They'll Need a Crane

"They'll Need a Crane" is a song by American alternative rock band 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.

Background

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.

Music video

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.