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
If
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But on the other side they can be gentle too
If they decide
But they don't always decide
We live on the impulses
Love is powerful
But not as powerful as evil
People are evil, it's true
But on the other side they can be gentle too
If they decide
They decide
The lyrics of The Flaming Lips's song If explore the duality of human nature - how people can be both good and evil. The opening line, "People are evil, it's true" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer acknowledges that there is an inherent negativity in people - perhaps due to their upbringing or environment. However, he also acknowledges that people have the capacity for gentleness, albeit only if they actively choose to do so. The notion that people have free will and the power to choose their actions is prevalent throughout the song.
The singer suggests that humans are driven by impulses, which can lead to both good and bad behavior. Love is presented as a powerful force - although the singer admits that evil is even more powerful. This underscores the struggle between good and evil that exists within each person. The closing lines echo the sentiments of the beginning of the song - that people have the ability to choose whether to be gentle or not.
Overall, the lyrics of If reveal a deep understanding of the complexities of human nature. The singer does not condemn people for their evil tendencies, but instead acknowledges that it is only by choosing to be gentle that people can overcome their worst impulses.
Line by Line Meaning
People are evil, it's true
Human beings are capable of wrongdoing, this is a fact
But on the other side they can be gentle too
People are also capable of benevolence
If they decide
This depends on an individual’s free will
But they don't always decide
Unfortunately, not everyone chooses to exhibit kindness
We live on the impulses
Our actions are often driven by emotional reactions
Love is powerful
However, love has the ability to transform and create positive change
But not as powerful as evil
Despite its strength, love cannot always overcome the darkness in the world
People are evil, it's true
Again, human wrongdoing is a reality
But on the other side they can be gentle too
Yet, we have witnessed the kindness and goodness in people
If they decide
It ultimately comes down to individual choice and action
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WAYNE COYNE, STEVEN DROZD, MICHAEL IVINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind