Music That Saved me--Letter T, part 2

They Might Be Giants

It was hard to choose a song by this quirky duo. I adore their version of Istanbul (not Constantinople) and they have a song called Birdhouse in Your Soul told from the point of view of a bluebird shaped nightlight that protects a child as it sleeps. (Seriously) But I think my first choice has to be Ana Ng because it was the first one i remember the video for.
Watch it here:

TMBG (as all the cool kids them) also have some cracking great science songs that are factual enough to use in your lessons. Here is my favourite once called The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas which someone has helpfully done an adorable stop motion video with puppets.
Watch it here:

Tourniquet 

Tourniquet was a Christian thrash metal band. I discovered them when we were at LC. The Christian bookstore in the mall had these little booths you could go in and hear snippets of new releases on headphones and this song's lyrics about animal rights shot me in the heart. I know without a doubt, this was part of my awakening as a vegan. It helped me stop exploiting animals in so many ways...except one. I was still eating them. Thankfully, my eyes were fully opened in 2005 and I began the path of a  compassionate joyful vegan. But this song with its powerful lyrics helped me see all the ways that we use and abuse animals under the guise that "God gave us dominion over the animals" so we can treat them however we want.

The video and song's message  was so powerful that several veggie celebrities like Paul McCartney, Grace Slick and Tom Scholz of Boston put pressure on MTV to show it. Unfortunately, the video with its horrible and realistic animal abuse footage got it banned for violence. What we do to animals IS violent. In case you are affected strongly by violent images i am printing the words below. But I would urge you to watch it--it might change the way you think about things you do in your life. However, look at the words as well as they can be a bit hard to understand in parts when he is screaming. This is Ark of Suffering. 

You think it's alright to destroy God's creation
They don't have a voice so who cares how we're treating them here
If you read His word you should know that he blessed them
I know your defence is to say "God said dominate them"

Do you think dominate means to kill just for sport
Wear the fur from their backs
Train them for circus acts
Take our pets to be gassed once their "cute" age is passed

Don't you see in their eyes how they trust us
But man in his sin turns that trust into horrible pain
When God says to man give account of your life's work
We must be prepared to reply "Your creation I loved"

Locked behind steel cage
Forced to take drugs we've made
Cut them up just to show
What we already know

Before they die...
Who will hear them cry

Watch it here:

10,000 Maniacs

Basically, what I mean is Natalie Merchant. Her powerful voice (all back of the throat like Elisabeth Fraser) and interesting dancing had me mesmerised. I loved the album In My Tribe but i adored with all my heart Blind Man's Zoo. I saw her perform the song Eat for Two live on late night telly and her passion and body language had me stunned. Then she sang that last line acapella with such emotion that I actually cried. I went out and bought the cassette the very next day. This is that live performance I saw. 

Watch it here:

My other pick is a story song called The Big Parade. It's about a man going to the Vietnam war memorial to look for his brother's name. It ends with:

O Potomac, what you've seen.

Abraham had his war too.

But an honest war--or it's taught in school. 

Listen to it here:

That's all of T for me. Do you like to listen to different versions of the same song Such as Song To the Siren--worth checking out the others, but for my money none beats the two i chose.