Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch

Giants?

Timeslip time again... and our knackered old TARDIS has landed in this week thirty-five years ago - a week when a strong leader was dominating the politics of Russia, a Westerner was executed in Iraq and there was a corrupt president newly elected in Brazil [sound familiar?]...

But, what of the music we may have "forgotten" from that time? Hovering round the charts in March 1990, here's one-hit-wonders They Might be Giants:

They Might be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul

I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am

Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

I have a secret to tell
From my electrical well
It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e
My story's infinite
Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest

Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am

There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near

Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

(and while you're at it
Keep the nightlight on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)

Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul

No drugs involved there, then.

Apparently the band is still together, and this year revived an old idea of theirs from the 90s - "Dial-A-Song", whereby anyone can "call a number" (or these days, download a podcast) and hear their newest music. They have promised to release one new song every week for the entire year.

I doubt I'll bother.

Try the They Might Be Giants website for more.