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
Goin' On
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And at last the sun shines through
But the night's so hard that it seems impossible
But what else can we do
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
We're gettin' near it
It's comin' I can feel it
'Cause I know you're goin' away
Listen you'll hear it
We're gettin' near it
I know I really fear it
But we pretend it's just another day
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on
We tell ourselves that it's all just normal
'Til the worst of it is gone
And then you give up and you give out
And you just can't take it
How do we keep going on?
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Listen you'll hear it
We're gettin' near it
It's comin' I can feel it
'Cause I know you're goin' away
Listen you'll hear it
We're gettin' near it
I know I really fear it
But I pretend it's just another day
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
Goin' on
We're goin' on
The lyrics of "Goin' On" by The Flaming Lips describe the struggle that we all face in life when things get tough and we feel like giving up. The first verse speaks to the feeling of holding our breath, waiting for the morning sun to shine through after a hard night. The second verse talks about the fear and apprehension we may have when facing a difficult situation, yet pretending it's just another day to cope. It's a story of resilience, of pushing through despite feeling overwhelmed and defeated.
Throughout the song, there's a recurring theme of anticipation and hope. The chorus repeats the phrase "we're goin' on" as a way of affirming our ability to keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity. The verses then take us through that journey of struggle and fear, but always with the reminder that we're not alone and that a brighter future lies ahead.
In essence, "Goin' On" is a message of hope, encouraging us to keep pushing forward through the difficult times in life. It acknowledges the hardships we all face, but instead of dwelling on the negative, it looks towards the future with optimism and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
We hold our breath 'til the morning comes
We anxiously wait and anticipate for the morning to come, hoping that it will bring a better day.
And at last the sun shines through
Finally, after a long and distressing night, the sunlight breaks through, giving us a glimmer of hope.
But the night's so hard that it seems impossible
The hardship and struggle of the night are so severe that it feels like overcoming them is impossible.
But what else can we do
Despite the difficulty, we must continue and persevere because we have no other choice.
Goin' on, uh huh, uh huh
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase, symbolizing the need to keep going on no matter what the obstacles.
Listen you'll hear it
If you pay attention, you can sense that something is about to happen.
We're gettin' near it
We are approaching a turning point, a defining moment in our lives.
It's comin' I can feel it
We can feel that a significant change is about to occur, whether positive or negative.
'Cause I know you're goin' away
The presence of loss or departure contributes to the sense of impending change or turmoil.
I know I really fear it
Despite trying to deny it, the fear of the unknown and the upcoming changes is very real.
But we pretend it's just another day
We try to mask our fears and anxiety as if everything is still normal, even though it is not.
We tell ourselves that it's all just normal
We try to convince ourselves that the struggles and hardships are typical and not out of the ordinary.
'Til the worst of it is gone
We hold out hope that the worst will soon pass and that brighter days will come.
And then you give up and you give out
At times, the hardships can be too much to handle and can result in giving up and losing hope.
And you just can't take it
At some point, the difficulty is so overwhelming that it becomes unbearable.
How do we keep going on?
As a rhetorical question, it suggests that the struggle and the act of perseverance is challenging, but we continue to persevere anyway.
We're goin' on
The song's final line is a reaffirmation that despite the difficulties, we must continue moving forward and persevere.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYNE COYNE, STEVEN DROZD, MICHAEL IVINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AlyssaQ420
For some reason the lyrics hit close to home & bring me close to tears. It reminds me of how I feel about drug addiction in general. Being an addict drags you down & waking up everyday wondering if your gonna score becomes a normal part of life, as pathetic as it sounds. I fear the day I face withdrawals but one of these days it's going to happen & I'm gonna have to just pretend it's another day in order to move on with my life. That may not be the song meaning, but that's my own interpretation.
Vink 420
I hope you're in a better place now 5 years later
3rror8
you deserve the best wherever you may be.
Judey Toons
This was their best album to date in my opinion. It had a very 70s feel.
Maymer
This song always reminded me, for some odd reason, as a war veteran coming home and dealing with PTSD. And the fact that they are "Going On" with life, whether it is getting over the artillery barrage or guns shattering in the air.
AQ Records
This album changed my way of listening music. 10 years after I'm here to revisit
Kip
Imagine discovering it in 2019? That's me...mind blown, grateful that my friend brought me to a show this summer that also changed the way I listen to music
Joe Williams
Bought this album on my final day of uni ten years ago. Packed my bags while listening to it and when this track came on, I thought the lyrics were "Going home". Very happy/sad moment - and a great song.
a non-offensive pseudonym
me too... even when i found out i was wrong, i didn't mind. i love this song
Double Mac
That’s ’cause you were actually listening to “Goin Home” by Dinosaur Jr. Still, it’s such an easy mistake to make, given that both songs are beautiful, touching ballads, and that both singers were definitely, uh, informed (love that word) by a certain Canadian artist.