They Might Be Giants - Purple Toupee Lyrics

Awwwww they're so cute just two friends playing for fun

My first concert (at my future grad school) was TMBG!

Go to a party and tell this whole song as a story to a stranger, without singing . Bet you'll make a new friend.

THE PURPLE BRIGADE IS MARCHING - FROM THE GRAVE!


True story.

Very rare video.

I really wish they would put the creativity and inspiration into their new stuff, even if they went on hiatus to do it I'd be fine. Just really bummed to find out their new album is just gonna be a compilation of mediocre Dial-A-Songs.

I like how their music has evolved. That's why I love this group so much, they have a million sounds so they have songs to suit your mood. I never want them to go on hiatus!

Don't get me wrong, they have written some great songs in the past like.. Decade. I'm just saying its missing the same kind of oomf the old TMBG had, and going on hiatus to really figure out how to add that to their newer stuff would be beneficial.

I like fun isn’t a dial a song compilation - they just premiered their music videos (or stills lol) along actual dial a songs

I Like Fun isnt their newest album, My Murdered Remains is

quick stupid theory about this song:
it's political? is it about partisan political candidates and presidents that don themselves a purple (combination of Red and Blue) toupee as a phony mask of non partisan centrism in order to win votes/approval?

As a 16 year old, I’m proud to love They Might Be Giants and their awesome, meaningful wacky music!

awesome

I can't believe this song exists...just love it

Most underrated band of all time

Can I borrow your cut vinyl?

Jesus, tap-dancing, Christ! Has it really been 30 years!

I wish TMBG could be young forever!!!

I love this song so much - but I've always thought they could have handled the ending better.

Drunk history?

I wonder when they will come out with trumps Wax

lol this is a strange confused view of tragic events in history.

So was Flansburgh born wearing dad glasses or what?

There's a super early preformance on here if you can find it with Flansy with no glasses!

@I'mAnArtist! https://youtu.be/x_UvwMCUrqk

This might not be the first or the only video where Flans isn't wearing glasses, but in the description it says that it is the first known recorded video of a TMBG gig.

Free the Expo '67!

weird al eat your heart out

two very different artists.

every bit of it makes sense if you think of it like a child would have through the 60s; Johnson's wax = LBJ, expo '67 = Chicago 7, Martin x= Malcolm x...kind of like how I confused Moshe Dayan and the guy on the dime when I was a kid. The important thing to know is never take yourself and your perception too seriously, however old you are, and raise little ones to do likewise - otherwise you end up with snowflakes.

Expo 67 opened 50 years ago today!  It was fun!  I know because I was there!  FREE THE EXPO 67!!!

...they stepped on my hair and told me I was fat.

@BarrioFabulous sorry about that, dude

the second verse is about Bernie Sanders

TMBG loves 1912

I wonder what amusement park let them photograph/film this.

It's Coney Island NYC

Martin X was mad when they outlawed bell-bottoms.

John Beekman ten years later they were sharing the same cell

I shouted out "Free the expo sixty seven!"

‘till they stepped on my hair and told me I was fat

Now I'm very big I'm a big important man and the only thing that's different

is underneath my hat.

this song horribble

And you're Mr. Horrible.

Roblox AwesomeParodys jesus christ coming from a 10 year old roblox youtuber means nothing

TMBG boss number 1

I'm 15... Everything except the Johnson's Wax and the Selma stuff went over my head.
Still catchy though.

Pwnkin ZZZ the Selma stuff is a reference to Selma Alabama and the bloody sunday, and the johnson's Wax is a punchline to the previous line.

The song lyrics are about him misunderstanding history, so it's easy for it to go over anyone's head.

The book depository...Kennedy's assasination

+@Raul Antonio Guzman Mares You explained the bits they said they got.

How about "Orange Toupee"?

Andrew Chase no it's only purple toupee or gold lamé

Orange Toupee and Bronze Lamé?

CyberShinobiX Green Toupee and Silver Lamé?

that gay, lol.

I see what you did there

IT'S ABOUT AGING YUPPIES! I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT! I think....

It's actually about someone who grew up the 60s but was too young to remember any of it correctly

That's kind of what I said. The "Yuppie" was a term coined for the children of Hippies, and they reached adulthood in the mid to late 70's, in general (therefore were children in the 60's). In addition to the muddled 60's references, this song's title, Purple Toupee, refers to an object that is usually worn to make someone fit in and conform, but is an unnatural shade for human hair, therefore defeating its own purpose. This references the contradictory nature of the Yuppie, in that they shared their parent's counter cultural values, but also grew up to get educated and get jobs and make money and start to conform. Finally, this song was written in a time when Yuppies were hitting middle age (and probably starting to bald)

I think the first part of this song is about JFK

They Might Be Giants: staunchly opposing the very concept of musical genre for over 30 years.

Except for, you know, the acoustic sets and instrumentals like Glean.

glammer Conventional instrumentation != genre.

Jonas Butler they're experimental rock...

30 year? Has it really been THAT long?

Ethan Burnes crazy, I know. I feel like just yesterday it was 2008, and a decade just passed overnight.

@EmileBea1 Purple Toupee.  From the year 1988.

@EmileBea1
I knew that!

maybe,  not.

@lordsardonicvids come here closer to the screen so I slap you on back side of you head! Huggs

+lordsardonicvids I'm from the year of our Lord 4034. It's a terrible time to be from.

That was an old joke about LBJ.

I'm from the year 14508 and you think YOU have it bad...

We're on some kind of mission, we have an obligation, we HAVE to wear toupees! One of the best TMBG's best lyrics/songs.

my fav is


Where your eyes don't go a filthy scarecrow waves its broomstick arms
And does a parody of each unconscious thing you do
When you turn around to look it's gone behind you
On its face it's wearing your confused expression
Where your eyes don't go

I remember hearing this song at some girl's parents house. I must have been really drunk at the time because I can't remember her name or where she lived. I can't even recall the layout of the house. She wore lots of black and smoked clove cigarettes. I remember that

@ritter89 Sounds like my kind of lady in the high school days. ;)

+TheWickerMan1981 Sounds like my kind of lady on all the days.

We tried to help you fight; no one appreciated that.

I think I know who you're talking about... her name started with an "N" I think.

Great fractured 60's history!

ronald reagan brought me here

+Jo Anne Monypeny Shit. I was gonna make that joke.

erikscrtmn777 James K. Polk brought me here

I dug up James Ensor and he brought me here.

Eisenhower brought me here! What's your phone number? MINE'S SEVEN! GO PLAY THE ENTERTAINER ON THAT GRAND PIANO!!!

Trekking through TMBG great songs, I sea an add for asking me "What is a Brain Injury"? Youtube reads the mind!

shut up about guttermouth it's a very serious disease

How about you shutup?

hyhyihyihyihiyhuihuhiiiiiiyhuyuhyijuhuhiuhjkkkkkkkkkkkjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjhhhhhhhhhhhhkhjhjhj kjj

I see your point.

Shut up about talking about nerds you gutter mouth. Talk about the video!!!!

Shut up about being nerds, you fucking nerds.

True. I didn't know other browsers supported it originally. Now that I do, I actually find it very ironic that chrome does support adblock, considering google's sources of revenue.

I have friends, I don't know what you mean about a well ajusted social life and I do not have a girlfriend.

Or Firefox + Adblock.
Or Opera + Adblock

Everybody looking at this video now hate your guts, or at least resent that statement.

Listen to this band. I read a lot, I am learning programming.

It is okay, not much bad about it.

I, sir, am one. So I would know what one is.

Well then, obviously you actually are a nerd.

Agreed! Not known nearly well enough.

No I am not a nerd but I love there music :D

I don't really like most of TMBG. But I've been listening to the best of the early years comp religiously for like over 10 years now. I heard it in 5th grade and was absolutely mesmerized.

I like their oldest stuff and some of their newest stuff.

One person had an obligation not to wear a purple toupee...

PS anyone who likes TMBG, consider (if you haven't already) checking out the British band XTC from (largely) the 80s.... TREMENDOUS music.

...their best album, in my opinion. Great stuff. Of course, it's all good. :)

You don't need to be a nerd, you just need to have a taste in music that is complimented by the type of music They Might Be Giants makes.

hehe the president's ears are filed with Johnson's wax. Because it's President Johnson. hehehe. . .. . Sorry, carry on everyone

Well more like a wig for mostly just the top of your head. it's not really a whole head wig, and they are for people going a little bit bald.

whats a toupee?

Easily my favorite TMBG song.

What in the Hell is a book depository? I looked it up in the yellow pages. We don't have one here. Thanks Kennedy for the Bay of Pigs. Thanks for not showing up. Thanks. Appreciate you keeping your word. I'm just sayin'.

Chrome + Adblock.

This might be one of the greatest TMBG songs of all time. I remember when this came out...it blew my mind.

They are so adorable! I just love their music.

maybe he hit thumbs down just to piss you off lol..

huh, that's sad.

I wonder how the director told them to make this video..

Director: "Okay..uh..flail around randomly without hitting each other..alright?"

Jokes on you, thats how they direct all their videos

who cares? thanks for the upload :) love TMBG

Definitely.

Parenting: doin it rite

I have been listening to TMBG for 20 years...still the very best!!!!!!

Sometimes when I'm listening to them I can become violent and I lose control of my anger. I would force people to listen to it and if they said anything bad about it I would get irate. I would invite people I didn't like to my house and kick their asses to the tune of these songs.

Golly... I'm against violence but I must admit, giving someone an ass whoopin' for dogging TMBG sounds kinda appealing to me...

I didn't put them in, Youtube does due to copyright issues. I do not get monetary gain.

this was the first tmbg song i ever heard, and ive loved them ever since!

they were just...so attractive back then GOSH.

Too true.

I can hear Experimental Film all through this.

These guys are just way too hip for the room. Biggest brains in song.

No, you just gotta love the music.
You silly goose muffin.

0:55 – looks like a rough draft of the iPod commercials.

"The book depository, where they crowned the king of Cuba" amazing lyric.

Official theme of the Coupe D'isaster

we all have an obligation

This would be a cool tune for some interesting teacher of American history.

My purple toupee never gets old (:

@DoubleYooToo Nah, that was Marty Beller's bass drum that burned; he became their drummer in 2004. This video was made in 1988, six years before they even had a real drummer at all.

@ri394 they're getting back to their old style in their new album
/watch?v=r2nEXHvzwW4

@forgingiron123 ZZZZING!! =)

I'm here watching this with my 2 year old son......AGAIN! He calls this song "Buh Buh". He loves singing the end!

they look like they had a lot of fun making this.

this band fuckin' rules. shame they haven't made music like this in a while, shame they're not more famous.