January 18, 2009
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They Might Be Giants/Tiny Toons
When I was younger, so much younger than today, I used to watch Tiny Toon Adventures after the bus dropped me off at my house. My description of the show is simply that it shows the old Loony Toons characters as what they may have been like as preteens. One episode was a special music video episode which featured the music of They Might Be Giants. I fell in love with their music. It was strange and childlike…just like me. I have always thought there were three songs in that episode but everywhere I have looked said only two. Either way I still adore that band. When they released a kid’s album about the ABCs, I lent it to the kindergarten teacher and the students loved it. I used a couple of their songs in my classroom. When my class was studying the sun in science we listened to TMBG’s song “The Sun”. Then during a study of the presidents of the U.S.A, we listened to their song, “James K. Polk”. They Might Be Giants have done a lot of work for TV. They won a grammy for their theme song for Malcolm in the Middle. They have done music for The Daily Show, The Oblongs, and The Drinky Crow Show. I am pretty sure they have been featured in other television shows but my brain isn’t working properly. One of the coolest things I think I have ever heard about a band was their gimmick called Dial-A-Song. They would record songs on their answering machine and fans could call to listen to their new material. That was before the days of the internet. Well you can read more about They Might Be Giants at wikipedia…it’s a pretty good entry.
Here’s the song, “James K. Polk”
And finally, here are the Tiny Toons videos:
And here is that song I used in my science class:
Comments (17)
I still have a VHS of Tiny Toons Music TV with all of those on it. In the end credits, it actually says “Name inadvertently left out of The Name Game: Plucky.”
@whatkerisaid -
The Name Game! That was the third video. It wasn’t by They Might Be Giants though. That is pretty funny that they said that in the credits. There was definitely some adult humor in that show and in the one created by Steven Spielberg, The Animaniacs.
@godfatherofgreenbay -
I love The Animaniacs. I used to look forward to watching it every day.
There were two music video episodes on Tiny Toons that I know of, though. They sort of run together for me. I know the music videos are Yackity Yack, It’s in His kiss, and there’s also one to the tune of Dance of the Sugar Plum Faeries where Plucky is obsessed with a space video game.
Oh these are great works. Too bad they are in English. lol
The Malcolm in the middle song is awesome!
I used to watch Tiny Toons too!! I still have the VHS of the movie where they get out of school…I think its called summer vacation?? Awesome show! Oh and Animaniacs still comes on once in a blue moon really early in the morning on Cartoon Network.
They Might Be Giants rocks.
Particle Man, Me and my Racist Friend. Istanbul Not Constantinople (which I didn’t know was a cover). Great music
And now they are doing kids music.
TMBG are really cool – they did a lot of songs for Sesame Street and that evil Disney Channel. I liked Loony Toons, but I was more of an animaniacs fan . . . Hello, Nurse!
@whatkerisaid -
Thanks I am going to have to look for those seeing as I seem to be going through a new childhood by reliving all my favorites as a child.
@nattata -
Do you want them translated?
I used to hate that Malcolm in the Middle show mostly because for some reason I could never stand the kid who played Malcolm. His acting and voice reminds me of nails on a chalkboard but then I saw a few episodes and I realized after the first season the episodes didn’t just focus on him so now I enjoy the show.
@spicyhotcoffee -
I was flipping through channels one morning because I didn’t sleep and on the Madison CW they had Animaniacs. Then I saw this video online of them making fun of this old Orson Wells recording for a tv commercial and he berated the director and writer. Well they had Pinky and the Brain act it out…HILARIOUS! Those two were always my favorite.
@bosefius -
Yeah they do! They come to Minneapolis quite a bit and at one place they usually do two shows, one in the afternoon for kids and then one at night for the die-hard fans. They were on Conan O’Brien last week or two weeks ago.
I love No One Knows My Plan, James K. Polk, Birdhouse in My Soul…hell I love all their stuff. Minimum Wage and No One Knows My Plan are fun dancing songs. Prior to Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, there was an afternoon Space Ghost show on TBS and he, Brak, and Zorak presented cartoons and then they would have a guy dressed as Space Ghost dance around to those two songs during the end credits. They rotated on a daily basis as to which song they used.
Of course. I liked the Big chicken. I can’t for the life of me remember his name, but he always had a job and the pretty nurse with him, and he could do nothing but cluck. It was lame, but so hilarious.
@godfatherofgreenbay - No but thank you, very nice of you! I just thought it would be good material at my school too, if it was in German.
I think I have seen about every episode of Malcolm in the Middle. It’s so funny!
@jacksoncroons -
I read that they did stuff for Disney Channel but since I only watch disney for Hannah Montana, I haven’t heard their stuff. I mean I never watch Disney Channel.
If I find Animaniacs on tv I will watch and I think I find it more funny now than I did as a kid. That Hello Nurse bit cracks me up now but when I was a kid I just thought they were saying hi to the nurse. I was naive.
I remember those! Someone was telling me today… and I forget the band (which is the worst part). But they did a children’s album with a song about ninjas. Not hootie nad the blowfish (I dont think)…. but someone from that time.
@theladyofabundance -
I think it is Barenaked Ladies and the album is called Snack Time. I was actually reading that this weekend. It’s interesting to see all these bands doing material for children. Now I can only hope for a Type O Negative kiddie album.