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
Just Like Before
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My fingernails grow, down to my knees.
The light that's beside me, is just laves of beans.
All that I know, is not what it seems.
[Chorus]
Cause I've tried moving out,
But I'm tied to this floor.
It's the red of the world, that you see with your eyes.
You say that you're happy, when you're wanting to die.
Oh well, it's just like before.
Oh well, it runs in your veins.
Just like before.
It keeps it the same.
[Chorus]
Well, the sun's in the sky, it swings and it sways.
But it don't shine on Tuesdays, and it's cloudy all day.
It's just like before.
Oh, when it runs in your veins.
It's just like before.
Nothing will change.
[Chorus]
The opening lines of The Flaming Lips's song "Just Like Before" seem to convey a sense of resignation or being stuck in one's circumstances. The description of the blowing hair and overgrown fingernails suggest that time is passing, but without any real progress or change. The image of light appearing as leaves of beans is also intriguing, possibly implying that what is seen or known is distorted, unclear or even nonsensical. The repeated refrain of "It's just like before" emphasizes the feeling of sameness, monotony or being unable to break free from the past.
The chorus expands on this theme, with the singer expressing a desire to move on from their current situation, but feeling held back or trapped ("tied to this floor"). This could refer to an actual physical location, but could also represent emotional or psychological ties to someone or something that prevent them from changing or growing. The repetition of "just like before" reinforces the idea that despite any outward attempts to change, the core issue remains the same.
The second verse takes a dark turn, with the mention of "the red of the world" suggesting violence or suffering. The idea that one could claim to be happy while secretly wanting to die is a poignant and troubling one. The lines about it running in one's veins could suggest a hereditary or cultural inheritance of despair or dysfunction. Again, the repeated refrain emphasizes the unchanging nature of this state.
The final verse adds a curious detail about the sun not shining on Tuesdays and being cloudy all day. This could be read as another example of life's arbitrary and unpredictable nature or as a metaphor for a perpetual sense of gloom or sadness. Either way, the closing lines reinforce the idea that nothing will change despite these fluctuations.
Overall, "Just Like Before" paints a bleak but evocative picture of someone struggling to break free from a cycle of stasis and despair, despite the passing of time and efforts toward change.
Line by Line Meaning
My long hair it blows, in the industrial breeze.
The singer's appearance is affected by the polluted environment around them.
My fingernails grow, down to my knees.
The singer has neglected themselves or has been unable to maintain basic hygiene.
The light that's beside me, is just laves of beans.
The singer is surrounded by a mundane, unimpressive world with no magical or mystical elements.
All that I know, is not what it seems.
Reality is not straightforward or comprehensible to the artist; it seems elusive or distorted.
Cause I've tried moving out,
But I'm tied to this floor.
It's just like before.
The artist has attempted to leave their current situation but has been unable to escape it, as it remains unchanged and inescapable.
It's the red of the world, that you see with your eyes.
The world around the singer appears to be dominated by negative and aggressive forces.
You say that you're happy, when you're wanting to die.
The singer observes that others are concealing their true emotions or inability to cope with life's challenges.
Oh well, it's just like before.
Oh well, it runs in your veins.
Just like before.
It keeps it the same.
Although superficial things may change, the underlying situation and problems remain the same and deeply ingrained in the artist's life and experience.
Well, the sun's in the sky, it swings and it sways.
But it don't shine on Tuesdays, and it's cloudy all day.
The natural world is unpredictable and chaotic, and even sunny weather can be disrupted and darkened.
It's just like before.
Oh, when it runs in your veins.
It's just like before.
Nothing will change.
Despite the changing nature of the world and the passage of time, some patterns and emotions are deeply rooted and will not easily be altered.
[Chorus]
The refrain emphasizes the recurring and persistent theme of being unable to escape or change unsettling circumstances.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FLAMING LIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind