They Might Be Giants - A Self Called Nowhere Lyrics

My favorite TMBG song of all time, ever since I first listened to it back in 2009...nothing can change my mind that this is one of their best songs. Shame they don't perform it live more...

I'm sitting on the curb
By the empty parking lot
Of the store where they let me play the organ
I'm waiting for my ride
But I want to wait inside
Of the store where they let me play the organ

But I'm thinking of a wooden chair
In a room at the top of a stair
And I'm looking down the stairwell
At the vanishing dot
On the map of the spot
Let me take you there
The dotted line
Surrounding the mind
Of a self called nowhere
It's a thing named "it"
In a bottomless pit
You can't see it there
The sunken head
That lies in the bed
Of a self called nowhere

Standing in my yard
Where they tore down the garage
To make room for the torn down garage
I'm looking for my car
But I must have sold my car
When I needed to buy an electric organ

But I'm thinking of a wooden chair
In a room at the top of a stair
And I'm looking down the stairwell
At the vanishing dot
On the map of the spot
Let me take you there
The dotted line
Surrounding the mind
Of a self called nowhere
It's a thing named "it"
In a bottomless pit
You can't see it there
The sunken head
That lies in the bed
Of a self called nowhere

Nowhere

The vanishing dot
On the map of the spot
Let me take you there
The dotted line
Surrounding the mind
Of a self called nowhere
It's a thing named "it"
In a bottomless pit
You can't see it there
The sunken head
That lies in the bed
Of a self called

News Reporter: “Can you tell us exactly why this building in being demolished?”
Demolition Expert: “Well, we need to make room for the demolished building after we demolish it”
News Reporter: “...But..ok, what is going to replace this budding, is what I’m asking?”
Demolition Expert: “This building...but demolished”
News Reporter: “....alright, thanks for your time”

Loving this "it/I'd" debate. 😂

They just answered the question of whether it's "it" or "id" in a 2018 interview with google. It's "it", which rhymes with "pit".

that was already confirmed in the liner notes but people were sour about a literal one letter difference for some reason so they wouldn't accept it

this is the most under rated song of all time

Agreed.

Usually I would disagree, but you're just so right. How can a song like this go so unnoticed?!

saying its 'it' just to spite freud. the bastard. the clown.

Beatleish

Go to 36:26 for the answer of IT! :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAr5QbwHoiI

In a recent interview with TMBG, Linnell said it's "It," because "it rhymes with pit." But they said they promise to enunciate "it" better during the next tour, where they'll be bringing the song back. [Source: Google Talks.]

They have now confirmed that it's ‘it’ in Their I Like Fun Google talk.

"Id" is one of the three levels of the unconscious - ego, super-ego, and the id. The id is the dark, selfish part of the unconscious of the SELF. I posit that it is the Id, not only because of the relevance to the lyrics but also because the soft D is pronounced, not a sharp T.

I thought they were saying to make room for the tandem garage

it's "it" not Id

Is this song about Alzheimer's?

Who is that girl on the front cover?

i remember in an interview one of the johns said it was their friends daughter but i could be wrong

starlimitz2
she scares me 😬

It is ID.. not just cause it fits the context better, but cause I am from Acton, adjacent to Licnoln where they are from.. they are clearly saying ID, if u understand proper pronunciation that is... ;)

ID fits the context duh, and quite brilliantly I might add....reference Psych 101

R. Michael Duttera my wiener fitz quite brilliantly into my own anus

@Ciara Eye I love this comment

"Id" is literally latin for "it" so it doesn't change anything

+ohaiedada it means something different in english though? which language you're using kind of makes a difference.

Wow. That not only settles the question (as far as I'm concerned), but just about blew my mind - granted, I'm extremely sleep deprived at the moment. And may well wind up lying awake thinking about that whenever I do get to bed.

in Freudian psychology, the "id" also refers to the component of the human psyche concerning our unconscious, instinctual desires

someone needs to do a good Bass cover for this song.  The Bass is perfection!

it's a thing named id in a bottomless pit.  i can take you there.

"You can't see it there."

I love how it starts out all dreary then gets like 1000x more intense but yet still keeps that theme.
Also, that low brass.

Also that it's almost metal.

Great song,great album, great times.

Best song, best group, ever,,,,,

doesn't matter what they sing

its what YOU what id to be

so good.

According to the liner notes from the CD (which I'm now proud to own) "it's a thing named 'it'| in a bottomless pit | you can't see it there"

I want to see them on there upcoming tour Ps i feel young to like this band im 14

Nope, its "Id".
Turn it up and listen REALLY well.

The liner notes say it.
And I'm replying to a four year old comment.

The smart / weird older cousins of Weezer

You are not wrong.

What a song!

I can't even believe how stupid these comments are.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHGAN

i never thought of the id/it "controversy" i just know its a good song for an identity crisis

The daughter of a friend of the band.

Heavy song.

don't look now, but your massachusetts is showing.

its definitely Id........i goes with the theme of the song......a self called nowhere The self in this instance referring to ones id.

I would say 'Id'. My feeling is the lyrics are vaguely referencing the difficulty of the differentiation between the 'self' and the ego, which Freud called the id if I'm not mistaken. Obviously its pretty abstract and can be interpreted alot of different ways like most of TMBG.

Definitely "id." I just love how he pronounces "argon."

If you compare the way he says the word in question with the way he says "pit", it definitely sounds a lot more like "id" than "it".

Great song!

It's definitely "id". It fits the song perfectly.

such a good song

barry sax FTW

it's id

This song always kind of creeped me out. But in a good way.