#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation #
# of the song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of #
# this file. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating #
# copyright law, you may not use the information displayed here in any way. #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Artist: They Might Be Giants
Song: Particle Man
Album: Flood
Verse 1:
C G
Particle man, particle man, doing the things a particle can
F
what's he like, it's not important,
C F
particle man, is he a dot or is he a speck
G C
When he's underwater does he get wet
F G
Or does the water get him instead
F C
Nobody knows, particle man
Chorus 1:
C G
Triangle man, triangle man, triangle man hates particle man,
F C
they have a fight, triangle wins, triangle man
Horn Part:
E----------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------
A---0-2-3---0-2-3---0-2-3-3-3-5-3-2-0-----0----------
E-3-------3-------3-------------------3-3---3-1-0-3-3
E------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------
A-----0-1-2---0-1-3---0-1-2-2-2-3-2-0-------0-------3-3
E-(3)-------3-------3-----------------3-3-3---3-1-0----
Verse 2:
Universe Man, Universe Man, Size of the entire universe man
Usually kind to smaller man, Universe man
He's got a watch with a minute hand, millennium hand, and an eon hand
When they meet it's happy land. Powerful man, Universe man
Verse 3:
Person man, Person man, Hit on the head with a frying pan
Lives his life in a garbage can, person man
Is he depressed, or is he a mess? does he feel totally worthless?
Who came up with person man? degrated man,person man
Chorus 2:
Triangle Man, Triangle man, Triangle man hates person man
They have a fight triangle wins. Triangle man
Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
jo_silverhawk Average |
#1 by jo_silverhawk at Jul 9, 1971 at 2:31 PM EST |
| I thought they said they wrote this song about the book Flatland. Which like gakinmiff said the characters represent different dimensions. | |
|
No Picture
goofy Rhythm Player |
#2 by goofy at Dec 16, 1974 at 11:17 AM EST |
| namingway is right! Particle Man represents microscopic theoretical constructs, Universe Man represents huge theoretical constructs, and Triangle Man represents the church and its attempts to stifle logic-based explanations of the laws of Nature. Person Man is the poor individual trapped between these views, and Triangle Man not only hates Particle Man for going against what the church teaches, he also hates Person Man because the church often wants to dumb down and control the people (in the most extreme cases anyway). | |
|
No Picture
ian Average |
#3 by ian mckinly at Jan 7, 1978 at 7:47 AM EST |
| first off...floggingmolly....tmbg definatley wrote particle man, not the Bobs, im a fan of both and trust me i know. Ive read lots of different theories about this song including the ones at the site Linoqe listed above. Everything from the holy trinity to the pathagory therom.....there are so many ways to interperet this song....and triangles....that it almost seems that Tmbg just wrote this song so that everyone could make their own little theories......wenever i get bored in class i always make little cartoon drawings of particle man triangle man universe man person man ect......and educate people with it on TMBG ....awsoem tune | |
|
No Picture
Stephen Average |
#4 by Stephen Weber at Jan 5, 1980 at 4:23 AM EST |
| No! That is what I am trying to tell you! Don't take TMBG seriously, or you'll end up on an overdose of asprin for a throbbing head. ^^ I HAVE been to their concert, and that is what they said, IN PERSON. | |
|
No Picture
alex Lead Player |
#5 by alex beaulieu at Jan 6, 1983 at 9:54 AM EST |
| Tiny Toon Adventures! Particle Man = Plucky duck... Probably one of the best moments of that cartoon... | |
|
No Picture
Meaty Average |
#6 by Meaty at Feb 24, 1984 at 8:28 AM EST |
| lol this was on Animaniacs shown like that belthazar. Namingway that's an awesome thought....I never took the time to think about it before, but if they are thinking that much into it they rule even more! | |
|
No Picture
Austin Wanna Be |
#7 by Austin Skitowski at Aug 29, 1984 at 1:56 PM EST |
| ...i think this song is about a guy made of particles... a guy with a head shaped like a triangle... a really, really big guy... and also a really plain guy whom no one loves... don't try and look too deep intot his song... your head will hurt. | |
|
No Picture
Jason Rhythm Player |
#8 by Jason ...... at Sep 28, 1988 at 12:14 PM EST |
| First of all, you shouldn't take TMBG's lyrics so seriously. Second of all I've been to one of their concerts, and THEY said they wrote "Partical Man" when they were children. | |
|
No Picture
Charlie Average |
#9 by Charlie Fletcher at Dec 10, 1988 at 7:00 PM EST |
| Okay people...they're just screwing around! I agree with belthazar...don't look into this song too much or you're head will hurt. So there! | |
|
No Picture
Dustin Wanna Be |
#10 by Dustin Cogburn at Mar 23, 1990 at 5:27 AM EST |
| isn't this a cover song? I know another band (The Bobs) does an accapella version, but i think they wrote it. I could be wrong though, it's a great song. I love Tiny Toons. | |
|
No Picture
Ultra Violet Average |
#11 by Ultra Violet at Jul 16, 1994 at 5:53 AM EST |
| myoria - do you always take TMBG seriously when they say something? | |
|
No Picture
nick Professional |
#12 by nick Sutliff at Aug 25, 1994 at 3:03 PM EST |
| The two Johns have always said that Robert Mitchum was the inspiration for the "Triangle Man" character. Dunno if that helps or not... | |
|
No Picture
phil Wanna Be |
#13 by phil taylor at Nov 27, 1997 at 8:40 AM EST |
| I bet Universe man could kick Triangle man's ass -- especially if Triangle man tried to hassle Smaller man. | |
|
No Picture
Perfect Pervers Rhythm Player |
#14 by Perfect Perversion™ at Jan 13, 2007 at 1:53 PM EST |
| It seems like everyone has a different story for what this songs means: http://www.tmbg.org/band-info/songs/interp/ParticleMan.html But that's the greatest part about this song: so simple, yet so deep at the same time. | |
Top 7 They Might Be Giants Guitar Tabs
Popular Guitar Tabs