They'll Need a Crane

"They'll Need a Crane" is a single and song by They Might Be Giants. 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]

"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

Background

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. The melancholic subject matter of the song is somewhat uncharacteristic for the band.

Music video

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

References
  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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