They Might Be Giants release century-old single "Lazy"
By Sarah Becker
The scene has recently been dark for the Brooklyn-based alternative rock band, but on April 19th, the same day as Taylor Swift's new album, They Might Be Giants released the single "Lazy" to streaming services.
The single is the band's first release since their 2021 Grammy-nominated album BOOK, which had five preceding singles and an extra single before it. Could this new release mean that They Might Be Giants is gearing up to announce a new album? Only time will tell.
Although the recording by They Might Be Giants is new, the composition itself isn't, which was written exactly a century ago. In 1924, Irving Berlin released the song "Lazy" at age 36, which went on to be covered numerous times throughout the 20th century.
They Might Be Giant's "Lazy" has plenty of popular origins
Bing Crosby, Marilyn Monroe, and Ella Fitzgerald were just a few to cover the classic. The song recently entered the public domain, so John Linnell and John Flansburgh have added themselves to this list.
This was done for WNYC's 2024 Public Song Project, which aims to cover 1920s works in honor of the station's 100th anniversary. They Might Be Giants' revision of "Lazy" debuted on the station on April 2nd, announcing that the song would later come to streaming.
To be released on a limited edition 7" vinyl, the single is reminiscent of the group's children's albums with bells and snappy drums accompanying the lyrics that describe jealousy of others having fun and wishing to have that experience.
The song is available as a download through They Might Be Giants' fan club, which offers listeners a chance to get exclusive previews of upcoming material and other perks. New memberships have been halted recently, but the average person probably wouldn't mind; the lowest tier was $99.
The band will begin a tour on the East Coast next month, traveling to Europe and Australia later in the year. Tickets are available on TMBG's website, but most of the shows have already sold out, so be sure to grab those soon if you plan on seeing them live.