Fight Test
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
I thought I was smart, I thought I was right
I thought it better not to fight, I thought there was a
Virtue in always being cool, so when it came time to
Fight I thought I'll just step aside and that the time would
Prove you wrong and that you would be the fool
I don't know where the sun beams end and the star
Lights begins it's all a mystery
Oh to fight is to defend if it's not
Now than tell me when would be the time that you would stand up
And be a man, for to lose I could accept but to surrender
I just wept and regretted this moment, oh that I, I
Was the fool
I don't know where the sun beams end and the star
Lights begins it's all a mystery
And I don't know how a man decides what right for his
Own life, it's all a mystery
Cause I'm a man not a boy and there are things
You can't avoid you have to face them when you're not prepared
To face them,
If I could I would but you're with him now it'd do no good
I should have fought him but instead I let him, I let
Him take it
I don't know where the sun beams end and the star
Lights begins it's all a mystery
And I don't know how a man decides what right for his
Own life, it's all a mystery
The test is over, now
The Flaming Lips's "Fight Test" is a contemplative song that touches on themes of masculinity, vulnerability, and regret. It starts with a spoken word sample from the 1985 film "The Breakfast Club," where one of the characters says, "The test begins now." This sets up the song's introspective tone, as the lyrics go on to express the singer's doubts and insecurities about his decision not to fight.
The opening line, "I thought I was smart, I thought I was right," sets the stage for the singer's internal struggle. He believed that avoiding conflict was the better choice, but in hindsight, he regrets not standing up for himself. This is reflected in the lines, "For to lose I could accept but to surrender I just wept and regretted this moment."
The chorus adds to the song's sense of mystery and uncertainty: "I don't know where the sun beams end and the star/Lights begins it's all a mystery." This imagery creates a sense of disorientation and confusion, reinforcing the singer's feelings of doubt and anxiety.
Overall, "Fight Test" is a poignant exploration of the complexities of masculinity and the consequences of not standing up for oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
The test begins, now
The speaker emphasizes the start of a significant trial.
I thought I was smart, I thought I was right
The speaker reflects on their overconfidence in their intelligence and rightness.
I thought it better not to fight, I thought there was a Virtue in always being cool
The speaker thought it was more virtuous to avoid fighting and remain calm.
so when it came time to Fight I thought I'll just step aside and that the time would Prove you wrong and that you would be the fool
The speaker chose not to fight and believed that time would reveal the other person's foolishness.
I don't know where the sun beams end and the star Lights begins it's all a mystery
The speaker reflects on the vastness of the universe and the uncertainty of their place in it.
Oh to fight is to defend if it's not Now than tell me when would be the time that you would stand up And be a man, for to lose I could accept but to surrender I just wept and regretted this moment, oh that I, I Was the fool
The speaker realizes that fighting is sometimes necessary and laments that they chose not to defend themselves, feeling regret and foolishness.
Cause I'm a man not a boy and there are things You can't avoid you have to face them when you're not prepared To face them, If I could I would but you're with him now it'd do no good I should have fought him but instead I let him, I let Him take it
The speaker acknowledges that as an adult, they cannot always avoid difficult situations and should have fought for what they wanted in the past but failed to do so.
The test is over, now
The speaker declares the end of the trial and reflects on what they have learned.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYNE COYNE, STEVEN DROZD, DAVE FRIDMANN, YUSUF ISLAM, MICHAEL IVINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick Y
For me this song is about growing up and gradually accepting the fact that you are not "smart" or "cool", and that you have to "stand up and be a man" instead of indulging yourself with childish fantasies. Such a powerful song everyone can empathize with.
Chad and Calebs Adventures
Its honestly a masterpiece the lyrics speak of him not being able to fight and regretting letting him take her and the video shows him fighting and in both he still loses the girl. Which also goes to show no matter what some things just are not meant to happen, accepting the humility that we are only ourselves is one of the biggest obstacles in becoming mature and having the courage and confidence to get what you what you deserve in life.
Jargon Ellie
I love TFL and have seen them live many times in The UK but this is so obviously plagiarised from Cat Stevens Father and Son. Cat won in court and earned 75% of the royalties from this song.
Michael Hughes
Whatever Yuan, you look super cool
Fwibos
@Chad and Calebs Adventures sometimes you lose the fight in winning. Sometines you fight and lose.
But if you don't fight, you lose twice
Brian T
I am glad others get it.
Greg Barclay
"cuz i'm a man, not a boy. there are things you can't avoid, you have to face them, when you're not prepared to face them."
you have no idea how much this smacked me in the face when i first heard it.
RobotWookiee
It's the best line of the song. It's beautiful simplicity is quite powerful.
insert \Name\
Simple but powerful
I think this is one of the best advice that anyone could receive
Starman Streams
That, and 'for to lose I could accept but to surrender I just wept and regretted this moment' - it's so true but oddly not the way I looked at it before I heard this incredible song.