They Might Be Giants - Snail Shell (BEST QUALITY Official Music Video)

[@Tinlion09]

_Flood_ put TMBG on the map, but _John Henry_ put the pedal to the metal. When the Reaper comes for me, I'm not going anywhere until he busts out No One Knows My Plan and we conga-line into the hereafter.

[@daworldhavenumberblockstvv2401]

/133 duders/

[@daworldhavenumberblockstvv2401]

How to make this?

[@daworldhavenumberblockstvv2401]

=Flood= @Flood@ (Flood)

[@reaganwiles_art]

Lincoln. Maybe not a real Boss Hoss, but I think it is the best thing by them might be them. The most Kafkaesque record ever. Some of the sentiments in Lincoln were arrived at by Kafka seventy eighty years before, although I don't think it's a case of influence or theft but of universal images uncovered by parallel processes of automatic free-association, . . .

[@kemurph2]

No it put the petal to the medal

[@WannabeMarysue]

Watching this in 1080p feels illegal

[@0okamino]

So nice, it must be naughty.

[@JoshuaPritt]

I played this for my 1.5 year old son after seeing a snail in one of his baby books. He now requests it every time we read that book (at least once a week).

[@berrypepperroni7708]

that's actually extremely cool. may your child forever be a tmbg fan! LONG LIVE TMBG!

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

I love how many goofy faces and gestures the Johns are making, in constant with the strange retro scientists who seem to be playing with them like toys or running nefarious experiments. Aesthetically pleasing video with great closeup shots.

[@MrSnow-vl7vt]

I WANT TO THANK YOU... for making such great music and uploading it regularly on KZbin... SO LET ME THANK YOU

[@LukeHennisch]

If only we could’ve gotten videos for Factory Showroom, that’s my favorite album, after that is John Henry.

[@NarrowPathVideo]

Token Back to Brooklyn (unofficial) kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYi4Xot7Z82GoKs

[@YellowChoklit]

Luke Hennisch its criminal that songs like 'til my head falls off' 'how can i sing like a girl' 'exquisite dead guy' and 'metal detector' never got the video treatment.

[@LukeHennisch]

@@YellowChoklit I would have to throughly agree! If only... :(

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

@@YellowChoklit Metal Detector is especially suited for the music video treatment. Just imagine John and John dancing around a beach with metal detectors!!

[@macdrown3892]

What a rarity. Everyone seems to have thought this video didn't actually exist

[@Finvaara]

Part of me wonders if this song is burned directly into Hank Green's core memories somewhere, because it seems to leak out of the edges of his personality whether he has ever heard it or not, and that's hilarious to me.

[@Law-of-EnTropy]

Lyrics: Sir hand Or is it ma'am I fell out of my right place again And you Considered me And now I'm where a snail has to be I want to thank you for putting me back in my snail shell I want to thank you for putting me back in my snail shell Was it something you would do for anybody? Was it what you'd only do for me? I need to know because you see I want to thank you for putting me back in my snail shell Friend Look what you gave And how can you ever be repaid? How may I give you a hand From the position at your feet where I stand? So let me thank you for putting me back in my snail shell I'd like to thank you for putting me back in my snail shell Was it something you would do for anybody? Was it what you'd only do for me? I need to know because you see I want to thank you for putting me back in my snail shell Snail Shell Thank you Snail Shell Thank you Ah Ah Ah Was it something you would do for anybody? Was it what you'd only do for me? Or was it something where you acted when you saw the need And knew that there would be a way the act could be repaid And so it may, but for today I want to thank you for putting me back in my snail shell

[@bradwakey90]

Stoked to hear this live!!

[@catha.j.stuart2200]

Just saw They Might Be Giants October 4th 2024. The performance of this song was the most awesome of the night

[@BlueCanaryNightLight]

LUCKYYYYYY!

[@TiredLittleGuy]

thats soo cool!! ahhh it must've been awesome live haha

[@0Zero_0_0]

Just saw em. I got tickets as a gift but for mink car concert instead of john henry (I like john henry better) 14/12/2024, Boston (and of course they played wicked little critta like when they were in New London)

[@JuliaBrown-te9dp]

I'm so appreciating this funk in this track.

[@James-if3kc]

cuz ur black?

[@JuliaBrown-te9dp]

@@James-if3kc Yawn. Evolve, please.

[@James-if3kc]

@@JuliaBrown-te9dp Come up with an original comment, please.

[@purmello]

The thumbnail makes this look like an ASMR video, lmao.

[@AutomatonArchive]

Wait it's not?

[@PhantomTransmission]

this song is more relaxing than ASMR.

[@sonicsophie]

This comment absolutely cracked me up, thank you!! Genius :) I'll always think that when seeing the thumbnail now haha

[@ezekielbrockmann114]

Hi, Everybody! Thanks for being here, an important and valued part of your TMBG community. Just don't say... "The electric chair's not good enough!"

