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Artist: They Might Be Giants
Song: Pencil Rain
Album: Lincoln
Intro: Ab
Verse:
Ab
The possible dream; finale of seem
Bbm Eb
The moment that some call eternal, that some call insane
Ab Ab7 Db Dbm
Now helmets on each head, awaiting the first led
Ab Eb Ab A
The pageant is named: the Pencil Rain
Verse 2:
The infantry stands and holds out its hands
The marshall's binoculars focus; and skyward they train
They're searching the yonder blue - they look out for Number Two
The heraldry of the Pencil Rain
Bridge :
Ab - / A Ab - / A
Ab - / A Bbm Eb
Ab Ab7 Db Dbm
Ab Eb Ab - / A
Verse 3:
And now hear the roar that none can ignore
The thunderous clatter of splintering wood and lives that are claimed
And none who have witnessed all can speak of a nobler cause
Than perishing in the Pencil Rain
Outro:
Ab A
The Pencil Rain
Ab A
The Pencil Rain
Ab
The Pencil Rain
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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justin Average |
#1 by justin tompkins at Jan 14, 1970 at 3:52 PM EST |
| "They look out for number 2" could not only be about #2 pencils, but for the second world war! | |
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Sawyer Rhythm Player |
#2 by Sawyer Hildebrandt at Feb 15, 1974 at 8:08 PM EST |
| Ive heard it said that the Morse Code in the song spells out the Spanish for "don't cry my pretty little sky". | |
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BeN-bEn Lead Player |
#3 by BeN-bEn Lesniewski at Apr 23, 1983 at 3:32 AM EST |
| As I was told at a TMBG CD signing, the song is to be taken literally. Think plastic soldiers, and children playing war using pencils as missiles. | |
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amy Average |
#4 by amy at Aug 16, 1984 at 12:06 PM EST |
| I would agree that this song is probably meant to be taken literally, I used to launch pancils at plastic soldiers with elastic bands, but the song still makes me think of standardized testing, all the students lined up in rows, clutching their #2s as if their lives depended on them. | |
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Dark Lead Player |
#5 by Dark Avenger at Aug 21, 1989 at 7:29 PM EST |
| Theres this telgram sound in the middle of the song, so I'm going with the WW1 story. | |
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ToRRi Average |
#6 by ToRRi L at Sep 19, 1992 at 2:30 PM EST |
| the first line (The possible dream) is a reference to "The Man of La Mancha - Don Quixote" The Impossible Dream) 'They Might Be Giants' (the bands name) refers to a quote from Don Quixote when he sees windmills but he thinks that "They Might Be Giants" and he tilts them. It is actually a movie from 1971 of the same name (They migth Be Giants) about Sherlock Holmes in modern day Manhattan that has a reference in it to Don Quixote in it. | |
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devon Average |
#7 by devon at Sep 21, 1997 at 2:54 PM EST |
| "Finale of Seem" is a reference to Wallace Stevens' poem "The Emperor of Ice-Cream." The line in the poem is "Let be be finale of seem," that is, if something seems a certain way, let yourself conclude that it is that way. | |
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Julian Average |
#8 by Julian . at Feb 12, 2002 at 7:34 AM EST |
| The 'Pencil Rain' could be rain lashing down so hard that it feels like sharp 'pencils'. This song reminds me of a Roman legion awaiting orders. They look out for number two: they look out for each other. The splintering wood could be their spears breaking in battle. "And none who have witnessed all Can think of a nobler cause Than perishing in the Pencil Rain." Their undying loyalty. | |
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Murders in the Average |
#9 by Murders in the Rue Morgue at Jun 12, 2002 at 6:12 AM EST |
| The way I interpret it, the song describes WWI.. In short, the song focus on the manipulated people who were told the war would be glorious, short, and not at all dangerous. Enthusiastic about fighting in the war, many men died helpless in the trenches where they could do nothing but wait for....artillery bombardment , the "pencil rain" | |
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Mauricio Average |
#10 by Mauricio Avendaņo at Jan 21, 2003 at 2:02 AM EST |
| C'mon - TMBG said it themselves, take the song literally, the puns are funny, I remember I first heard this song when I was seven, and my dad who is a huge TMBG fan pointed the puns out to me after the song and I thought it was great. I think it was this piece that made me first realize the humor in the Johns' songs :) | |
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Dustin Wanna Be |
#11 by Dustin Cogburn at May 6, 2004 at 11:57 PM EST |
| "Pencil rain" is not artillery. It's death by pencil-pushers, by mismanagement from desks far away from the battlefield. Pretty clear. "Awaiting the first lead" = lead pencil. "Number two" = No. 2 Pencil. "Splintering wood" = pencils again. | |
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