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
Lightning Strikes the Postman -10
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lighting strikes the postman in his hand
I hope that you remember the things you had to say
It's just a supernatural delay
I got yer package; it was all a mess
Lightning strikes the postman in his chest
I hope that you remember the things you had to say
I sent you a postcard, and I hope yer fine
But lightning strikes the postman all the time
I couldn't really think of anything to say
It's just a supernatural delay
And it's hard to read the writing through the flames
The song Lightning Strikes the Postman by The Flaming Lips tells the story of a communication breakdown between two lovers, as their letters and packages are destroyed by lightning. The lyrics vividly describe the frustration and disappointment of the sender as they receive their own letters back in pieces, turned to sand or a mess. The repeated line "It's just a supernatural delay" implies a sense of helplessness and resignation in the face of this seemingly unstoppable force of Mother Nature.
The postman, who is struck by lightning twice, serves as a symbol of the unpredictability and chaos of life. The lightning can be seen as a metaphor for the difficult and often destructive forces that can disrupt or even destroy our attempts at communication and connection with others. Despite these obstacles, the sender continues to reach out, sending postcards and hoping for a response.
The final line, "And it's hard to read the writing through the flames", adds another layer of meaning to the song. The flames could refer to the literal fire caused by the lightning strikes, or they could be a metaphor for the emotional turmoil and pain that the sender is experiencing. Either way, the message is clear: communication is not easy, and sometimes our words are consumed by forces beyond our control.
Line by Line Meaning
I got yer letter; it had turned to sand
I received your letter, but it was too late and its contents had faded away like sand in the wind.
Lighting strikes the postman in his hand
I heard that the postman was struck by lightning while holding someone else's letter.
I hope that you remember the things you had to say
I hope you remember the words you wrote in the letter before it turned to sand.
It's just a supernatural delay
The delay in receiving the letter was not natural but caused by supernatural phenomena.
I got yer package; it was all a mess
I received your package, but it was damaged and chaotic.
Lightning strikes the postman in his chest
The postman was hit by lightning again, and this time it struck his chest.
I hope that you remember the things you had to say
I hope you remember the contents of the damaged package you sent to me.
It's just a supernatural delay
The delay in receiving the package was due to supernatural circumstances.
I sent you a postcard, and I hope yer fine
I sent you a postcard and hope you are in good health and spirits.
But lightning strikes the postman all the time
Apparently, the unfortunate postman is often struck by lightning.
I couldn't really think of anything to say
I had writer's block and could not think of any words to put on the postcard.
It's just a supernatural delay
The delay in receiving the postcard is not caused by natural means.
And it's hard to read the writing through the flames
Since there are flames everywhere, it's difficult to read what is written on the postcard.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RONALD JONES, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
André Rodriguez
The amazing thing about this track (and most of the album) is that I'm pretty sure there is no keyboard/synth sound in the recording, but all these weird sounds come from Ronald Jones' guitar. Huge guitar player.
takingthecoloroutofcrimebs
Nice melody / chord progression , my personal favorite off this album.
Octo7's Channel
classic song, classic album, classic band.
Mark Neiger
One of their BEST for Sure! So Heavy
Simran P
this is probs one of their best songs
FortWarren
Probs.
andrew hodge
this is my all time, favourite song, ever, yeah!
Funny Cowboy Dance
Goddamn this is a great song.
Quele Allen
Just, just...incredible
Job23:10
super super super song...classic forever!<3