anonymous August 26th, 2005 12:17PM  
But the song is about a nightlight. It can be a metaphor for the conscience, or one of the many interpretations, but the conceit is still based on a nightlight.

anonymous September 4th, 2005 09:26PM  
They Might Be Giants will either be blunt on the song meaning (such as why does the sun shine?) or they will hide the meaning. A nightlight is a conscience is just for a young child who is afraid of the dark. IT will Keep them feeling good and safe.

anonymous June 9th, 2006 07:33PM  
While the song can be interpreted as meaning the conscience, the second verse gives it a direct, as opposed to metaphorical, tie to a nightlight --

"There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck-free"

Clearly, this refers to a lighthouse. A nightlight could call a lighthouse its primitive ancestry, whereas the soul could not. So while the conscience interpretation has valid points, there's no denying that the song is primarily written about a nightlight.

anonymous June 18th, 2006 11:48PM  
This is not about a nightlight, it's about light in general made by fire or electricity which provides light.
The electricity is the blue canary in the outlet by the lightswitch since electrical sparks are notably white or blue in colour, especially when it arks at you.
Now electricity can be fickle and can remain small like a spark when you get static or it can be huge like lightning (So the room must listen to me filibuster vigilantly) that is demanding attention. So can fire, it can be itty bitty or it can destroy a forest.
When the lyrics reference the lighthouse it can mean a real old style lighthouse that had light by fire rather than electricity. It also alludes to fire by referring to the myth of Jason and the Argonauts who died by being consumed by fire when they put on this cape. The fire is representing the old ways of obtaining light while the electricity is the more modern form of light. It shows that the light was always there, even before the modern era.
It says that its "always near" which would imply that it is within, thusly the birdhouse in your soul. You build a nice little house for it so that it will stay and comfort you.
The light is also hope. It's saying to keep hope by "keeping the nightlight on inside the birdhouse in your soul". This can also be easily be explained by another song, There's a Light from Rocky Horror which says "There's a light in the darkness of everybody's life" which basically means the same thing as the birdhouse in your soul. There is that little hope inside of everyone that will keep them company through the dark like a metaphorical nightlight.

anonymous July 12th, 2006 09:09PM  
Friends of mine have a TMBG nightlight. I think that about says it all.

anonymous July 20th, 2006 02:59PM  
I agree this song's about a nightlight, or light in general, but it gets me thinking about how we can't survive without it. Light, I mean. It keeps us safe, makes us feel safe, all that jazz. It also seems to be a metaphor for morality, or conscience, and the like.

Gets me thinking of the weakerthans' "a plea from a cat named virtue", a song from the point of view of something non-human that has much more beneath the surface.
I love John linnell.

anonymous July 20th, 2006 02:59PM  
I agree this song's about a nightlight, or light in general, but it gets me thinking about how we can't survive without it. Light, I mean. It keeps us safe, makes us feel safe, all that jazz. It also seems to be a metaphor for morality, or conscience, and the like.

Gets me thinking of the weakerthans' "a plea from a cat named virtue", a song from the point of view of something non-human that has much more beneath the surface.
I love John linnell.

anonymous July 27th, 2006 06:14PM  
"Well, it's a song about a nightlight, dave. It might be a cute nightlight in some people's eyes, I don't know. That's pretty much the whole story of the song, though. It's about a nightlight."
-john linnell

anonymous July 30th, 2006 02:12PM  
It is about a nightlight, even the band confirmed that. A nightlight in the shape of a blue canary - just cute. It's fun for people to put their own twist on a song, it makes it personal to them. To me the song represents just being comfortable with yourself. We all have a reason for being here, and serve a good purpose. We may not be able to do what others can (hence the nightlight saying he would miserably fail at doing a lighthouse's job), but we're still important. I think it's just saying make room for everyone - they may just be a nightlight, but that's ok. Make a little birdhouse in your soul - make room for that nightlight. Watch over others also. I personally don't see an religious reference, but if others do - that's their call. But, most importantly it is about a nightlight, whatever you may think of a nightlight. :-)

anonymous October 4th, 2006 12:03AM  
Hey, I just thought everyone should know: the "dial-a-song" version of this song was completely different. Here are the lyrics to that:

blue canary in the outlet by the light switch,
who watches over you?
Make a little birdhouse in your soul.
Not to put too fine a point on it,
say I'm the only bee in your bonnet.
Make a little birdhouse in your soul.

I have a secret to tell,
out when you're all by yourself.
There's a time when even you get up and leave your nothing to dwell.
I don't want to talk about that,
and no one listens to that.
But for the one who does, and she's the one you worry about.
Don't you say anything,
if you have anything to do with it.

(chorus) - same as the regular version.

I'd like to cover the earth
with a fresh-baked yummy dessert.
People couldn't live in it, but I think it's worth the money and hurt,
'cos I couldn't tolerate
all the empty places in the world.

(chorus)

make a little birdhouse in your soul.
I don't feel thirty.
Give me something to write on.
I don't feel three hundred.
Give me something to write on.

That's it. That's the "dial-a-song" version from long ago, when you could just call a phone number and listen to a tmbg song.... Ah, the good old days. But hey. Have fun with that!

anonymous December 8th, 2006 05:46PM  
OK, Look at the lyrics and, yes it may have other metaphoric interperetations, but literally the song is sung by a nightlight in the shape of a blue bird.

The first part "I'm your only friend..." just establishes that the nightlight is the only other thing in the room besides someone (probably a child) who is sleeping. He calls himself a friend...but he's not like a real actual person friend.


"Blue Canary in the outlet by the light switch" the speaker is literally describing himself. "Who watches over you" is not a question...he's telling the listener what he does. as in "I'm the blue canary who watches over you."

"Not to put too fine a point...make a little birdhouse" he's just asking the listener to keep a special place in his heart for him, because he is after all, his nighttime guardian.

"I have a secret to tell from my electrical well..." Light. light is the only thing he can "say". "One note" meaning it's just one, long steady beam of light. The "Longines Symphonette" is a very long symphony that goes on and on.

This part is the most obvious evidence that the speaker is a nightlight: "Theres a picture opposite me of my primitive ancestry...which stood on rocky shores..." There is a picture of a lighthouse on the wall across from the nightlight. He says that if he had to keep ships from crashing he would be fired because he's so small...Jason was a sailor in Greek mythology, his ship was the Argos, and his crew were the Argonaughts.
"Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near" again, describing himself.

So, this is really just a cute song about the nightlight that kept you safe at night when you were little and afraid of the dark. Again, this can be taken metaphorically, but the literal meaning of the lyrics are clearly that of a Blue Canary shaped nightlight asking us not to forget about what he did for us when we were little, and to "make a little birdhouse in our soul" for him.
"

anonymous January 9th, 2007 06:36PM  
Ok, it's about a night light! guy who wrote the one above me yes just what I got from it. later

anonymous June 13th, 2007 10:20PM  
It is about a night light but it also a metaphor for you're conscience DAMN the guy who wrote this is complex (song not review)

anonymous September 28th, 2007 10:04AM  
Honestly I don't think it's about a nightlight or your conscience at all. They might be giants are awesome random nutcases and are using really awesome whacky metaphors. I think its really dedicated to a particular person that he cares about or something like that. I could be wrong but how does the verse...
"Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing jason off and
Countless screaming argonauts"
...Have anything to do with anything?
I admit the part about the light house is definitely a metaphor for a nightlight but a nightlight probably a metaphor about your conscience which is probably also a metaphor.

anonymous April 25th, 2008 01:54PM  
This song is about a blue canary night light. (blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you) It says that it would be fired if it were a light house like its ancestors because he needs to fight off Jason. (there's a picture opposite me, of my primitive ancestry, who stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches ship-wreck free. Though I respect that a lot, I'd be fired if that were my job. After killing off Jason and countless screaming argonauts.)

anonymous April 26th, 2008 11:05AM  
This is to anonymous who thinks the whole Jason and argonauts thing has nothing to do with anything. That is there because the NIGHT LIGHT fights off Jason and everything that is in the child's nightmares. Jason is the nightmare and night lights are supposed to make kids feel better

anonymous April 30th, 2008 12:45AM  
To the two posters above me:

Jason refers not to the Jason from 80s horror movies, but to Jason and the Argonauts, a figure from Greek mythology. You can read about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason#The_quest_for_the_Golden_Fleece

anonymous November 11th, 2008 10:51AM  
The song IS about a night light, shaped like a blue canary. its small and cute and not-very-bright but bright-enough. I think John hints at some sort of self consciousness, because while he respects the lighthouse's job, he doesnt think he could do it. he thinks he isnt bright enough to keep the shores shipwreck free, thus jason and his argonauts (who used a boat to get around) could be killed if they crashed into the rocks. Another part of the song reinforces this. "say im the only bee in your bonnet", the little nightlight is insecure like a guy who thinks his wife is cheating on him.

anonymous November 17th, 2008 03:49AM  
Ok the song is about a night light...lets look closer:

"Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch/ Who watches over you"

Its a frikkin night light.

anonymous June 13th, 2010 07:07PM  
Well, I think as well as it being about a nightlight, it tells of the piece of safety, from your childhood. and its telling you to keep that feeling inside yourself, so will always feel safe.