(Bass guitar)
(Bass guitar and accordion)
♫ You're older than you've ever been ♫
♫ and now you're even older ♫
♫ and now you're even older. ♫
♫ You're older than you've even been ♫
♫ and now you're even older ♫
♫ and now you're older still. ♫
♫ Time ♫
♫ is marching on ♫
♫ and time ♫
♫ is still marching on. ♫
♫ This day will soon be at an end ♫
♫ and now it's even sooner ♫
♫ and now it's even sooner. ♫
♫ This day will soon be at an end ♫
♫ and now it's even sooner ♫
♫ and now it's sooner still. ♫
♫ You're older than you've ever been ♫
♫ and now you're even older ♫
♫ and now you're even older. ♫
♫ You're older than you've ever been ♫
♫ and now you're even older ♫
♫ and now you're older still. ♫
Thank you very much.
Good morning everybody.
We are They Might Be Giants.
(Applause)
I am wearing the Al Gore in-ear monitors
he wore on the Larry King show
and I'm hearing that transmission and not mine.
But I guess that's in keeping,
so now we'll just move to the PowerPoint presentation,
ladies and gentlemen.
This is a brand new song.
In the spirit of TED, we're bringing you something
that has not been released.
John, do you want to introduce the song?
This is a song about a creature called a hummingbird moth
which imitates another creature
which imitates yet another creature.
It's completely fucked up
and can only be explained in song.
♫ Everyone is crying at the dread hypnotic flying ♫
♫ of the bee of the bird of the moth. ♫
♫ You can't walk, you can't ramble ♫
♫ 'cause you're gonna have to scramble ♫
♫ from the bee of the bird of the moth. ♫
♫ Catbird is a cat ♫
♫ but he's got bugness in his veins. ♫
♫ Manhouse lives within himself ♫
♫ with thoughtful human brains. ♫
♫ Neither one is equal ♫
♫ to the challenge of the freak we'll call ♫
♫ the bee of the bird of the moth. ♫
♫ Now the moth ♫
♫ defeats the mouse and man. ♫
♫ It's messing with the plan. ♫
♫ It can't be believed ♫
♫ 'cause it's just a hummingbird moth ♫
♫ who's acting like the bird ♫
♫ that thinks it's a bee. ♫
♫ Got a brand new shipment ♫
♫ of electrical equipment ♫
♫ it's addressed to the bottom of the sea. ♫
♫ Send a tangerine-colored ♫
♫ nuclear submarine ♫
♫ with a sticker that says STP. ♫
♫ Windshield wiper washer fluid ♫
♫ spraying in the air ... ♫
♫ headlights under head lice ♫
♫ under hats lie everywhere. ♫
♫ Subatomic waves ♫
♫ to the underwater caves ♫
♫ of the bee of the bird of the moth. ♫
♫ Now the moth defeats the mouse and man. ♫
♫ It's messing with the plan. ♫
♫ It can't be believed ♫
♫ 'cause it's just a hummingbird moth ♫
♫ who's acting like a bird ♫
♫ that thinks it's a bee. ♫
♫ Is it us or is this messed up? ♫
♫ Everyone's deforming ♫
♫ in the presence of the swarming ♫
♫ of the bee of the bird of the moth. ♫
♫ Protozoa, snakes and horses ♫
♫ have enlisted in the forces ♫
♫ of the bee of bird of the moth. ♫
♫ Catbug is a cat ♫
♫ but he's got bugness in his veins. ♫
♫ Manhouse lives within himself ♫
♫ with thoughtful human brains. ♫
♫ Neither one is equal ♫
♫ to the challenge of the freak we'll call ♫
♫ the bee of the bird of the moth. ♫
(Applause)
Thanks a lot.
Thank you very much.
So we are past our 1,000th show.
Probably somewhere around 1,500.
It's hard to know.
We've only done two shows in 2007 so far,
but our first show
was actually the coldest performance we've ever had.
It was 19 degrees in St. Louis about a month ago
and I'm happy to report
that this performance you are seeing today
is the earliest we have ever performed.
So thank you.
We are cultural test pilots, ladies and gentlemen.
How early can a rock performance begin?
Not all the facts are in about performing
at 8.30 in the morning.
I can tell you the 19 degree thing
was fantastic.
All right.
So we don't know that much
about the history of violinists
but we do know that when we entered
the state of New Jersey
there is an uptick in violence.
This song is called "Asbury Park."
It's based on a real life experience.
♫ I ♫
♫ I got ♫
♫ I got kicked ♫
♫ I got kicked in the head ♫
♫ backstage at the Stone. ♫
♫ Stone Pone. ♫
♫ Stone Pony. ♫
♫ I got kicked in the head ♫
♫ backstage at the Stone Pony ♫
♫ where I swore to the guy ♫
♫ that the guy who took his beer wasn't me. ♫
♫ Me got ♫
♫ Me got kicked ♫
♫ Me got kicked in the head ♫
♫ backstage at the Stone. ♫
♫ Stone Pone. ♫
♫ Stone Pony. ♫
♫ Me got kicked in the head ♫
♫ backstage at the Stone Pony ♫
♫ where I swore to the guy ♫
♫ that the guy who took his beer ♫
♫ was a guy dressed like me. ♫
♫ Not me! ♫
Thank you.
