The Flaming Lips are known for their lush, multi-layered arrangements, spacey lyrics and bizarre song titles. They are also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which typically feature animal suits, puppets, streamers, video projections and complex stage light configurations.
In 2002, Q magazine named The Flaming Lips one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die". In 2006, Oklahoma City named a street Flaming Lips Alley in their honor.
The group recorded several albums and EPs for Restless Records in the 1980s and early 1990s. After signing to Warner Brothers, they scored a #9 hit on the Billboard Alternative charts (and #55 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart) in 1994 with "She Don't Use Jelly". Although it would be their only hit single, the band has maintained critical respect and, to a lesser extent, commercial viability with sonically majestic albums such as 1995's Clouds Taste Metallic, 1999's The Soft Bulletin, 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and 2006's At War with the Mystics. The Flaming Lips' 12th studio album, Embryonic, was released in October of 2009. A complete cover of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon was released in May 2010. The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends, their collaborative album which features artists like Ke$ha, Bon Iver, Nick Cave and Erykah Badu, was released on Record Store Day, April 2012.
Their next studio album, tentatively titled The Terror, will be released in January 2013.
Their song "Do You Realize??" is the official State Rock Song of Oklahoma.
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A Day In the Life
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph.
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords.
I saw a film today oh boy
The English army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I'd love to turn you on.
Woke up, fell out of bed,
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream.
I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
I'd love to turn you on
The Flaming Lips's song "A Day In The Life" is a cover of the classic Beatles tune. The lyrics are a reflection of the absurdity and unpredictability of daily life, as well as an exploration of themes such as mortality, war, and the role of the media in shaping our perception of reality. The first verse describes a news story about a man who "made the grade," achieving success and recognition that ultimately leads to his tragic demise ("blew his mind out in a car"). Despite the sadness of this event, the singer cannot help but laugh at the irony of it all - this is perhaps a commentary on the fickleness of fame and the transient nature of success.
The second verse begins with another news story, this time about a military victory. The singer is initially intrigued by the news, but quickly realizes that there is little to celebrate - in fact, the crowd that had gathered to witness the news turns away in disgust. The reference to having "read the book" suggests that the singer is aware of the underlying complexities and contradictions of military conflict, and is not willing to blindly accept propaganda or official narratives. The final line of the verse, "I'd love to turn you on," can be interpreted as a desire to awaken others to the reality of the situation, or to open their eyes to the possibility of alternative ways of thinking and seeing the world.
The final verse is a more personal reflection on the everyday routines and rituals that we all engage in, often without thinking or questioning their purpose. The singer describes waking up, getting ready for the day, and then suddenly entering a dream-like state after hearing someone speak - this could be interpreted as a moment of transcendence or self-awareness, a recognition that there is more to life than the mundane tasks we are often consumed by. The song ends with a reference to another news story, this time about a seemingly trivial event (the counting of holes in a road) that takes on greater significance through its association with a cultural symbol (the Albert Hall). This could be seen as a comment on the arbitrary nature of meaning and the power of shared symbols to shape our understanding of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I read the news today oh boy
I came across some current affairs that caught my attention
About a lucky man who made the grade
There's a fortunate person who has achieved success
And though the news was rather sad
Even though the news wasn't exactly good
Well I just had to laugh
It was so terrible that the only reaction was to laugh it off
I saw the photograph.
I stumbled upon an image
He blew his mind out in a car
The individual committed suicide in a vehicle
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
The person was so consumed with his thoughts that he was unaware of his surroundings
A crowd of people stood and stared
Onlookers gathered and watched the scene unfold
They'd seen his face before
The individual was recognizable to those watching
Nobody was really sure
There was confusion surrounding the person's background
If he was from the House of Lords.
There was speculation that he may have been a member of Parliament
I saw a film today oh boy
I viewed a motion picture earlier
The English army had just won the war
The English military had recently secured victory
A crowd of people turned away
Onlookers lost interest and left
But I just had to look
Despite others moving on, I was fascinated and continued to observe
Having read the book
Prior knowledge of the subject matter influenced my interest
I'd love to turn you on.
I would enjoy expanding your mind and exposing you to new experiences
Woke up, fell out of bed,
I started my day by getting out of bed clumsily
Dragged a comb across my head
I ran a comb through my hair
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup,
I proceeded to the kitchen and drank a cup of something
And looking up I noticed I was late.
Glancing around, I realized I had overslept and was running behind schedule
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
I collected my outerwear before leaving the house
Made the bus in seconds flat
I was able to catch my transportation within a short amount of time
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke,
I went back inside and smoked a cigarette
Somebody spoke and I went into a dream.
Someone spoke to me and I became lost in thought
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
A location in Lancashire had an abundance of potholes
And though the holes were rather small
Although the potholes weren't major in size
They had to count them all
It was necessary to keep track of every single pothole
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.
Through this process, there's now an understanding of the sheer number of potholes necessary to fill something as expansive as the Albert Hall
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind