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.
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Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got it just for burnin' and it keeps the sirens turnin'
Turning down existence it seems to burn all by itself
I wish that something would happen just so I'd get a reaction
From all these bucks I'm earnin', it keeps the sirens turnin'
Turnin' down existence it seems to burn all by itself
And we don't care
So I just keep on smiling while all the bad compiling
My teeth are white and burning, it keeps the sirens turnin'
The lyrics to The Flaming Lips's song Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon address themes of apathy, nihilism, and a desire for something to happen that would finally stir some emotion in the singer. From the very beginning, we learn that the singer possesses a can of gasoline typically used for burning things, and this sets the stage for the rest of the song's imagery. The gasoline is not only kept for the sake of burning things, but also for the pleasure it brings in seeing the sirens turn. This suggests that the singer finds some enjoyment in chaos and destruction, and that it is becoming increasingly harder for them to feel any other sensations.
The repetition of the phrase "it seems to burn all by itself" emphasizes the singer's sense of detachment from the world around them. They seem to be completely unaffected by the consequences of their actions or the happenings around them. The desire for a reaction from the people around them suggests that the singer is tired of feeling like they are the only one going through the motions. They want to feel alive, to experience some sort of passion or emotion from those around them. But instead, they are met with complacency and indifference.
The chorus of the song "And we don't care" underscores the bleak outlook of the singer. They seem to have given up hope in a world that doesn't seem to respond to their actions or emotions. The final lines of the song, "My teeth are white and burning, it keeps the sirens turnin'" suggest that the singer is obsessed with their own sense of self-destruction, finding some solace in the chaos they can create. The song is ultimately a commentary on the societal malaise and the way in which it corrodes the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
I got this can of gasoline, you know what I mean
I have something volatile and destructive, do you understand?
I got it just for burnin' and it keeps the sirens turnin'
I acquired it solely for destruction and the resulting emergency response keeps me satisfied
Turning down existence it seems to burn all by itself
Its sheer energy can set things aflame unconsciously, extinguishing anything in its path
I wish that something would happen just so I'd get a reaction
I desire to see an external impact from my actions, even if it is negative
From all these bucks I'm earnin', it keeps the sirens turnin'
I feel a sense of financial gain from the chaos I create, which fuels my destructive tendencies
And we don't care
The repercussions are irrelevant to us
So I just keep on smiling while all the bad compiling
I maintain a facade of happiness even as negative consequences mount
My teeth are white and burning, it keeps the sirens turnin'
I am consumed by the excitement of destruction, even as it deteriorates me from the inside
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RICHARD ENGLISH, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind