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
Fixing A Hole
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door
And kept my mind from wandering
Where it will go
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong.
See the people standing there who disagree and never win
And wonder why they don't get in my door
I'm painting my room in the colourful way
And when my mind is wandering
There I will go
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right
Where I belong I'm right
Where I belong.
Silly people run around they worry me
And never ask me why they don't get past my door
I'm taking the time for a number of things
That weren't important yesterday
And I still go
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go
The lyrics to The Flaming Lips's song "Fixing A Hole" are about the singer trying to fix the problems in their mind and surroundings that have been hindering their thoughts from wandering freely. When it rains, their mind wanders, and they need to fix the hole to make sure it doesn't happen again. The cracks in the door are also a point of concern as the singer sees them as an obstacle to their free thoughts. They don't care if they're right or wrong about fixing things, they just want to create the space where they can let their thoughts wander in whatever direction they please.
The song also touches on the people who stand outside the singer's door, disagree with them, and can't seem to understand why they can't get inside. These people worry and trouble the singer, but they can't seem to get through because they lack the ability to open their minds in the same way as the singer. The singer then goes on to paint their room in a colorful way, creating an environment that reflects the state of their mind, which is free and full of possibilities.
The song concludes with the singer stating that they are taking time for the things that were not important yesterday. They are shaping their environment to match the state of their mind, which is constantly evolving. Fixing a hole where the rain gets in is a metaphor for fixing the mind, and by doing so, the singer is creating a space where they can let their thoughts take them where they will.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
I'm patching up the gap where the downpour enters
And stops my mind from wandering
To keep my thoughts from drifting aimlessly
Where it will go
To wherever it may end up
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door
I'm mending the fissures that penetrated the entrance
And kept my mind from wandering
Which deterred my mind from roaming
Where it will go
To whichever place it chooses
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right
I'm at ease if it's incorrect or correct
Where I belong I'm right
Wherever I belong, that's where I'm accurate
Where I belong.
The place where I belong
See the people standing there who disagree and never win
Observe those disputing but never succeeding
And wonder why they don't get in my door
And question why they are unable to enter through my entrance
I'm painting my room in the colorful way
I'm embellishing my chamber with a vibrant style
And when my mind is wandering
And when my thoughts are meandering
There I will go
That's where I'll head
Silly people run around they worry me
Foolish individuals scamper and trouble me
And never ask me why they don't get past my door
And never inquires as to why they are barred from my entry
I'm taking the time for a number of things
I'm allocating my time for various matters
That weren't important yesterday
Things that lacked significance but can't be ignored today
And I still go
And I persist
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in
I'm repairing the gap where precipitation enters
And stops my mind from wandering
To prevent my thoughts from roaming
Where it will go
To whichever direction it may choose
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CosmicDaze
Very interesting. Can't wait to hear the full album. This also makes me curious as to what The Flaming Lips would sound like covering The Piper At The Gates of Dawn. I can only imagine what they could do with that album.
Vojife
Yeah, that would indeed be great, an amazing record that is! However, I think it's better if they cover more "normal" albums, that's what allows for more interesting changes. If the album is weird in the first place (don't get me wrong, that's positive), there's not as much to weirdalize.
CosmicDaze
AlbinoMonGoosE
Agreed. He was the Piper who opened the gates of psychedelia. Sure he wasn't the first to make psychedelic rock but imo the most interesting artist in that field. His influence is still felt today.
AlbinoMonGoosE
Favorite record of all time. Syd's influence on bands like the Flaming Lips and MGMT is readily apparent. He was the Natural, the savant, the original psychonaut eccentric. God only knows the work he could of accomplished if he cared to.
Santiago Toranzo
Oh yeah, i fucking love that record!
Ian Atchison
This is so good. Its nice not hearing anyone complaining about how they ruined the Beatles in these comments, as compared to Lucy in the sky with diamonds. Just shows you that none of those people were actual fans of either band.
Jon Radermacher
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Ted Cantu
This is a fantastic album !! There are a lot of great moments on here.
mtf612
As a major Beatles fan and a long time listener of The Flaming Lips - fucking stoked for this album to drop. Can't wait to chill with my Fwends
trfesok
It's psychedelic in it's own way. Here, though, it's more of a mellow pot song than an acid song! In my "Beatles..covers" playlist. Thanks for the upload!