I enjoy Lincoln and I adore ‘Birdhouse In Your Soul’, but I’ve spent far more time with They Might Be Giant’s records for children, ever since my oldest daughter became enthused with our library’s copy of Here Come The 123s.
The group’s five albums for kids are some of the most enjoyable children’s music I’ve heard, especially for children with a geeky disposition. Their approach isn’t too different to their music for adults, just with more child friendly lyrics; their children’s albums are eclectic and include raw, punk-edged songs like ‘Pictures of Pandas Painting’. Here are five of my favourite They Might Be Giants’ songs for children:
Ooh La! Ooh La!
from Here Come The 123s
The nonsensical lyrics of this skipping song especially appeal to my four year old daughter. Her favourite stanza is:
Skip skadoodle
Skip, skip skadoodle
Stick out your tongue
And wiggle like a noodle
Why Does the Sun Really Shine?
from Here Comes Science, 2009
Back in 1993, TMBG covered ‘Why Does The Sun Shine’ – a 1959 song with dated and incorrect scientific information (“the Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas”). The group included the song, together with a self-penned, scientifically correct update, named ‘Why Does The Sun Really Shine?’, on 2009’s Here Comes Science. Thanks to the song, I now know that the sun is a miasma of incandescent plasma.
Four of Two
from No!, 2002
They Might Be Giants’ first album for children is described by Wikipedia as where “the darker themes of death and depression have been replaced with songs extolling the virtues of imagination, robots and sleep.” ‘Four of Two’ is an amusing tale of an oblivious paramour.
Alphabet of Nations
from Here Come The ABCs, from 2005
Hearing ‘Alphabet of Nations’, it’s surprising how the two Johns are the first songwriters to notice how smoothly country names roll off the tongue: “Algeria Bulgaria Cambodia…” Listen on for their ingenious and po-faced solution for x….
The Seven Days Of The Week (aka: ‘I Never Go To Work’)
from Here Come The 123s
This cover of a traditional song fits in perfectly with the group’s sense of humour. Mark Pender guests on trumpet.
Do you have other favourite children’s songs by John Flansburgh and John Linnell?
Read more:
Five Best Anika Moa songs for children
Best five songs lists
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I had no idea this existed. My son is loving it as much as I am
Cool – there are five generously full albums of this stuff. Here Come The 123s is my favourite.
I think these will sell well at our house, thanks for sharing!
If you’re the sort of person who makes graphs, you probably have the kind of children who will enjoy TMBG.
I’m the opposite of you – more familiar with their adult stuff. If you havent, do yourself a fa
shoot, hit return too fast. Do yourself a favor and check out their first two albums, They Might Be Giants and Lincoln. So incredibly creative – blew my mind when I first heard them all those years ago
I’m sure most people are like that too. Lincoln is the one I have – just need to spend more time with it sometime.
I didn’t know there were other ones besides No! and The 123’s. Those are great. I think my favorite song would have to be Bed Bed Bed, but there’s a bunch on that album that I like. I think the music on those albums is just as good as their regular albums. The only other thing I like better by them is Istanbul Not Constantinople. One time me and my friend tried to make a list of the best children’s albums, but we didn’t know enough of them to make a good list. I think No is probably the best one. The only other great ones I know are Harry Nilsson’s The Point and Carole King’s Really Rosie. I’ve heard some more but none that I thought were really too great.
I don’t know a whole lot of kids albums either. We have a NZ singer named Anika Moa who usually does stuff for adults but has some kids albums that are pretty decent.
I have a favorite children’s song though, Loggins & Messina’s House at Pooh Corner. I think it might have even been a hit. It wasn’t on a children’s album though. It was just on one of their regular albums.
I listened to the Science one last night and also the 1950s version of Why Does the Sun Shine. I don’t think it’s exactly incorrect to say that the sun is a mass of burning gas, cuz it kind of is. But I’m glad they updated it to be more specific and accurate. My favorite by them is still Bed Bed Bed though.
It’s funny because I have a playlist in the car in alphabetical order, so the correct version plays before the outdated version, which is confusing. Hopefully the kids don’t get misinformed about the composition of the sun.
I don’t know them…when Bailey was younger…and this band would fit the time period…we didn’t hear them or I didn’t… We were listening to The Wiggles.
I do like some of these though!