The Thing About Them

The Thing About Them is a song from The Residents' 1988 epic, God In Three Persons.

Background

This is the fourth song on the album and features Mr. X talking about the confusion he feels around the twins.

The song starts with the chorus (performed by Laurie Amat) simply stating "What will happen now" that the two main characters are together. This is the first time on the album that Mr. X actually clarifies that these are siamese twins, which results in "this thing about them that caused me at times to doubt them." Although Mr. X had only known about the twins for a short while. He has been finding himself in love with the female twin and even dreaming about her. With the complicated nature of being completely conjoined, the twins are gender-fluid, which leads Mr. X to spend his time trying to figure out who the female twin is. Mr. X is determined to "make them just be who I want to be with all the time."

Recordings and Performances

The first demo recording of this song was recorded in 1987 and notably features Hardy Fox on vocals instead of the usual Singing Resident. This version also has some slightly different lyrics as well as a much faster vocal pacing compared to the final version. This demo can thankfully be heard on the pREServed edition of this album. As part of this album "potato chip" marketing style this song was featured on the "God In Three Persons Soundtrack" as well as the promotional Rykodisc CD "Steal This Disc 2". The instrumental version was also featured on the "Double Shot" single.

The song like many others was first performed live on April 27th, 2019 during the God In Three Persons Mini-Tour. A recording from the tour would be featured on the live album. This version largely stays faithful to the album versions structure with additional visuals and accompanying choreography.

Lyrics

Album Version

(Chorus)

What will happen now?

(Mr. X)

Now there was this thing about them that caused me at times to doubt them, or created conflict in my mind.
Usually there was a he one, and there also was a she one, but somehow they came out differently.
And one of them, when she was she, would smile and burn a hole in me; a hole that was too hard for me to hide.

Once I had a dream about her, in a field, alone outside a tiny little cottage made of sticks.
It was much too small to use it, so she bumped her head and bruised it trying to get through the tiny door.
Afterwards, I went to tell her, but it was a he I felt who nodded at my words indifferently.

And of course when this would happen, there was still a she to tap up on my shoulder from the other side.
But it wasn't her who looked then, close perhaps, but like some bookend that had come misshapened from it's mate.
So I told myself there must be some way I can make them just be who I want to be with all the time,
'cause it kept me at a distance, but my senses kept insisting it was much more interesting inside.

G3P Live (Difference in bold and italics) This version has the biggest lyrical difference out of any version. As the Faceless Forever Encyclopedia describes "The Residents, feeling the original text has been dashed off in a mad rush, went back and gave it an editorial polish, reconfiguring a few lines while both adding and dropping material".

(Chorus)

What will happen now?

(Mr. X)

Now there was this thing about them that caused me at times to doubt them, or created conflict in my mind.
Usually there was a he one, and there also was a she one, but then they were the opposite sometime.
And one of them, when she was she, would smile and burn a hole in me; a hole that was too hard for me to hide.

Once I had a dream about her, in a field, alone outside a tiny little cottage made of sticks.
It was much too small to use it, so she bumped her head and bruised it trying to get through the tiny door.
Afterwards, I went to tell her, but it was a he I felt who nodded at my words like he was bored.

(Chorus)

(Various Moans)

(Mr. X)

And of course when this would happen, there was still a she to tap up on my shoulder, in a most uncommon charades.
But it wasn't her who looked then, no, close perhaps, but like some bookend that had come misshapened from it's mate.
So I told myself there must be some way I can make them just be who I want to be with all the time,
for it kept me at a distance, but my senses kept insisting it was much more interesting inside.

Hardy Fox Demo (Difference in bold and italics)

Now there was this thing about them that caused me at times to doubt them, or created conflict in my mind.
Usually there was a he one, and there also was a she one, but they always came out differently.
And one of them, when she was she, would smile and burn a hole in me; a hole that was too hard for me to hide.

Once I had a dream about her...

Once I had a dream about her, in a field, alone outside her tiny little cottage made of sticks.
It was much too small to use it, so she bumped her head and bruised it trying to get through the tiny door.
Afterwards, I went to tell her, but it was a he I felt who nodded at my words indifferently.

And of course when this would happen, there was still a she to tap up on my shoulder from the other side.
But it wasn't her who looked then, close perhaps, but like some bookend that had come misshapen from it's mate.
So I told myself there must be some way I can make them just be who I want to be with all the time,
for it kept me at a distance, but my senses kept insisting it was much more interesting inside.

Appearances

• God In Three Persons (1988)
• Double Shot (1988)
• God In Three Persons Soundtrack (1988)
• In Memoriam Torso (1994)
• G3P Ephemera (2019)
• God In 3 Persons Live (video) (2023)

External links and references

• God in 3 Persons at The Residents Historical