[@drewed1781]

Slugs evolved from snails by reducing the size of the shell and internalizing it (yes, most slugs have an internal shell)

[@kwijung]

that bass slaps

[@HectorBadillaOfficial]

kwijung pops*

[@brianbarnett1004]

The guitar riff is really great as well!

[@JuliaBrown-te9dp]

SLAPS SO HARD

[@mikeciul8599]

I just read David Graeber's book "Debt: The First 5,000 Years" and this song illustrates so many of the points that Graeber makes in that book.

[@beeswithchainsaws]

this is such a cool song, the funky bass, the pauses in the groove, that buildup at the end of the chorus leading up to that beautiful held note, the badass guitar- idk like i always like tmbg but this damn song, man

[@FloofyMuffins]

I really felt it when John of the John's said "snail shell"

[@ghah5701]

Underrated song, underrated album. Love John Henry.

[@torta31]

they thrash around like spirit halloween animatronics *smiles*

[@h00liganismo1]

That bass line is so funky, this is one of the funkiest They Might Be Giants songs, and it's also quite propulsive

[@L0REN0R2Z0RR0]

Keep the night light on inside the vogelhaus in deiner Seele! Just saw them again for the first time since this show, it was a great one

[@NegativeReferral]

This has to be sung from the perspective of a song on a record… selected by “sir hand” and put back in the cochlea “snail shell”

[@innertuber4049]

Oo, that's a fun theory!

[@0okamino]

So much greatness and beauty mercilessly unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

[@SunshineClementine]

What a treasure. Digging in the deep sub-layers, and finding all sorts of gems. x

[@sethprops4404]

Wow, dude. So good to see this video in such great quality.

[@floz9956]

YES!!!

[@PhilipHarwell]

Messages written in heavenly bodies...

[@cashc4434]

complete paranoia is total awareness

[@LiamMajko]

Doesn’t take a millionaire to see

[@norekfamily]

Is it odd to say this is my favorite TMBG song? Also love the Faith No More-like bassline during the 'funky jam' !

[@James-if3kc]

I think this song is about rejection. Like, it's about a guy who has always been shy and reclusive, and when he finally ventures out of his "shell" to try to meet somebody, i.e. a woman, they reject him and send him right back into his shell. So the song is him sarcastically saying "Thanks for showing me where I'm meant to be, how can I ever thank you?"

[@dylanbryson8021]

I was literally just saying to my boyfriend that I think this song is just about a snail that someone returned to their shell. he said something along these relationship lines. I dunno but I just can't help but think it is so literal!

[@James-if3kc]

@@dylanbryson8021 Are you a girl?

[@hazalminsin1711]

@@dylanbryson8021 I feel like the song is about more than romantic relationships. John seems to be speaking to the 'great hand in the sky', ( sir hand, or is it ma'am?) to provide the perspective of a lower creature, in this case a snail, in relation to a higher power. Something so large the entirety of it cannot be seen by the lower creature. Only the 'hand' can be perceived and understood. Kind of like when humans tap on the glass of an aquarium, or pick up some other tiny creature against its will. There's a quirky, angsty, dark night of the soul kind of energy to this song, and I can't get enough of it.

[@James-if3kc]

@@hazalminsin1711 Maybe.

[@themightymeowmeows7349]

I think the same thing. For introverts who have a hard time going out, it doesn't take much. One nasty person is enough to send me scuttling back into my snail shell, and not wanting to come back out!!

[@Jellycakelap]

I had no idea there was a video for Snail Shell!

[@dylanbryson8021]

I will never ever get over how good this is. I just saw them on Thursday and I woudl've done anything for them to play this. amazing nonetheless. love them o ==so much. linnell and flansburgh have my heart forever. but this song never leaves my head.....

[@Realwessharpe]

Well. Love some 11:45 at night TMBG

[@NeedsMoreSubs]

SAME!

[@petra5979]

o my gosh i can actually see them. it's a miracle

[@numartian]

I AM EMOTIONAL

[@fullalbumplaylist6029]

This is much better quality! Thanks Johns!

[@SweenyLand]

Finally some g dang high quality content on this site

[@stevie2.040]

Friend, look what you gave. A good music video.

[@sammyslam1]

I thought i knew all their best tunes!! Wow!! Just uncovered this gem for the first time!! Mind blown!! It's not surprising because this is one of the best acts in the world(my opinion) but it's nice to find a song that i was unfamiliar with as i am going through a bunch of their catalog here on youtube tonight!! This was goes up there with their best!!

[@akadroopy1]

This is from my favorite album of theirs... "John Henry"

[@Hamster_Pants]

Now we need birdhouse in your soul in high quality

[@L0REN0R2Z0RR0]

I like the video more than the song, actually. Don't know why this got chosen to be one of the marketable tracks of the album while there are so many gems on it ^^

[@imrustyokay]

Linnell in this video looks like he's auditioning for Topher Grace's spot in the cast of That 70s Show for some reason, I dunno why, maybe it's the turtleneck.

[@gigiratliff5801]

This is my favorite thing i have found in a while

[@unikadas]

Wow, had not seen this video before today, and I love this album, it's wild It looks like Clockwork Orange concepts ... TMBG being used in some eerie experiment

[@Frog_Enigma]

same

[@dincjfs]

the three dislikes are from people that didnt get put back in their snail shell

[@_kiteko]

The chorus makes my soul ascend

[@jasonsands8167]

Why is TMBG not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

[@0okamino]

That hall cannot contain them!

[@DoitForTheLolz1]

They are in the Not in Hall of Fame. #230 lol. there's at least 1000 or more bands that should already be in the hall of fame though.

[@rattyeely]

I'm sure they'll get in eventually, they go about adding important bands to the hall in a kind of random order

[@flg947]

Wondering just that.

[@nybbleme]

Probably for the same reason that Weird Al yankovic isn't? It's not rock and roll, it's something else entirely. Very eclectic

[@innertuber4049]

Looking at the video and at the lyrics, along with the history of the band, I think this song might be about the "benevolence" of a record label, putting you back into the safety of a slow, drab shell of industrialized pop when you try to go out and do something whacky on your own.

[@johngleue]

I think it's a sarcastic song that's meant to be juxtaposed to the song "I want to thank you, for letting me, be myself, again!" This "helping hand" put our narrator back "in his place." And now the narrator is thanking the person while back at their feet where they belong. Most of their songs have this sort of dark humor to them.

[@innertuber4049]

​@@johngleueyeah, when you get out of line, the record labels graciously guide you back into your place. "For the brand," they say.

[@johngleue]

@innertuber4049 right and it could very well be meant by tmbg to mean that very thing you said. I just personally try to interpret the songs a little more on the abstract side to cover the overall theme of the song. What exactly the concretes of the situation are could change from interpreter to interpreter, but what's for sure is that this guy has been put in his place by someone else. Basically, I'm saying I try to go more broad as I think a lot of their songs are just encompassing an overall feeling, whether it be insecurity or loneliness, and there's usually not enough info in the song to try to interpret and specify exactly the situation is. Are there any distinct words in the song that make you think it's the record label they are singing about? Or is it simply something that's easy to picture. You know what I mean?

[@innertuber4049]

@@johngleue I mean, they're clearly in a recording studio in this music video, with a director and sound engineer and everything. That's why I think it's probably a not so sly nod at the label they had left just before creating John Henry. But I agree with you, these songs have no one specific interpretation

[@YenjiJem]

This is cool

[@VirtualVikki]

I never knew there was a video for this song! Cool!

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

John Henry deserved more music videos. Just imagine what videos for Self Called Nowhere or Destination Moon could have looked like!

[@ladderstothemoon7415]

You rock for posting all these man

[@zacharymorin5696]

Wow, several uploads at once! Nice!

[@gregorypeloquin1674]

Loving the song!

[@BaconTomatoCheese]

That Pauly Shore is quite a drummer!

[@MrRoboto1963]

How does a song this Awesome only have 657 likes? Come on, even TMBG fans at the very least should have liked it more. I remember when John Henry came out, I bought the CD. i remember at first I wasn't sure if I would like it, Lincoln was a favorite album at the time. I liked Flood, but I had to listened to my record of Lincoln so much it was like a standard to be reached for me. Anyway, I ended up really liking John Henry and I've always been amazed it doesn't seem to get the love of some of the other albums.

[@waterandafter]

This is not what I envisioned the video of this song would be. I imagined something more along the BDSM variety.

[@andyfetter]

First TMBG album I heard. Still my favorite.

[@fleedermouse]

If you haven’t heard their first one check it out.

[@dtinagliastudios]

What an incredible song.

[@supergravy6104]

Very underrated TMBG song.

[@HaplessNerd]

I wanna thank you guys!

[@dukeabq6484]

A TMBG song that makes sense?!! What is this madness?

[@liquidsolomon]

WOW! I have been a fan ever since Flood (Yes I did get the 1st CD and Lincoln) and this is the first time I've seen this video.

[@atroyz]

Great video transfer. Was this shot on 35mm film? Looks brand new.

[@dylaninpieces2]

Probably on 35mm film

[@nightshade1807]

Ultra rare tmbgggg

[@dylanbryson8021]

this is the greatest song ever made

[@PragmaticCulture]

Truly epic. Thank you!

