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
Chewin' The Apple Of Yer Eye
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they were startin' the show
Yeah, I was there
But I didn't care at all
I was tryin' to find you
When you got lost in the crowd
Cause I'm drunk all the time
I like your helium voice
[Chorus]
There was a guy in the seat next to mine
Watchin' the girls when the cops made us stand in line
Yea, so if its sad
Well you still gotta live till ya die
Man, everyone's chewin' the apple you got in your eye
It like at the circus
When you get lost in the crowd
Your happy but nervous
Definite sign that you lost it
[Chorus]
The Flaming Lips's song Chewin' The Apple Of Yer Eye is a song that explores the feeling of being lost, both physically and emotionally. The lyrics suggest a person who is searching for someone they care about, but they are unable to find them in the midst of chaos. The line "I was trying to find you when you got lost in the crowd" implies that they may have missed an opportunity to connect with someone they care about. The theme of being lost is further explored through the reference to the circus, where one can feel both happy and nervous, unsure of what will happen next.
The chorus of the song appears to offer some sort of existential commentary on life. The line "Well you still gotta live till ya die" suggests that no matter how lost or hopeless one may feel, they must continue to live their life. The final line of the chorus, "Man, everyone's chewin' the apple you got in your eye" is a metaphorical reference to the temptation of knowledge, specifically the forbidden knowledge of the apple in the Garden of Eden. It suggests that everyone is searching for something, and that something may be unattainable or even dangerous.
Overall, Chewin' The Apple Of Yer Eye is a complex exploration of the human experience, touching on themes of loss, longing, and the search for meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey what were ya thinkin'
What was going through your mind
When they were startin' the show
At the beginning of the performance
Yeah, I was there
I was present
But I didn't care at all
However, I was indifferent
I was tryin' to find you
My focus was on locating you
When you got lost in the crowd
As you disappeared into the multitude
Cause I'm drunk all the time
As I am typically under the influence of alcohol
I like your helium voice
I am fond of your high-pitched vocal quality
There was a guy in the seat next to mine
Adjacent to me was another person
Watchin' the girls when the cops made us stand in line
While the authorities had us lined up, he was checking out the ladies
Yea, so if its sad
Even if it is a miserable spectacle
Well you still gotta live till ya die
You still have to exist until you breathe your last
Man, everyone's chewin' the apple you got in your eye
Everybody is enviously pursuing what you have
It like at the circus
This is akin to the scene of the fairground
When you get lost in the crowd
When you blend with the throng and vanish
Your happy but nervous
You feel a mix of joy and anxiety
Definite sign that you lost it
A certain indication that you have gone mad
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RONALD JONES, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doug Smith
I love this song and it reminds me of being seventeen and this profound, ineffable feeling that is different from the profound ineffable feeling I have now; I feel nostalgic for the old one, and this song brings it all back.
Doug Smith
Hey Doug Smith!
Pretty much what you said...my feelings exactly!
Cheers,
"Dusty" (The Other) Doug Smith
josh
god, that “so if it’s sad, you still got to live ‘till you die” lyric hits me so hard.
Erick Cifuentes
After all these years that gorgeous ending still gets me 😢
Joel Ortiz
when i was in rehab, i would play this song and sing it in the hallway, lost in the cloud so drunk all the time, i had my guitar and would play this song over and over, of course there were other songs, but i really loved this one
Cpt. CPT
I'd love to hear your cover
sychosnake
this song sounds like LSD-taken in a big crowd. and ill just say that I love all era of the Lips, but when they had Ronald Jones with all of his amazing effects on his guitars - that was their ideal sound. its what makes this whole record so great.
The Chief
I agree they made some of their best with him. Also Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev added a lot in the early 90s as well. I think 1997 on was a different sound entirely so is 2009 onward. Its hard to compare but they have made some awesome records in multiple different soundscapes but one thing can be said it’s all The Flaming Lips and it’s all awesome.
Benjamin Baffin-Bokhff
Man! Love this. There's a vulnerability in his voice on this. Strikes many chords with me.
phishphan17
Great song, one of the best of the album