Things Linnell & Flansburgh Have Taught Me

To keep the theme of Darnielle and Waits, I'm using the guys' names rather than "They Might Be Giants." This may well count as a foolish consistency, and you know what they say about those....


"Memo to myself: do the dumb things I gotta do.
Touch the puppet head."
 - Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head

"I was born in a lighthouse, my mother was the sea.
I crawled to school each morning, when it occurred to me
That life's just a mood ring we're not allowed to see."
 - Absolutely Bill's Mood

"When I was driving once I saw this painted on a bridge,
'I don't want the world, I just want your half.'"
- Ana Ng

"Which one of us is the one that we can't trust?
You say that I think it's you but I don't agree with that."
- I've Got a Match

 "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."
 - Whistling in the Dark

 "Big hand's on 120,
Little hand's on E."
 - AKA Driver

"You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older."
 - Older  

And, more than anything else:

"No one in the world ever gets what they want and that is beautiful.
Everybody dies frustrated and sad and that is beautiful."
- Don't Let's Start