Song” not the “new” Internet enabled version (which is also down!)

Compare this to some of their more lighthearted songs such as “Particle Man” from “Flood” which is still one of my most favorite albums.

or Birdhouse in your Soul, from the same album.

If you really listen to the lyrics of this song, it’s actually very comforting.

Even for fans of TMBG like myself, I still find surprises. Like this even MORE scary song they did for ABC’s Nightline.

Yeah… I’m not going to be sleeping tonight.

Sleepwalker Lyrics:
See them over there
See them moving down the road
Their arms held out ahead
And their eyes, their eyes are closed

Don’t make any noise
Cry out loud or stamp your feet
You’ll wake the girls and boys
Who are walking in their sleep

Every night they throw aside their blankets
Swing their feet down, stand up and move out to the street
Like they’re under a spell and together
They roam across the country and they’re walking in their sleep

You’ll recognize them when you see
Their rumpled hair and stocking feet
It seems like they want something
But we don’t know what it is
But here they come again
Yes, here they come again

Move aside and let the people go by
They don’t see you thinking that they’re home in their beds
They must not be disturbed when they’re wandering
All across the country and they’re walking in their sleep

Perhaps when they awake
They’ll remember everything
They’ll think it was a dream
It will be forgotten then

But don’t make any noise
Cry out loud or stamp your feet
You’ll wake the girls and boys
Who are walking in their sleep

Particle Man Lyrics:
Particle man, particle man
Doin’ the things a particle can
What’s he like, it’s not important
Particle man

Is he a dot, or is he a speck?
When he’s underwater does he get wet?
Or does the water get him instead?
Nobody knows, particle man

Triangle man, triangle man
Triangle man hates particle man
They have a fight, triangle wins
Triangle man

Universe man, universe man
Size of the entire universe man
Usually kind to smaller man
Universe man

He’s got a watch with a minute hand
Millennium hand and an eon hand
When they meet it’s a happy land
[Inaudible] man, universe man

Person man, person man
Hit on the head with a frying pan
Lives his life in a garbage can
Person man

Is he depressed or is he a mess?
Does he feel totally worthless?
Who came up with person man?
Degraded man, person man

Triangle man, triangle man
Triangle man hates person man
They have a fight, triangle wins
Triangle man

Birdhouse in Your Soul Lyrics:
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

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)
(Birdhouse in your soul)
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

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)
(Birdhouse in your soul)
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

The Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York City

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Back in April of 2012, I had my first chance to go to New York City for work. Among the many things I did while I was there, was to go through Central Park, and to The Metropolitan Museum of Art right next door.

I can honestly say that right up until that moment I did not really “get” art at all. I could look at a piece and go “that’s nice, but it doesn’t invoke any emotion in me.” Or “what a ugly piece of junk. Who would want that around?” But going into The Met changed all of that. The piece that started it for some reason was this one.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I did not think to get much information about it at the time unfortunately. In fact I really enjoyed the Greek Art section a lot. This next piece though changed my thoughts around art of any kind instantly.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Titled “Ugolino and His Sons.” This piece by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux portrays Ugolino (who was a real person) in Dante’s Inferno.

In addition to the hundreds of paintings that I viewed, not to mention tons of sculptures, entire rooms from different eras, armor and weapons, an Egyptian Temple stood inside the museum. Surprisingly, it’s not quite as large as one would really think it should be considering some of the Egyptian peoples other works.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

But I did find the hieroglyphics on the side to be interesting. Wish I could read them!