The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Number Three" by the artist "They Might Be Giants"

The song "Number Three" by They Might Be Giants tells the story of a man obsessed with creating music, despite its seeming insignificance in the eyes of others. He has written only two songs in his entire life, and now a third appears.

The text is full of irony and self-irony. The lyrical hero describes his creative efforts in a tragicomic way as "digging a shallow grave" for his songs, thus emphasizing their ephemerality and, possibly, lack of demand. He seeks recognition from different people: a rich man, a poor man, even the president, but they all do not attach importance to his work. The rich man thinks life is a funny game, the poor man is too preoccupied with survival, and the president is busy with state affairs.

The image of a bird without a beak emphasizes the hero's inability to convey his music to the listener. Despite this, he continues to cling to his dream, buying jeans and a silver guitar – the attributes of a musician. He asks the girls to address him as "sir", trying to maintain the remnants of self-respect in a world where he cannot become a star with three songs.

The song leaves a feeling of melancholy, but not hopelessness. The hero continues to create, despite the obstacles, and this is his strength and tragedy at the same time.