10: Time Is Still Marching On

10. "Older" by They Might Be Giants [Video: Older.]

By the time I went to my first They Might Be Giant concert, I was a really big fan of the band. I found out they were coming to Salt Lake City, and I really, really wanted to see them live. So, I got a couple of tickets to their show at the Utah State Fair grounds. I ended up taking a date, a girl I knew who, for our purposes today we'll call "Nancy." 

The night had its highs and lows (including having to stand there seemingly forever waiting for the band to come out on stage), but one of the biggest highs was when They played a song I had not heard before. It was a fairly simple song, but it was catchy and pretty funny. "You're older than you've ever been, and now you're even older. And now you're even older. And now you're even older." At that point I thought I knew all of They Might Be Giants' songs, but this one was new to me.

When the concert was over, I did all I could to find a recording of the song, but to no avail. I couldn't find it anywhere. 

Several months later, They Might Be Giants came back to town, and once again I desperately wanted to see their show. I convinced one of my best friends and his wife to drive several hours in order to go to the concert with me. It was an excellent concert, despite the venue being a closed down store. And, once again, They sang this song. Again, I loved the song, but I was still frustrated by my inability to own the song and play it whenever I wanted.

Finally, They Might Be Giants put the song "Older" on the soundtrack album for the television series Malcolm In the Middle. And I finally was able to own a recording of this awesome song.

My favorite part of the song is the exaggerated pause between "Time" and "is still marching on." (This exaggerated pause can best be seen here, in this performance of the song from Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Older (Conan).)

One of the best features of this song, of course, is that it makes an excellent birthday song. To this day, whenever eating out at a restaurant and the waiters and waitresses gather around someone to clap hands and sing some version of a happy birthday song, I sing this song along with them. It's the best birthday song ever!

And now, you're older still.

COMING UP NEXT: 88 keys to life.