| They'll Need a Crane | |
| Cover: | Theyllneedacrane.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | They Might Be Giants |
| Album: | Lincoln |
| Released: | February 10, 1989 |
| Genre: | Alternative rock |
| Length: | 2:33 |
| Label: | Bar/None, Restless |
| Producer: | Bill Krauss |
| Prev Title: | Ana Ng |
| Prev Year: | 1989 |
| Next Title: | Purple Toupee |
| Next Year: | 1989 |
"They'll Need a Crane" is a song by They Might Be Giants, released as a single on February 10, 1989. In addition to vinyl and cassette releases, the single was released as a 3-inch CD. "They'll Need a Crane" was the first song the band performed on network television, in 1989 on Late Night with David Letterman.[1]
The song's lyrics focus on the breakup of a dysfunctional heterosexual relationship between a male "lad" and a female "gal". The band makes reference to the couple's respective flaws and make use of construction imagery to describe the relationship's degradation.
A music video for the single was directed by Adam Bernstein, a frequent collaborator of the band during their earlier years. It was filmed at the Bethesda terrace in Central park, New York City. The video primarily features the band playing with a group of elderly musicians, most notably jazz drummer Johnny Blowers who worked with Frank Sinatra during the 1940s.[2]