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
Begs and Achin'
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crash and burnin' in my backyard
It's begs and achin' all the time
I ridin' on your brainwaves
Surfin in a dream
I wish you'd save those dreams for me
I see you flyin' in your UFO all the time
I don't remember what day it was
Begs and achin' all the time
The lyrics of The Flaming Lips's song Begs and Achin' can be interpreted in a number of ways, but most likely they reference a relationship or a past love that is difficult to let go of. In the first line, the singer describes seeing the other person "flyin' in [their] UFO," which could be a metaphor for them going on with their life and leaving the singer behind. The singer is left to deal with the aftermath, represented by the crashing and burning UFO in their backyard. The repetition of "it's begs and achin' all the time" emphasizes the pain that the singer is experiencing in the wake of this relationship's end.
In the second verse, the singer indicates that they are still connected to the other person, even if only through their dreams. The imagery of "ridin' on [their] brainwaves" and "surfin' in a dream" suggests that the singer is emotionally invested in this other person, even if they are no longer together. The singer wishes that the other person would share their dreams with them, perhaps as a way to maintain some kind of connection.
The final verse repeats the first verse almost word for word, suggesting that the singer is still dealing with the same emotions despite the passage of time. The final line, "Begs and achin' all the time," underscores the ongoing pain that the singer is experiencing.
Overall, the lyrics of Begs and Achin' are poetic and somewhat cryptic, leaving much to the interpretation of the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
I see ya flyin' in your UFO all the time
I constantly notice you living a life that is beyond my understanding or reach.
Crash and burnin' in my backyard
Despite the ups and downs of your life, some of the negative effects you feel fall upon me.
It's begs and achin' all the time
My difficulties and hardships never seem to let up or disappear.
I ridin' on your brainwaves
I feel as though I am riding along with you, experiencing your innermost thoughts and feelings.
Surfin in a dream
Living in a world of my own making, with you as a central figure or inspiration.
I wish you'd save those dreams for me
I long for the chance to experience what you do, in your personal and intellectual world.
I see you flyin' in your UFO all the time
You lead a life that is full of excitement, wonder and mystery and it constantly captures my attention.
I don't remember what day it was
The memories of my life blur together, as my passage of time becomes less defined and less clear.
Begs and achin' all the time
The plaguing pain and sadness within me never dissipates or leaves me alone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RICHARD ENGLISH, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind