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.
www.flaminglips.com
Are You A Hypnotist
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I have been tricked again,
Into forgiving you,
What is this? Are you some kind of hypnotist?
Waving your powers around - the sun eclipse behind the cloud
I thought I recognized your face
Amongst all of those strangers,
Amongst all of the recognized
What is this, are you some kind of hypnotist?
Waving your powers around, the sun eclipse behind the cloud
The lyrics to The Flaming Lips's song "Are You a Hypnotist??" explore the theme of manipulation and power dynamics in a relationship. The singer is contemplating whether their partner is some kind of hypnotist, with the power to control and manipulate them. The opening line suggests that the singer has been hurt before by their partner's manipulative behavior, but despite forgiving them, they find themselves being tricked again. This cycle of forgiveness and manipulation creates a sense of confusion and disorientation, with the singer questioning their own feelings and perceptions.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the power dynamic between the two partners, with the hypnotist wielding their powers "around" the singer. The metaphor of the "sun eclipse behind the cloud" suggests that the hypnotist's power is hidden or obscured, but still has a significant impact on the singer.
The second verse takes a more introspective approach, with the singer questioning their own sense of identity in the relationship. They feel like a "stranger" among the recognized faces of their partner and their social circle. The repetition of the question "What is this? Are you some kind of hypnotist?" emphasizes the singer's confusion and uncertainty.
Overall, the lyrics to "Are You a Hypnotist??" suggest a sense of powerlessness and vulnerability in the face of manipulative behavior. The Flaming Lips use vivid imagery and metaphors to create a dreamlike, disorienting atmosphere that reflects the singer's emotional state.
Line by Line Meaning
I had forgiven you for tricking me again
I had let go of the past mistake you made and forgave you
But I have been tricked again
However, you have once again tricked me
Into forgiving you
I find myself forgiving you despite your deceitful actions
What is this? Are you some kind of hypnotist?
I question your power over me and how you manage to manipulate me
Waving your powers around - the sun eclipse behind the cloud
You possess a powerful influence that is clouding my judgment and perception of reality
I thought I recognized your face
I used to believe I knew you well
Amongst all of those strangers
But now, I feel like a stranger amongst people who were once familiar to me
But I am the stranger now
I have become an outsider in a place that used to be my home
Amongst all of the recognized
I am surrounded by people who recognize me, yet I don't recognize myself
Waving your powers around, the sun eclipse behind the cloud
Once again, your manipulative ways have caused me to question reality and my own perceptions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AaricBeats9
had forgiven you for tricking me again
But I have been tricked again,
Into forgiving you,
What is this? Are you some kind of hypnotist?
Waving your powers around - the sun eclipse behind the cloud
I thought I recognized your face
Amongst all of those strangers,
But I am the stranger now
Amongst all of the recognized
What is this, are you some kind of hypnotist?
Waving your powers around, the sun eclipse behind the cloud
@BeeHatGuy
I showed this to my epileptic friend, and he started rocking out hard
@AFloridaSon
😳🤦♂️😂😂😂🤘🤘
@gavinkirk4787
OMG 😅
@gavinkirk4787
Was more like a "Shake, Rattle and Roll"
@Acoustic-Rabbit-Hole
Hey, don't laugh. He was merely expressing himself. (I hope).
@georgehurray3721
Then you need to pump up the Valium
@Evilacidfunker
The drumming is absolutely phenomenal
@nickslad3164
100% he is painfully underrated
@whiteyfisk9769
Drozd is 80% of the band even though hes only one recovering heroin addict
@mrpsychodeliasmith
Agreed. Thought it was drum programming when I first heard it!