They Might Be Giants

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 leving out
The whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary one-word
Spelled l-i-t-e
My story's infinite
Like the Longines Symphonette
It doesn't rest

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

(And while you're at it
Leave the nite lite on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)

I returned a bag of groceries
Accidentally taken off the shelf
Before the expiration date
I came back as a bag of groveries
Accidentally taken off the shelf
Before the date stamped on myself

CHORUS
Did a large procession wave their
Torches as my hed fell in the basket
And was everybody dancing on the casket?
Now it's over I'm dead and I haven't
Done anything that I want
Or, I'm still alive
And there's nothing I want to do

I will never say the word
"Procrastinate" again; I'll never
See myself in the mirror with my eyes closed
I didn't apologize foor when I was eight
And I made my younger brother
Have to be my personal slave

CHORUS

So I won't sit at home anymore
And you wn't see my head in the window
And I won't be around ever anymore
And I7ll be up there on the wall at the store

I returned a bag of groceries
Accidentally taken off the shelf
Before the expiration date
I came back as a bag of groceries
Accidentally taken off the shelf
Before the date stamped on myself

CHORUS

Forsty the supervisor lives by himself
Sometimes I feel sorry for him
Usually I can't
I've turned off my hearing aid
Don't say the electric chair's not good enough
For king-lazy-bones like myself
More coffee for me boss
Because I'm not as messed up as I want to be
Because
Because

CHORUS
Hot Cha, where are you?
Everybody's eyes are closed
I can't see why I miss you so
So Hot Cha, where are you?

First time Hot Cha went away
A floating island was his home
then the phone rang off the hook
And Hot Cha had to run back home

CHORUS

Second time he went away
Left the bathtub running over
Stereo on and cooking bacon
Never came back to tell us why

CHORUS

If that honey would come back
We would throw such a party
Drink and cook the prodigal son
Fondue forks for everybody

CHORUS

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul, Istanbul
Istanbul, Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul, Istanbul
Istanbul, Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul

I'll never know what you'll find when you
Open up your letter box tomorrow
'Cause a little bird never tells me anything
I want to know, she's my best friend
She's a sparrow

CHORUS
And I'll never know what you never never
Want to know when you know
What you are-o

If I had a pair of eyes in the back of my hed
For each time you forgot to take out
All the things you forgot to talk about
When you took a bite out of my spine
I would have a lot of eyes on me by this time
Wouldn't I? Wouldn't that just be fine

CHORUS

I lost my lucky ball and chain
And now she's four years gone
Just five feet tall and sick of me
And all my rattling on
She threw away her baby-doll
I held on to my pride
But I was younng and foolish then
I feel old and foolish now

Confidentially
She never called me baby-doll
Confidentially
I never had much pride
But now I rock a bar stool
and I drink for two
Just pondering this time bomb in my mind

CHORUS
She walked away from a happy man
I thought I was so cool
I just stood there whistling
"There goes the bride"
As she walked out the door

I could shake my tiny fist
And swear I wasn't wrong
But what's the sense in arguing
When you're all alone?
Sure as you can't steer a train
You can't change your fate
When she told me of that day
I knew I'd lost my home

Confidentially
I never told you of her charms
Confidentially
We never had a home
But this railroad apartment
Was the perfect place
When she'd sit and hold me in her arms

I lost my lucky ball and chain
And now she's four years gone
Just five feet tall and sick of me
And all my rattling on

CHORUS

Particle man, particle man
Doing 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
Powerful 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

We're in a road movie to Berlin
Can't drive out the way we drove in
So sneak out this glass of bourbon
And we'll go

We were once so close to heaven
Peter came out and gave us medals
Declaring us the nicest of the damned
You said you were the king of liars
And I believed you and called you sire
But I realize now that I have been deceived

Time won't find the lost
It'll sweep up our skeleton bones
So take the wheel and I will take the pedals
We're in a road movie to Berlin
Can'T drive out the way we drove in
So sneak out this glass of bourbon
And we'll go

Pistol shots
Gun shots
Pistol shots
gun shots
Bullets from a revolver
Bullets from a gun
Bullets through the atmosphere
here they come

John I've been bad and they're
Coming after me
Done someone wrong and I fear
That it was me
Sapphire bullets
Bullets of pure love

Mr. Horrible
Telephone call for Mr. Horrible
But before he can talk to the ugliness men
There's some horrible business left
For him to attend to
Something unpleasant has spilled on his brain
As he sponges it off they say

"Is this Horrible?
Is this Horrible?
It's the ugliness men, Mr. Horrible
We're just trying to bug you
We thought that our dreadfulness
Might be a thing to annoy you with"

But Mr. Horrible says, "I don't mind
The thing that bothers me is
Someone keeps moving my chair"

"Would you mind if we balance this glass of milk
Where your visiting friend accidentally was killed?
Would it be okay with you if we wrote a reminder
Of things we'll forget to do today otherwise,
Using a green magic marker, if it's alright
On the back of your head?"

Mr. Horrible
Mr. Horrible
We're not done with you yet Mr. Horrible
You have to try on these pants so the Ugliness Men
Can decide if they're just as embarrassing as we think
We have to be sure about this

But Mr. Horrible says, "I don't mind
The thing that bothers me is
Someone keeps moving my chair"

Someone keeps moving my chair

Mr. Horrible says, "I don't mind
The thing that bothers me is
Someone keeps moving my chair"

Why is the world in love again?
Why are we marching hand in hand?
Why are the ocean levels rising up?
It's a brand new record for 1990
They Might Be Giants' brand new album:
Flood

They might be giants
They might be rain
They might be heat
They might be frying up a stalk of wheat
They might be brain
They might be washed
They might be Dr. Spock's backup band

CHORUS
Tabloid footprints in your hair
Tabid footprints everywhere
We can't be silent
Because they might be giants
And what are we gong to do unless they are

They might be giants
They might be bald
They might be snow
They might be something else in the snow
The might be fake
they might be lies
The might be big, big, fake, fake lies

CHORUS

She set your goldfish free
And now she's sighing
Blew out your pilot light
And made a wish
She doesn't have to have
her db's records back now
But there's not a lot of things
That she'll take back

CHORUS
She wants to see you again
She wants to see you again
See you twisting in the wind

She's not your satellite
She doesn't miss you
So turn off your smoke machine
And Marshall stack
She doesn't have to have
Her Young Fresh Fellows tape back
But there's not a lot of things
That she'll take back

CHORUS

Where was I? I forgot
The point that I was making
I said if I was smart that I would
Save up for a piece of string
And a rock to wind the string around

Everybody wants a rock
To wind a piece of string around
Everybody wants a rock
To wind a piece of string around

Throw the crib door wide
Let the people crawl inside
Someone in this town
Is trying to burn the playhouse down
They want to stop the ones who want
A rock to wind a string around
But everybody wants a rock
To wind a piece of string around

Throw the crib door wide
Let the people crawl inside
Someone in this town
Is trying to burn the playhouse down
They want to stop the ones who want
A rock to wind a string around
But everybody wants a rock
To wind a piece of string around

If I were a carpenter I'd
Hammer on my piglet, I'd
Collect the seven dollars and I'd
Buy a big prosthetic forehead
And wear it on my real head

Everybody wants prosthetic
Foreheads on their real heads
Everybody wants prosthetic
Foreheads on their real heads

Throw the crib door wide
Let the people crawl inside
Someone in this town
Is trying to burn the playhouse down
They want to stop the ones who want
Prosthetic foreheads on their heads
But everybody wants prosthetic
Foreheads on their real heads

Throw the crib door wide
Let the people crawl inside
Someone in this town
Is trying to burn the foreheads down
They want to stop the ones who want
A rock to wind a string around
But everybody wants a rock
To wind a piece of string around

A woman came up to me and said
"I'd like to poison your mind
With wrong ideas that appeal to you
Though I am not unkind."
She looked at me, I looked at something
Written across her scalp
And this is what it faintly said
As I tried to call for help:

CHORUS
There's only one thing
That I know how to do well
And I've often been told that you only can do
What you know how to do well
And that's be you
Be what you're like
Be like yourself
And so I'm having a wonderful time
But I'd rather be whistling in the dark
There's only one thing that I like
And that is whistling in the dark

A man came up to me and said
"I'd like to change your mind
By hitting with a rock," he said,
"Though I am not unkind."
We laughed at his little joke
and then I merrily walked away
And hit my head on the wall of the jail
Where the two of us live todaay

CHORUS

This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to you
And your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
And your racist friend

It was the loveliest party that I've ever attended
If anything was broken I'm sure it could be mended
My head can't tolerate this bobbing and pretending
Listen to some bullet-head and the madness that he's saying

This is where the party ends
I'll just sit here wondering how you
Can stand by your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
You and your racist friend

This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to you
And your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
And your racist friend

Out from the kitchen to the bedroom to the hallway
Your friend apologizes, he could see it my way
He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking
Can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding

This is where the party ends
I can't stand here listening to you
And your racist friend
I know politics bore you
But I feel like a hypocrite talking to you
And your racist friend

Hey, who's that playing
Hey, the guitar?

Is it Jim? I don't know
Is it Jim? I don't know

In the spaceship, the silver space ship, the lion takes control
In the spaceship, the silver space ship, the lion takes control

Hey, who's that playing
Hey, the guitar?

Hush my darling, be still my darling, the lion's on the phone
Hush my darling, be still my darling, the lion's on the phone

Hush my darling, be still my darling, hey
Hush my darling, be still my darling, hey

Turn it up, the guitar
I can't hear, the guitar

In the spaceship, the silver space ship, the lion waves good bye
In the spaceship, the silver space ship, the lion waves good bye

Hey, who's that playing
Hey, the guitar?

Hey, hey
Hey, hey

I see you from my spy plane, baby
I see you walking on the ground
I see you through my spy glasses, baby
I can see right through the ground

If you want to be a spy then you must really see
And you must really see if you want to be a spy like me

I might gaze on a submarine
I see your face smiling at me
Even when I close my eyes your silhouette is smiling at me
But you will never understand me because I have a special job
I wish I could break the spy glass
Set it free
So we could be...

Welcome to the jungle, Jim
Welcome to the jungle, Jim
Welcome to it, Jim
Welcome to the jungle, Anne
Welcome to the jungle, Dan
Welcome to it, John
Think you're gonna like
I think you're gonna like it
Once you've given the jungle a chance
Think you're gonna like it
Once you've given it a chance
In the Jungle
Now you will be with me
Put your hand in my hand
Lift up the rock and see all the things
That share the jungle with us
Welcome to the
Welcome to the TREES!...TREES!
Push me in the face again
Push me in the face again
Push me in the face
Didn't really like
I didn't really like
The last time when you pushed me in the face
Didn't really like the last time when you pushed my face
In the Jungle
Now you will be with me
Put your hand in my hand
Lift up the rock and see all the things
That live in the jungle with us
Put your hand near the bug
We are so much like them
See how the bug reacts to your hand
In the same way as I do