Why I Love The Giants

If I was pressed hard enough to pick my favorite band of all time, it would have to be They Might Be Giants. I first fell in love with John and John after listening to Istanbul (not Constantinople) on their album Flood. It was such a bizarre song with crazy lyrics and a catchy tune, I couldn’t help but play it over and over again.

I’ve been a fan ever since, and have loved the wide variety of their songs. By variety I mean not only style of music, but also the breadth of topic. They sing about mammals, James K. Polk, astronomy, Homer’s Odyssey, palindromes, conifers, nightlights, Belgian Painters, and more. It’s just astounding.

Anyway, the reason I’m blogging about this is my son sent me a report he had written. The report was on Hammurabi, the great Babylonian King and lawgiver. Yep, you guessed it, They Might Be Giants sing about Hammurabi and the rest of the Mesopotamian kings.

So, the next time your kid is working on a report, don’t send him to the encyclopedia, don’t send him to the internet. Send him down to the local music shop, and have him pick up a CD by the Giants. There is a good chance they’ve already got it covered.