Here Comes Science – A Small for Big Music Review

by Chris

They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science Kids Music Review

My first memory of They Might Be Giants is listening to “Particle Man” while skateboarding in the basement of my friend Matt Garvin’s house when I was 13. The first memory my children have of They Might Be Giants is listening to the opening track of Here Comes Science while playing in our family room when they were 4 and 2. While “Particle Man” undoubtedly made an indelible impression on me and spawned the love I have for TMBG today, it definitely didn’t prompt me to ask questions like “Are Graham Crackers a solid?” or make exclamations like “LEGOs are made of elements!” (For you LEGO geeks out there, that is twice as funny because it is dually true!) For me there are few things in this world that are better than finding children’s music that not only teaches them something, but also doesn’t make me want to fill my ears with expanding spray foam. With Here Comes Science not only can I save my ears, but I actually get to rock-out with my children to some super-addictive songs!

Here Comes Science was released last year and is the band’s fourteenth studio album and fourth children’s album. Its 19 tracks are as diverse in sound as they are in educational value. From the punk-ish cover of Tom Glazer’s “Why Does the Sun Shine?”, to the infectious chorus of “I Am a Paleontologist”, there’s a lot to love and a ton to learn on this album! Here’s just a fractional tally of the subjects discussed within the songs of Here Comes Science:

Evolution
Chemical elements
Forms of matter
Motion
Scientific Method
Electric cars
Photosynthesis

Hearing my 5 year old tell people that “plants, bugs, birds, fish, bacteria, and men are mostly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen” is one of the coolest things I’ve experienced thus far as a parent. Obviously he’s just a mocking bird to the lyrics at this point and doesn’t have a real understanding of what they mean, but just knowing that the seeds of science and learning and the nature of the world are being sewn in his mind at such a young age makes me a very proud daddy!

Out of all the things I love about Here Come Science, I think my favorite is the fact that they left the ultra-catchy “Why Does the Sun Shine?” intact with its original, mostly incorrect, lyrics and then recorded a musical redaction with “Why Does the Sun Really Shine?” While it’s not my favorite track on the album, I quite admire the clever way they resolved the issue of the former song and informed us that the Sun is not, in fact, a “mass of incandescent gas”, but instead a “miasma of incandescent plasma.” Anytime you can not only find a word to rhyme with plasma, but also have that word be as awesome as miasma, you know you have a special set of lyrics!

Of course not every track shines brightly with me. “My Brother the Ape” and “The Ballad of Davy Crockett (in Outer Space)” are my least favorite. Not that they’re bad songs, just songs that don’t do as much for me as the other tracks. With “Davy” it’s simply the source material that is carried over in TMBG’s updated version that misses with me, and not the inventiveness of their alternate lyrics.

Additionally, there are a couple of songs I wish were extended a bit more, as their wondrousness is cut far too short. The first of those is the jazzy title “track”, which isn’t really a track at all, but more of a jingle for the album itself. The vibe created in those few seconds screams for more room to grow, and I wish it were granted that. The other tune that isn’t given enough time to mature is the ultra-synth “Computer Assisted Design”. While it has always struck me as an odd topic for a song on a science album, that certainly doesn’t prevent it from earworming its way into my sub-conscious for the better part of a week.

In the end, these few criticisms are minuscule and simply a matter of opinion. With Here Comes Science, They Might Be Giants has created the quintessential children’s album for geek moms and dads and their little geeklets. From hook-filled harmonies to learned lyrics, there’s no reason to not rush to your favorite music download service and grab this album post haste. Your children, and their future science teachers will thank you for it!

Now I’ll leave you with my favorite track…

…my oldest’s favorite track…

…and my youngest’s favorite track. (I’m just guessing at this one because he loves singing the part of the Garbage Man!)

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Jack July 29, 2010 at 11:35 am

These are awesome. I never bought much music when I was young . . . not much still, I guess . . . so the only TMBG song I really new was Constantinople.

Shooting Star is so cool.

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2 chris July 30, 2010 at 8:06 am

Thanks for the comment Jack! Yeah…They Might Be Giants is one of those bands that has remained just under the surface of mainstream for decades and therefore most everyone can probably recognize at least one of their songs no matter how much they avoid music.

The shooting star song is definitely one of my favorites! Ever since my 1st grade music teacher taught my class how to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as a round, I’ve had an affinity for them.

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3 Seattledad (Luke, I am Your Father) July 30, 2010 at 3:08 pm

Great Review. Love TMBG. And these videos are terrific! Hadn’t seen them before. Thanks.

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4 chris July 30, 2010 at 10:44 pm

Thanks James! And you’re welcome!

The videos are super-great, and, although I’ve watched them plenty of times myself, it occurred to me in writing this post that my boys had yet to see them! I remedied that quick with a viewing session. They absolutely love the video for “I am a Paleontologist” and crack up at his shovel “surf board” and their musical instruments made of paleo tools-of-the-trade. I find it pretty funny myself…

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5 Dan July 30, 2010 at 3:09 pm

This is by far their best kids album, and that’s really saying something. I’m rather partial to Electric car myself

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6 chris July 30, 2010 at 10:55 pm

Thanks for the comment Dan!

For reasons unknown, and despite being a TMBG’s fan and father of two children, this is the first children’s album of theirs I’ve listened to! Shortly after posting this, however, I signed into my library’s website and reserved the other three we’ve yet to hear. I just received an email today that they’re waiting, so we’ll be picking them up tomorrow when we go to have their reading club sheets validated. I can’t wait to hear them and I’m trying hard to not spoil it by checking out the videos for the songs on YouTube!

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7 suba suba June 11, 2020 at 6:12 am

Thanks-a-mundo for the article post.Really thank you! Awesome.

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