The A.V. Club put out an incredibly well put together sampling of They Might Be Giants songs on Tuesday. If you wanted to listen to all the songs it’d take about an hour, but that’s a lot shorter than the 30 years it took the band to write and publish them all.
Pick #12, “Road Movie to Berlin” is one of those songs I always loved from them. Right up there with “Kiss Me, Son of God.” It’s quirky, but with lyrics that somehow speak a message meant to be heard — and chords I can analyze by ear. Seeing it now struck me with inspiration, and I picked up the guitar for the first time in forever.
I think it’s been over 2 years since anyone heard me play guitar. But music is a powerful force and it tends to stick with you. Sometimes you’ve just gotta play what’s in your head, even if your hands are no longer skilled enough to keep up.
Thanks TMBG, and thanks mom and dad for all those guitar lessons. They keep paying dividends.
If you’re curious, the original song is here:
Alex Gustafson 