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
Bad Days
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But in your dreams you can buy expensive cars
Or live on Mars
And have it your way
And you hate your boss at your job
Well, in your dreams you can blow his head off
In your dreams
Show no mercy
And all your bad days will end
And all your bad days will end
You have to sleep late when you can
And all your bad days will end
The lyrics to The Flaming Lips's song Bad Days are an exploration of escapism and the desire to escape from the mundane and unsatisfactory aspects of everyday life. The opening stanza establishes the idea that the listener is feeling stuck where they are, either physically or emotionally. However, the lyrics suggest that in their dreams, they can live a more glamorous lifestyle, such as owning an expensive car or even living on Mars. The idea of having it one's way in a dream is an enticing prospect when the reality seems bleak.
The second stanza sees the listener taking their dreams to another level by engaging in violent fantasies. In their dreams, they can blow the head off their boss, who they hate in real life. The lyrics suggest that the listener can show no mercy in their dreams, something that they may want to do in real life but cannot. The song presents a sense of freedom that is only available when we are asleep and can dream anything without the fear of consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
You're sorta stuck where you are
You feel trapped in your current situation
But in your dreams you can buy expensive cars
You imagine a life of luxury and wealth where you have everything you desire
Or live on Mars
You even wish for an escape from reality, wanting to live in a completely different environment
And have it your way
You wish you had complete control over your life
And you hate your boss at your job
You despise your current work situation and the people involved
Well, in your dreams you can blow his head off
You entertain violent fantasies to release your anger and frustration
In your dreams
Your imagination provides a temporary escape from reality
Show no mercy
You feel justified in seeking revenge through violent means
And all your bad days will end
You hold onto hope that things will get better and your struggles will eventually come to an end
And all your bad days will end
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize the idea that things will improve
You have to sleep late when you can
You try to make the most of your free time and indulge when you can
And all your bad days will end
Reiteration of the earlier sentiment that life will eventually get better
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RONALD JONES, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomasbaron5367
"You hate your boss at your job,
But in your dreams you can blow his head off"
I love that line lol
@kreftmaker
In your dreams show no mercy!
@onlyone23km
Yet Edward did something much worse to Stickley in Batman Forever.
@agustinibarrola8614
I really hated my boss...
@onlyone23km
@Agustin Ibarrola I can relate.
@DreamGyrl360
So inappropriate these days but o I love it too
@ZergRushJohnny
This was my first Flaming Lips song back at age 5. As much as I love this song, It's hard not to imagine a flying establishing shot of Edward Nigma's studio apartment...
@z-rex6068
Tuwonwon Ikr lol
@onlyone23km
It’s such an innocent scene, even if you knew Edward snapped.
@codym7473
I was also 5. This was my first taste of them as well.