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They'll Need a Crane

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"They'll Need a Crane"
Single by They Might Be Giants
from the album Lincoln
ReleasedFebruary 10, 1989
GenreAlternative rock
Length2:33
LabelBar/None, Restless
Songwriter(s)John Flansburgh, John Linnell
Producer(s)Bill Krauss
They Might Be Giants singles chronology
"Ana Ng"
(1989)
"They'll Need a Crane"
(1989)
"Purple Toupee"
(1989)
Music video
They'll Need a Crane on YouTube

"They'll Need a Crane" is a song by They Might Be Giants, released as a single on February 10, 1989. In addition to vinyl and cassette releases, the single was released as a 3-inch CD. "They'll Need a Crane" was the first song the band performed on network television, in 1989 on Late Night with David Letterman.[1]

Background

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The song's lyrics focus on the breakup of a dysfunctional heterosexual relationship between a male "lad" and a female "gal". The band makes reference to the couple's respective flaws and make use of construction imagery to describe the relationship's degradation.

Music video

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A music video for the single was directed by Adam Bernstein, a frequent collaborator of the band during their earlier years. It was filmed at the Bethesda terrace in Central park, New York City. The video primarily features the band playing with a group of elderly musicians, most notably jazz drummer Johnny Blowers who worked with Frank Sinatra during the 1940s.[2]

Track listing

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  1. "They'll Need a Crane"
  2. "It's Not My Birthday"
  3. "I'll Sink Manhattan"
  4. "Nightgown of the Sullen Moon"

References

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  1. ^ Recording on YouTube of the performance on Late Night with David Letterman. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  2. ^ The article of the song on This Might Be a Wiki
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