The Flaming Lips is an American neo-psychedelic band, formed in Oklahoma Ci… Read Full Bio ↴The Flaming Lips is an American neo-psychedelic band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States in 1983. Throughout their career, band members have come and gone, but currently The Flaming Lips consist of original members Wayne Coyne (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Michael Ivins (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), along with members Steven Drozd (drums, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Derek Brown (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). Former members include Mark Coyne (lead vocals), Richard English (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), Nathan Roberts (drums), Jonathan Donahue (guitar, backing vocals), who went on to form Mercury Rev, Ronald Jones (guitar, backing vocals), and Kliph Scurlock (drums).

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 Machine in India
The Flaming Lips Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm goin' to India over and over again.
I'm standin' in a cylinder,
Seein' all the bleedin' vaginas.
I feel it now comin' over me so I strive to love the Messiah.
I'm goin' to India over and over again.
I'm rushin' to the nearest station,
Feet and hands collide with the driver.

All I that I think, all I thought and all

I know the Syrian missile guides itself into the vagina's.
I'm goin' to India over and over again.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Machine in India by The Flaming Lips have a trippy and surreal quality to them. The song seems to be about a person who is constantly going to India, but it's unclear if they are physically traveling or if it's a mental/spiritual journey. The mention of being in a cylinder could suggest a confined space or a sensory deprivation experience. The most striking image in the lyrics is that of seeing "all the bleeding vaginas." This could be a metaphorical representation of the pain and suffering of women in India, who face high rates of sexual violence and lack access to adequate healthcare. The singer seems to acknowledge this reality and seeks solace in a spiritual figure, the Messiah.

The second half of the song becomes even more abstract, with references to a Syrian missile guiding itself into the vagina's. It's unclear what this imagery is meant to convey, but it could be a commentary on the violence and destruction wrought by war. The repetition of the phrase "I'm going to India over and over again" suggests a cyclical journey or a desire to return to a specific state of mind. Overall, the lyrics of Machine in India are provocative and thought-provoking, leaving room for multiple interpretations.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm goin' to India over and over again.
The singer is repeatedly returning to India.

I'm standin' in a cylinder, Seein' all the bleedin' vaginas.
The singer is in a cylindrical structure and witnessing a disturbing scene of bleeding vaginas.

I feel it now comin' over me so I strive to love the Messiah.
The singer is experiencing a profound sensation and is attempting to connect with a higher power or savior figure.

I'm rushin' to the nearest station, Feet and hands collide with the driver.
The artist is in a rush to reach the closest train station, resulting in physical contact with the driver.

All I that I think, all I thought and all I know the Syrian missile guides itself into the vagina's.
The artist's thoughts and knowledge are consumed by images of missiles being aimed at vaginas, suggesting a larger theme of violence against women.

I'm goin' to India over and over again.
The singer reiterates their repeated trips to India, perhaps suggesting an obsession or a desire for escape.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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