[@ROARDABAND]

this is fucking awerosme

[@torta31]

I've played thing song on loop for hours a few days ago

[@ther0ach28]

Love this song

[@willambrose4682]

Greatest chorus hook of the TMBG collection. Awesome sausage!!!

[@rocaydran]

ah these gents so peculiar

[@Sloop_Goop]

I wish they did more music videos for John Henry

[@berrypepperroni7708]

SAME KINDA ACTUALLy

[@jakeeiseman-renyard3505]

I used "Destination Moon" as a soundtrack to a claymation I made at college about a secret mission to the Moon..

[@Sloop_Goop]

@@jakeeiseman-renyard3505 sounds really interesting! Is there a way to watch this?

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

A music video for "No One Knows My Plan" with colorful, wild visuals, lots of backup dancers, and the Johns in fun outfits would have been a no-brainer.

[@jakeeiseman-renyard3505]

@@floridaflamingogirl3119 I sang "No One Knows My Plan" at an audition a few years back. The director asked me what show it's from!

[@annasullivan6758]

YESSSSS

[@MeAndMichaelOeuo]

BOP!

[@kidrobots]

i have direct from brooklyn on vhs!

[@PhantomTransmission]

omg me too! its in my garage

[@mikeciul8599]

Is this song a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone? I was just listening to their song "Thank You" and this popped right into my head.

[@LiamMajko]

Yes

[@alphanovember3192]

Please add more HQ vids.

[@GeneralFukzamatayu]

The Possibilitizer-Realitizer of Me and Mine and Humanity and All

[@sarcasmo57]

Hey, what does a snail and a butcher have in common?

[@Persun_McPersonson]

They're both slimy.

[@flg947]

This is GREAT quality. Did they recreate this?

[@justinstrider2748]

No

[@mintakamothkind]

Video was recorded in 1994, bud

[@flg947]

It's a joke.

[@mintakamothkind]

I'm not sure it was, but ok

[@tauruschorus]

Flans’ Danelectro is a crime 😂

[@agentorange1894]

Back to skull

[@pyredynasty]

What’s that snail smell?

[@0okamino]

I think it's swell.

[@pichass9337]

Yuh

[@defaultusername123]

*i fell out of my right place again*

[@SlippingJimbo]

are you ok

[@defaultusername123]

@@SlippingJimbo sirhand or is it ma’m?

[@SlippingJimbo]

i still don't know if you're ok

[@feetfinder488]

@@SlippingJimbohe’s weird

[@CanIUseYourJohn]

Mop bucket noggin'.

[@ardenfaust2527]

Stg when this came on I thought it was a weird Al song (the best possible compliment I can give)

[@daworldhavenumberblockstvv2401]

Ducks (the show!!) in 2019, they've used the song, *Kyoo Arrr Sss* but when this was the *tune of it.*

[@InfinitelyQurious]

Thank you.

[@noahh6186]

Has anyone else listened to this and Fly Like an Eagle back to back? They sound incredibly similar to me. Not saying TMBG is copying Steve Miller or anything, but stylistically they remind me of each other in this one song.

[@skrubby160]

im normal

[@Vileplume87]

Yeah keep being in denial...

[@ronan-outoftime]

there is no such thing as normal in the tmbg fandom

[@skrubby160]

@@ronan-outoftime cope harder

[@dincjfs]

@@ronan-outoftime normal, is that a will- *fucking DIES*

[@ronan-outoftime]

@@dincjfs LMAO

[@luciezbiralova9780]

I love you

[@troyhoffman9411]

I wonder how many other people confuse KZbin to the point where it suggest TMBG after Halestorm.

[@notoriouswhitemoth]

This song reminds me of Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) by Sly & the Family Stone

[@sitatyrctm8458]

Haow

[@dylaninpieces2]

This might be unrelated, but as I said, I'm still deminonbinary. Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@boysrestroom]

glad to hear you’re still kickin!!

[@ROARDABAND]

hello

[@toastyotaku42]

A fellow enby TMBG fan I see. I agree, this song is very gender.

[@EtherealWonders1216]

How does Linnell look ugly and handsome at the same time.

[@qcardcontinuum]

He doesn’t - he just looks handsome

[@cassylk22]

EXCUSE ME

[@Dragon-Slay3r]

@@cassylk22 mehbooba?

[@JuliaBrown-te9dp]

@@qcardcontinuum I came here to say exactly this.

[@kikivesz]

​@@artiemilano378 nah his nose is ok, also leave my man's teeth alone 😭😭😭 /joking

[@lapinpuff]

They're so fnaf here

[@sachathehuman4234]

Oh my god youre so right lol

[@dylaninpieces2]

This might be unrelated, as I said, I'm still deminonbinary. Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@bloodyscalp94]

Good to hear. I'm happy for you.

[@dylaninpieces2]

This might be unrelated, but I'm still deminonbinary. Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@berrypepperroni7708]

kickin