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
Moth in the Incubator
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I see that your arms are out to God
And oh, they kill you when they talk
It makes a mountain peak seem little when it's not
Your incubator is so tight
Your incubator is so tight
Brain-dead is always all there is
So embryonic it's all right
So embryonic it's all right
I've been born before, I'm getting used to it
Brain-dead is how it always ends
The Flaming Lips's Moth in the Incubator is an introspective song that explores the human psyche and the struggles that come with being alive. The opening lines, "Something in you, it jitters like a moth," sets the tone for the song, as it implies a restlessness or unease. The use of the metaphor of a moth is particularly interesting, as moths are often associated with uncertainty or indecision. The line "And I see that your arms are out to God" suggests a longing for something beyond ourselves, beyond this mortal coil, perhaps a sense of transcendence.
The second stanza of the song talks about the incubator, which is a device used in neonatal care to provide a controlled environment for premature babies. The echoing line, "Your incubator is so tight," gives the impression of confinement or suffocation. This line can also be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling trapped or confined in one's thoughts or beliefs. The verse ends with the line "Brain-dead is always all there is", which could be seen as nihilistic or fatalistic. It suggests that the ultimate fate of all living beings is death, and that there is no real purpose or meaning to life.
The last stanza seems to offer a glimmer of hope or acceptance. The repeated refrain, "So embryonic it's all right" suggests a willingness to embrace the uncertainty and fragility of life. The line "I've been born before, I'm getting used to it" implies a sense of familiarity with the cycle of life and death, perhaps indicating a resignation to the inevitability of mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Something in you, it jitters like a moth
There is an unease in you that is comparable to the fluttering of a moth's wings
And I see that your arms are out to God
Observing that you have reached out to a higher power or entity for guidance and comfort
And oh, they kill you when they talk
The words of others can have a powerful and detrimental impact on you
It makes a mountain peak seem little when it's not
The weight of external influences can make even the greatest challenges seem insurmountable
Your incubator is so tight
You are confined and restricted in your growth and development
I've been born before, I'm pretty used to it
Having experienced challenges and hardships in the past, you are becoming accustomed to facing adversity
Brain-dead is always all there is
In the face of overwhelming difficulties, it can feel as though there is nothing left but emptiness
So embryonic it's all right
Despite the difficulties and limitations, you can find comfort and safety in the familiar and known
I've been born before, I'm getting used to it
Continuing to face and overcome obstacles leads to an increased resilience and adaptability
Brain-dead is how it always ends
Despite the struggles and efforts, ultimately all life comes to an end
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
carbon gastropod
Something in you, it jitters like a moth
And I see that your arms are out to God
And oh, they kill you when they talk
It makes a mountain peak seem little when it's not
Your incubator is so tight
Your incubator is so tight
I've been born before, I'm pretty used to it
Brain-dead is always all there is
So embryonic it's all right
So embryonic it's all right
I've been born before, I'm getting used to it
Brain-dead is how it always ends
Lee Porterfield
Just saw them perform this live half an hour ago. Sooooooo good.
Phil Bowen
Me too 🙂
sir psycho sussy
Me too man!
Richard C
Me too! Never heard it before - highlight of the show!!
Richey Hackett
2:36 onward - possibly my favourite Flaming Lips moment of all time. Just amazing.
REJECT REALISM
I think the build up to that part what makes that part great. You can practically see the song getting brighter.
Clive Perry
Lucky enough to see these guys at Aylesbury this year; best gig ever and this song just lifted the gig to a new dimension - drumming heaven
Rodjer Dankist
the extreme panning of the clean guitar part starting @ 1:05 is a stroke of genius
carbon gastropod
Something in you, it jitters like a moth
And I see that your arms are out to God
And oh, they kill you when they talk
It makes a mountain peak seem little when it's not
Your incubator is so tight
Your incubator is so tight
I've been born before, I'm pretty used to it
Brain-dead is always all there is
So embryonic it's all right
So embryonic it's all right
I've been born before, I'm getting used to it
Brain-dead is how it always ends
Stoned Meadow Of Doom
By far the best on the album