"They'll Need a Crane" was the first song the band performed on network television, in 1989 on Late Night with David Letterman.

[1] The song's lyrics focus on the breakup of a dysfunctional heterosexual relationship between a male "lad" and a female "gal".

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.