Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head

"Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, from their eponymous debut album They Might Be Giants. It has also been released on several compilation albums, including Then: The Earlier Years and A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants.

"Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head"
Song by They Might Be Giants
from the album They Might Be Giants
ReleasedNovember 4, 1986 (1986-11-04)
RecordedNew York City, 1985–1986
GenreAlternative rock, synthpop
Length2:12
LabelBar/None
Songwriter(s)John Flansburgh, John Linnell
Producer(s)Bill Krauss
Music video
"Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" on YouTube

Background

The song's music and chorus were written by John Linnell; John Flansburgh wrote the verses.[1] Linnell used a Casio MT-100 to play the music. Although "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" was included on They Might Be Giants' first album on Bar/None Records, the song was recorded before the band became associated with the label.[2]

Music video

"Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" was the first song for which They Might Be Giants created a music video. The video, directed by Adam Bernstein, was filmed on a budget of about US$1,500 in a waterfront area of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[3] It featured a number of homemade props, such as large red papier-mâché hands and large cardboard cutouts of William Allen White's face.[4][5] According to commentary in the group's video compilation Direct from Brooklyn, the film Married to the Mob was being filmed in the same location.[6] Adam Bernstein has stated that some shots from the music video were filmed on the tails of the film used to shoot Married to the Mob, and that in total, only about five minutes of film were shot.[7] The video aired on MTV prior to the release of the band's debut album.[3][8] Previously, it had also aired on a local music video station.[2]

Reception

An Allmusic review identified "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" one of the best songs on They Might Be Giants and described it as "Costello-esque".[9] Jim Faber, reviewing They Might Be Giants for Rolling Stone, called the song "irresistibly catchy" and cited it as an example of Flansburgh's "character" vocals.[10]

References
  1. Linnell, John (April 1994). "They Might Be the Hottest Show to Hit the Hilltop". The Bradley Scout (Interview). Interviewed by Yosha Bourgea. Peoria, Illinois. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  2. Pendergast, Tom (1995). "Myke Weiskopf Interviews Tom Pendergast" (Interview). Interviewed by Myke Weiskopf. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  3. Bernstein, Adam (1995). "Myke Weiskopf Interviews Adam Bernstein" (Interview). Interviewed by Myke Weiskopf. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  4. Del Tyre, Peg (6 February 1989). "Giant Steps: A Peculiar Rock Duo Makes a Big Noise". New York. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  5. "TMBG Information Bulletin Winter 1991". TMBG Info Club. 1991. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  6. Direct from Brooklyn. Dir. Adam Bernstein, Nico Beyer, John Flansburgh. Restless, 2003. DVD.
  7. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). Dir. AJ Schnack. 2002. Plexifilm, 2003.
  8. Del Signore, John (18 July 2011). "They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh: The Catskills Is The New Williamsburg". Gothamist. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants". Allmusic. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  10. Farber, Jim (April 9, 1987). "They Might Be Giants". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2012.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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