Song: Everything You Know Is Wrong
Running Time: 3:47
Year: 1996
Album: Bad Hair Day
Parody of: Style parody of They Might Be Giants ("Turn Around", "Everything Right Is Wrong Again", "Rhythm Section Want Ad", "The Famous Polka", "The Statue Got Me High", “I Palindrome I”, "Birdhouse In Your Soul", "Purple Toupee")
Genre: Alternative rock
Guitar tuning: E standard
Lyrics: Lyrics
Video: No
Download/Listen: Mp3
Forum: Forum Discussion Page
Trivia[]
- The song parodies several common elements of early They Might Be Giants songs, particularly ones written and sung by keyboardist John Linnell: the use of accordion, electric organ, baritone saxophone, drum machine, and rambling, bizarrely morbid lyrics offset by cheery melodies. The slow organ intro sounds similar to the intros of TMBG's "Sensurround" and "Out of Jail"
- The lyrics in this song, revolving around absurdist happenings leading people to sing the chorus, are very similar to TMBG's "Turn Around", from their Apollo 18 album.
- In the February 1999 "Ask Al" column, Al confirmed that the song's title is a reference to the Firesign Theatre 1974 album of the same name.
- The title is also similar to the first song on They Might Be Giants' debut album, "Everything Right Is Wrong Again".
- The accordion solo in this track is similar to the ones in TMBG's "Rhythm Section Want Ad" and "Narrow Your Eyes"
- The lyric "I was just about to mail a letter to my evil twin" may be a nod to the They Might Be Giants song "My Evil Twin" from their album Apollo 18.
- The lyric "...takes off his prosthetic lips and tells me 'everything you know is wrong'", is likely a nod to the They Might Be Giants song "We Want a Rock", referencing the "prosthetic forehead" spoken about in the song.
- The lyric "Finally I recognize the face of my Hibachi dealer", may be another nod to the They Might Be Giants song "Turn Around", where the narrator is hit in the head from behind and turns around to recognize the ghost of their dance instructor.
- When the narrator goes to heaven and sees Saint Peter, the lyrics may be referencing the They Might be Giants song "Road Movie to Berlin", which features the lyrics "We were once so close to heaven/Peter came out and gave us medals".