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
Five Stop Mother Superior Rain
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The way you look at me sucks me down the sidewalk
Somebody please tell this machine I'm not a machine
[Chorus]
My hands are in the air
And that's where they always are
You're fucked if you do, and you're fucked if you don't
Five stop mother superior rain
I was born the day they shot John Lennon's brain
And all my smiles are gettin' in the hate generation's way
Tell 'em I'm gonna go out, shoot somebody in the mouth
First thing tomorrow
[Chorus]
I was born the day they shot a hole in the Jesus egg
Now the rain, it's all so random
What does free will have to do with it at all?
And you can't cry, but
It really don't matter, why'end up cryin' anyway.
[Chorus]
The verses of The Flaming Lips's Five Stop Mother Superior Rain seem to express a sense of detachment from reality and a deep feeling of alienation, as the singer refers to major historical events that took place before he was born, such as the assassination of JFK, John Lennon, and the shooting of a hole in the Jesus egg. This creates the impression that the singer feels disconnected from the present and that time has lost its meaning for him. In fact, he seems to be struggling with his own identity, as he feels like he is perceived as a machine or a robot and he longs to be recognized as a human being.
The chorus of the song introduces a recurrent line, "Five stop mother superior rain", which appears to be a nonsensical phrase that adds to the surreal and confusing atmosphere of the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase may suggest a desire to escape, to interrupt the flow of events or to stop time altogether, as if the singer wishes to take control of his life and steer it in a different direction. Overall, the song seems to capture a sense of disillusionment and despair, but also a spark of rebellion and a longing for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born the day they shot JFK
I was born on November 22, 1963, the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
The way you look at me sucks me down the sidewalk
Your gaze makes me feel intimidated and overwhelmed, causing me to want to escape.
Somebody please tell this machine I'm not a machine
I feel like I am constantly being treated like an emotionless, robotic entity and want to be recognized as a human being with feelings and free will.
My hands are in the air
I surrender and am powerless, my fate is out of my control.
And that's where they always are
I am always vulnerable and at the mercy of others' actions.
You're fucked if you do, and you're fucked if you don't
I am in a no-win situation, where any action or decision I make will have negative consequences.
Five stop mother superior rain
I am pleading for an end to the metaphorical raining down of obstacles and hardships.
I was born the day they shot John Lennon's brain
I was born on December 8, 1980, the same day that musician John Lennon was assassinated.
And all my smiles are gettin' in the hate generation's way
My attempts to remain positive and cheerful are being met with hostility and hatred from those around me.
Tell 'em I'm gonna go out, shoot somebody in the mouth
First thing tomorrow
I am so consumed by anger and frustration that I am considering resorting to violence as a means of relieving myself of these emotions.
I was born the day they shot a hole in the Jesus egg
I was born on July 20, 1969, the same day that humans first landed on the moon, which can be seen as a symbol for cracking open a previously unexplored realm of possibilities.
Now the rain, it's all so random
The difficulties and challenges I face feel completely arbitrary and unpredictable.
What does free will have to do with it at all?
I feel trapped by circumstances beyond my control and wonder if I even have agency in my own life.
And you can't cry, but
Even if I wanted to express my emotions and cry, I feel like I am not allowed to do so without facing further consequences.
It really don't matter, why'end up cryin' anyway.
In the end, it seems like no matter what happens or what actions I take, I will still end up crying and feeling helpless.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RICHARD ENGLISH, WAYNE COYNE, ELAYNE NATHAN, Jonathan Donahue
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind