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Why Does The Sun Shine? (Live STD)

From This Might Be A Wiki
Music video for Why Does The Sun Shine? (Live STD)
Screenshot from the Nickelodeon KaBlam! video
Screenshot from the Nickelodeon KaBlam! video
song nameWhy Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)
artistThey Might Be Giants
albumSevere Tire Damage, Dial-A-Song: 20 Years Of They Might Be Giants, TMBG Clock Radio
year1998
first playedMar. 4, 1987 (519 known performances)
run time2:16
sung byPrimarily John Flansburgh, with John Linnell reciting facts, though frequently they reverse roles in concert.

[edit] Trivia/Info

  • This rocking version of the song has a completely different feel than the mellow and slow-paced 1994 studio recording. The rock version is typically the only one performed at concerts.
  • Recently, a portion of this song was used on a "Verb" commercial for Cartoon Network.
  • When introducing the rocking version of this song at a show, John Flansburgh has been known to announce, "We want you to want the sun!" which is a reference to Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me.
  • Occasionally in live shows, this song is sung with British accents.
  • During live shows, the part about the nuclear reactions is almost always changed. Presented here are just a few variations:
    • Scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom-smashing machine. The heat and light from the sun come from the nuclear reaction between oxygen, hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen. (From DAS performance)
    • The heat and light from the sun are caused by the nuclear reaction between hydrogen, helium, oxygen, estrogen, and hair. (from a guest appearance on Nick Rocks, 1985)
    • You know, Frank, scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom-smashing machine. The heat and light from the sun are caused by the nuclear reaction between hydrogen and you, Frank O'Toole. (From performance on the Frank O'Toole Show, 1987)
    • Scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom-smashing machine. The heat and light from the sun come from the nuclear reaction between hydrogen, nitrogen, helium, carbon, boron, chloron, fluoron, moron, and estrogen. (Unknown)
    • The heat and light from the sun come from the nuclear reaction between estrogen, estrogen, estrogen, and more estrogen. (often, 2000-2001)
    • The heat and light from the sun come from the nuclear reaction between estrogen, estrogen, estrogen, and aluminum foil. (Recher Theatre, Baltimore, 2001)
    • The heat and light of the sun are caused by a reaction between Long Island, Staten Island, Rikers Island, and Roosevelet Island - Central Park show, 8/15/2002 (After the song, Flans added - I wish I could've fit City Island into it, but I couldn't figure out how to do five)
    • During the latter term of George W. Bush's presidency, Flansburgh has been saying "The heat and light from the sun are caused by the nuclear reaction between a failed foreign policy, a failed domestic policy, and a failed presidency."
  • The part about what's a gas on the sun is also frequently changed. Variation(s) follow.
    • The sun is so hot that everything on it is a gas: aluminum, copper, iron, wood, and hair. (from a guest appearance on Nick Rocks, 1985)
    • Ladies and gentlemen, on the surface of the sun, everything is a gas. The Pontiac Vibe, the Ford Focus, even that beutiful Mini. They're all a total gas. On the sun. - Central Park show, 8/15/2002
    • There was a version which used various kinds of aromatherapy oils, like patchouli and lavender. - Sheffield University, November 2001
    • At the XPN Singer/Songwriter Festival in Philadelphia, PA on 7/20/03, things on the sun that were a gas included patchouli oil, hemp, gimp, kilns, and crystals (a jab at the mostly "hippie" crowd at the show).
    • At the Harrisburg show in 2002, included among what was a gas on the sun was "kilns...even kilns, that get up to five thousand degrees".
    • On the Florida leg of their 2002 tour, the list of gasseous things on the sun included ducks and guitars.
    • The sun is so hot that everything on it is a gas like our tour manager 'Brendan Hoffman.'
  • An animated music video for this song was shown on the Nickelodeon TV show 'KaBlam!' in 1999, along with Dr. Worm. The video was created by Brian O'Connell / Richard O'Connor, who both later went on to form the production company, Asterisk.

[edit] Song Themes

Educational, Precious Metal, Questions, Science, Size, Space, TMBG Remakes

[edit] Videos

 
Current Rating
Why Does The Sun Shine? (Live STD) is currently ranked #23 out of 803. (160 wikians have given it an average rating of 9.02)
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