I Palindrome I
| "I Palindrome I" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by They Might Be Giants | ||||
| Released | May 7, 1992 | |||
| Recorded |
March 1991 "Siftin" instrumental track recorded in late 1989 and slightly remixed in 1991 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 12:04 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| They Might Be Giants singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I Palindrome I" is a single by American alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants. The title track is one of three singles from Apollo 18, released in 1992 by Elektra Records. The song references numerous actual palindromes.[1] In a review of Apollo 18, Karen Schlosberg said that the lyrics to "I Palindrome I" sound like "Edgar Allan Poe and David Lynch meeting the Monkees".[2]
They Might Be Giants performed the song on Late Night with David Letterman in 1992.[3] Michael McKean recites the lyrics of the song in the documentary Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns.[4]
Track listing
- "I Palindrome I" - 2:22
- "Cabbagetown" - 2:24
- "Siftin'" - 1:54
- "Larger Than Life" (Joshua Fried's remake of "She's Actual Size") - 4:17
Palindromes
A list of the palindromes (words that read the same backwards as they do forwards) included within the song is:
| Palindrome | Type |
|---|---|
| Title: "I Palindrome I" | Word |
| Lyrics: "'Son, I am able,' she said, 'though you scare me.' 'Watch,' said I. 'Beloved,' I said, 'watch me scare you, though.' Said she: 'Able am I, son.'" | Word |
| Reference: ouroboros | Conceptual |
| Lyrics: "Man o nam" | Letter |
| Reference: spring | Conceptual |
| Lyrics: "Egad, a base tone denotes a bad age" | Letter |
| Playing time: 2:22 | Letter |
| Melody: The bridge may itself be a crab canon, with the bass rising through the scale as the melody descends | Musical |
| Some day mother will die and I'll get the money. Mom leans down and says "My sentiments, exactly". | Conceptual |
See also
References
- ↑ Tomashoff, Craig (April 1992). "Apollo 18". People.
- ↑ Schlosberg, Karen (20 March 1992). "Giant Steps: Apollo 18 Goes Where No Band Have Gone Before". The Boston Phoenix.
- ↑ "They Might Be Giants - 'I Palindrome I'". YouTube. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
- ↑ Schnack, AJ. "They Might Be Giants: Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns".
External links
- I Palindrome I EP at This Might Be A Wiki
- "I Palindrome I" (song) at This Might Be A Wiki