Marty Beller on the drums over there.
(Applause)
We want to get in as many songs as possible
during our brief time here
so this is the one to play.
This song is called "Fingertips."
♫ Everything is catching on fire ♫
♫ Yes, everything is catching on fire ♫
♫ Yes, everything is catching on fire. ♫
♫ Fingertips ♫
♫ I hear the wind blow ♫
♫ It seems to say ♫
♫ Hello ♫
♫ I'm the one who loves you so. ♫
♫ Hey, now everybody, now. ♫
♫ Hey, now everybody ♫
♫ Hey, now everybody, now ♫
♫ Who's that standing ♫
♫ at the window?♫
♫ I found a new friend ♫
♫ underneath my pillow. ♫
♫ Come on and wreck my car ♫
♫ Aren't you the guy who hit me in the eye? ♫
♫ Please pass the milk, please. ♫
♫ Leave me alone, leave me alone. ♫
♫ Who's knocking on the wall? ♫
♫ All alone, all alone. ♫
♫ All by myself. ♫
♫ What's that blue thing doing here? ♫
♫ Something grabbed ahold of my hand ♫
♫ I didn't know what had my hand ♫
♫ but that's when all my troubles began. ♫
♫ I don't understand you ♫
♫ I cannot understand you ♫
♫ I don't understand the things you say ♫
♫ I can't understand a single word ♫
♫ I don't understand you ♫
♫ I just don't understand you ♫
♫ I don't understand you ♫
♫ I do not understand you ♫
♫ Don't understand you ♫
♫ I turn around ♫
♫ See the sound ♫
♫ Turn around and see the thing ♫
♫ that made the sound. ♫
♫ Mysterious whisper ♫
♫ The day that love came to play. ♫
♫ I'm having a heart attack ♫
♫ I'm having a ... ♫
♫ Fingertips ♫
♫ I walk along darkened corridors ♫
♫ And I walk along darkened corridors ♫
Thank you very much -- "Fingertips."
(Applause)
♫ We're taking calls -- from the dead. ♫
♫ We're taking phone calls from the dead. ♫
♫ They're calling from beyond the grave. ♫
♫ Beyond the grave. ♫
♫ They have some questions ♫
♫ And things to share ♫
♫ From underneath the cold, cold ground. ♫
We're soliciting phone calls from dead people
as a special TED presentation.
We're taking calls live on stage
here at TED in Monterey.
And I think we have a caller coming in here.
Hello there.
You're live.
Hello. Who's there, please?
Am I on the air?
Hi there.
You're on with They Might Be Giants.
This is Eleanor Roosevelt.
Hello, Eleanor, please ...
I want to talk to ...
Please turn off your radio, Eleanor.
I wanna talk to Randi.
I've got a question for Randi.
What's your question, please?
I want to talk to the Amazing Randi.
Do you have a laminated badge, Eleanor?
I want my million dollars.
Eleanor, I'm sorry,
do you have a laminated badge?
No, I don't have a badge.
Well, I think we're going to stop
that part of the show.
Here's a song we like to think of
as the future anthem of TED.
It's actually a children's song
but like so many projects for children
it's really just a Trojan horse
for adult work.
This song is called
"The Alphabet ...
Of Nations!"
♫ Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica, ♫
♫ Egypt, France, The Gambia ♫
♫ Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, ♫
♫ Libya and Mongolia. ♫
♫ Norway, Oman, Pakistan, ♫
♫ Qatar, Russia, Suriname, ♫
♫ Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, ♫
♫ West Xylophone, Yemen, Zimbabwe. ♫
♫ Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica, ♫
♫ Egypt, France, The Gambia, ♫
♫ Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, ♫
♫ Libya and Mongolia. ♫
♫ Norway, Oman, Pakistan, ♫
♫ Qatar, Russia, Suriname, ♫
♫ Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, ♫
♫ West Xylophone, Yemen, Zimbabwe. ♫
♫ Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Canada, ♫
♫ Australia, Belgium, Chad, ♫
♫ Afghanistan, Brunei, China, Denmark, ♫
♫ Ecuador, Fiji, Guatemala, ♫
♫ Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica, ♫
♫ Egypt, France, The Gambia, ♫
♫ Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, ♫
♫ Libya and Mongolia. ♫
♫ Norway, Oman, Pakistan, ♫
♫ Qatar, Russia, Suriname, ♫
♫ Turkey, Uruguay, Vietnam, ♫
♫ West Xylophone, Yemen, Zimbabwe. ♫
Thank you so much.
You've been a wonderful 8:30 audience.
Have a great session.
Thank you all.