A song for our times

They Might Be Giants, “Your Racist Friend”, with the refrain:

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

You can experience a live performance of the song here — in Houston on 4/1/16 (the sound quality isn’t great, but you can appreciate their energy).

On the band, from Wikipedia:

They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG’s early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. The duo’s current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller, and Danny Weinkauf. The group is known for their uniquely experimental and absurdist style of alternative music, typically utilising surreal, humorous lyrics and unconventional instruments in their songs. Over their career, they have found success on the modern rock and college radio charts. They have also found success in children’s music, and in theme music for several television programs and films. The duo has been credited as vital in the creation of the prolific DIY music scene in Brooklyn in the mid-1980s.

I came to TMBG through their immensely charming but pointed children’s music. Two postings on this blog:

on 7/18/12 in “You’re not the Boss of me!”, about

the [kids’ defiant] phrase “the boss of me,” as in the song by They Might Be Giants, “Boss of Me,” used as the theme song for the FOX TV show “Malcolm in the Middle” from 2000 to 2006

on 7/24/17 in “No moths, no squirrels, no rats”, with a TMBG section:

No! is the first children’s album by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, released in 2002 on Rounder Records and Idlewild Recordings; you can listen to the song here, with animations.

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