In 2011, band member Kate Pierson expressed her dissatisfaction with the way mixing engineer Robert Ash mixed her vocals with the Farfisa organ on the studio version, overlaying excessive audio effects to make her vocals "sound like a synthesizer", and stated that she prefers the rawer sound of live performances where her vocals are more upfront.
Cash Box said that "bongos, Ventures-influenced guitar work and morse code blips are calling all pop, AOR audiences to dance to this humorous followup to 'Rock Lobster.'" Record World said that it has "more unique synthesizer lines and an undeniable rhythm track" compared to "Rock Lobster."
Planet Claire
The B-52's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew she came from there
She drove a Plymouth Satellite
A-faster than the speed of light
Planet Claire has pink air
All the trees are red
No one ever dies there
Some say she's from Mars
Or one of the seven stars that shine after three-thirty in the morning
Well, she isn't!
She came from Planet Claire
She came from Planet Claire
She came from Planet Claire
"Planet Claire" is a song by The B-52's, who were known for their eclectic and fun music. The lyrics of the song are filled with references to science fiction and outer space. The opening lines of the song "She came from Planet Claire, I knew she came from there" sets the stage for the story. The singer then describes the woman's car as a Plymouth Satellite, that can travel faster than the speed of light. The chorus repeats the line "She came from Planet Claire," establishing this as a central theme of the song.
The second half of the song takes an even more surreal turn, as the singer describes Planet Claire as a place where the air is pink and the trees are red. It's a place where nobody ever dies, and nobody has a head. The lyrics suggest that the woman in the Plymouth Satellite might also be from Mars or one of the seven stars that shine after three-thirty in the morning, but the singer insists that she is from Planet Claire. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, bringing the narrative full circle.
The song is full of references to science fiction and outer space, but it's unclear whether these are meant to be taken literally or as metaphors for something else entirely. The catchy melody and quirky lyrics have made "Planet Claire" a beloved cult classic.
Line by Line Meaning
She came from Planet Claire
The person being referred to in the song is from a planet named Claire and came to Earth.
I knew she came from there
The singer knew that the person being referred to came from Planet Claire.
She drove a Plymouth Satellite
The person being referred to drove a car model named Plymouth Satellite.
A-faster than the speed of light
The car driven by the person being referred to was very fast and traveled at a speed greater than the speed of light.
Planet Claire has pink air
The planet Claire, where the person being referred to is from, has an atmosphere with a pink color.
All the trees are red
The trees on Planet Claire are all colored red.
No one ever dies there
No one dies on Planet Claire.
No one has a head
The inhabitants of Planet Claire do not have heads.
Some say she's from Mars
Some people speculate that the person being referred to may be from the planet Mars.
Or one of the seven stars that shine after three-thirty in the morning
Others speculate that the person being referred to may be from one of the seven stars that are visible after three-thirty in the morning.
Well, she isn't!
The person being referred to is not from Mars or any of the seven stars visible after three-thirty in the morning. She is from Planet Claire.
She came from Planet Claire
Reiterating that the person being referred to is from Planet Claire.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: HENRY MANCINI, KATE PIERSON, FRED SCHNEIDER, KEITH STRICKLAND, CINDY WILSON, RICKY WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulpriest1023
It's 1980. I'm in my first apartment. I have a rockin stereo with 4 speakers that can make the walls shake. Two apartments in the building and it's 11:30 at night and the neighbors are being loud and I can't sleep. So......I crank Planet Clair to the max. When the bass came in at 1:16 it was epic. When the song ended, there was dead silence. No more noise from the neighbors. I cannot listen to this song and not remember that night, so long ago.
@needsmoreclipping
Wtf are you talking about the bass coming in at 1:16? Doesn't even make sense.
@mc540flip
I was the loud neighbor, sorry about the noise. But also thank you for introducing me to the B52’s! Been a fan ever since.
(J/k)😉
@johnearle1
I had a neighbour who thought she was the next Joan Baez….she wasn’t. Every Friday night, after smoking a bag of skunk weed that smelt like melting plastic, she’d pick up her 12 string and let loose.
One night, I’d had enough. I put my speakers against her wall and played Ride Of The Valkyries featuring Birgit Nilsson. She kept going for a minute before the shrieks of Fuck you echoed through my wall. It was the end of Friday Night Live.
@s.marcus3669
Dude, that is an EPIC story!
@glennbeadshaw727
There's really nothing else anybody needs to listen to so that's what happened right there
@Mezclagrosera
Ricky Wilson's unique guitar styling is so underrated. Dude is legend and left us way too early.
@animaltvi9515
Wasn't he in the kaiser chiefs ?
@doctorgoobie7329
An absolute genius and liked playing with only 4 strings, amazing.
@gmansi
@@doctorgoobie7329 4??? why?