They Might Be Giants - They'll Need a Crane (Letterman - HQ 60fps)

February 1, 1989. Network TV debut. Encoded in HD to retain frame rate, also FIRST GEN HIFI RECORDING BABYYYYYYY

[rattyeely]

A real good live performance from the Lincoln era. Flansburgh is jumping around like crazy, very punk.

[BlueEmulsion]

THE LOVE OF LAD 🗣🔥
THE LOVE OF LAD 🗣🔥

[SuperJNG]

The common thread of TMBG late-night appearances, at home or abroad, is how much the resident band of each show enjoys playing with them.

[cillobillo]

What an amazing preformance from the ever rocking probable giants. It’s very strange seeing them with a live band this early on!

[jr]

So thankful that Letterman and Conan brought them on year after year after year.

[stanley-allen]

So flabbergastingly incredible. Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.

[michaeleverett]

They always had so much fun jamming with Paul's band. It looks like John Linell was so excited about being on Letterman, he forgot to get a haircut!

[audiojihad]

"I can't really recall playing it on Letterman that well, although I do remember Will Lee and me talking about how annoying it was that guitars didn't stay in tune. I'm sure Will Lee has played in tune for his entire life, but as a guitar player, I can tell you it's always been a painful struggle for me.

I remember him saying, "The G string, man... it's impossible. It just doesn't work." There's the old joke that guitar players spend half their lives tuning and half their lives playing out of tune. So yeah, I think the guitars might be out of tune on that recording." -JF

[onett]

they always have so much fun with the house band it’s amazing

[chiptovar]

I remember watching this live. I went out the next day and bought their first album and Lincoln on cassette. Thanks for posting - great memory!

[GlenLipka]

Never noticed how much John looks like Andy Bernard from the Office. #cantUnsee

[ssabykoops]

Bass lines in TMBG music are so awesome

[RealMagdalenaStardust]

"I mean nice people... baby wait... I didn't mean to say nightmare"... So beautiful and brutal at the same time. Is that Gal saying that to Lad or Lad to Gal? It could be either way!

[TheMightyMcClaw]

The most underrated aspect of TMBG is how unbelievably, hauntingly attractive young John Linnell was.

[Law-of-EnTropy]

Love sees love's happiness
But happiness can't see that love is sad
That love is sad

Sadness is hanging there
To show love somewhere something needs a change
They need a change

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
To take the house he built for her apart
To make it break it's gonna take a metal ball hung from a chain

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
To pick the broken ruins up again
To mend her heart, to help him start to see a world apart from pain

Lad's gal is all he has
Gal's gladness hangs upon the love of lad
The love of lad

Some things gal says to lad aren't meant as bad
But cause a little pain
They cause him pain

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
To take the house he built for her apart
To make it break it's gonna take a metal ball hung from a chain

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
To pick the broken ruins up again
To mend her heart, to help him start to see a world apart from pain

Don't call me at work again no no the boss still hates me
I'm just tired and I don't love you anymore
And there's a restaurant we should check out where
The other nightmare people like to go
I mean nice people, baby wait,
I didn't mean to say nightmare

Lad looks at other gals
Gal thinks Jim Beam is handsomer than lad
He isn't bad

Call off the wedding band
Nobody wants to hear that one again
Play that again

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
To take the house he built for her apart
To make it break it's gonna take a metal ball hung from a chain

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
To pick the broken ruins up again
To mend her heart, to help him start to see a world apart from pain

They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
They'll need a crane, they'll need a crane
They'll need a crane

[BaconTomatoCheese]

I still have a fond place in my heart for Lincoln… They were so young, and thin back then… Just watched “rhinoceros” on Jimmy Kimmel. Still unmistakably TMBG… But this was a real treat. Missed it back in the day… One of my all-time favorite songs to cover by them is Ana NG

[-wd]

I would either try to stay up late or set the VCR when I was in high school to watch all of these. The first album came out when I was in ninth grade...my life has never been the same.

[BennyWhoDrums]

When I was a kid I had loved Bobcat Goldthwaite and was like "where did he go after Police Academy?!" Then when I realized he had left comedy to drum for TMBG full time once they blew up, it all made sense.

[dougyuck]

missed oppurtunity to have the old men backing band here

[arunca]

I hope it’s never forgotten how these times were. The world was less dense then. TMBG were some
wierdos from crazzzy New York. Completely amazing and genius and so cool and alien like. Nothing like this was on the radio. Lyrics were so mysterious. Accordion tele drum machine. MTV and Nickolodeon was cool and not as creepy as it is now. Money was important but not as grotesque as it is now. Bigger bigger bigger brighter brighter was not a thing. It was a universe that fit Peewee Herman, DEVO, David Lynch, the Fishhead song, the Fat Boys, magical cassette tapes, junky tchotchkes that expressed your soul… and cigarette filled living room looking coffee shops.