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
On Fire
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sitting by the electric fire
Outer space
(Outer space)
And all associated regions
(And all associated regions)
Including the Aurora Borealis
(Including the Aurora Borealis)
(And the great thunderstorms from the south, the south
The great thunderstorms from the south, the south, the south)
All descended into
Became part of
His giant head and mind
The Flaming Lips's song On Fire is a surreal exploration of the mind and the universe. The opening lyric “And then, one magic night, sitting by the electric fire” sets the tone for a dream-like journey through outer space and the human psyche. The electric fire refers to the synthetic warmth of modern technology that is often a substitute for the real thing. The unique quality of this fire is that it is strictly controlled, unlike natural fire, which can be dangerous and unpredictable. This controlled environment is akin to the human mind that tries to contain and make sense of the chaos of the universe.
The next lines lead into an increasingly fantastical description of the universe being absorbed into the mind. The Aurora Borealis and thunderstorms from the south are vivid images of the earth’s natural phenomena. The use of “including” shows that this list is not exhaustive, and there are potentially other elements of nature that are included in this cosmic journey. The repetition of “the south” emphasizes the uncontrolled power of the forces of nature. The final line “All descended into, became part of, his giant head and mind” crystallizes the idea that the universe that surrounds us is sometimes too much to bear, and we must absorb it into our minds to try to make sense of it.
Line by Line Meaning
And then, one magic night
During a particularly enchanting evening
Sitting by the electric fire
Relaxed, chilling out next to a heat source
Outer space
The cosmos beyond Earth's atmosphere
(Outer space)
Emphasis on the vastness and awe-inspiring nature of the universe
And all associated regions
Every place connected to the vast expanse of space
(And all associated regions)
Continuing to highlight the scale and magnitude of the cosmos
Including the Aurora Borealis
Incorporating the stunning natural light display seen in the northern hemisphere
(Including the Aurora Borealis)
Still naming additional wonders within the universe
And the great thunderstorms from the south
Acknowledging the fierce weather events found in the southern region
(And the great thunderstorms from the south, the south
Repeating and emphasizing the inclusion of these storms
The great thunderstorms from the south, the south, the south)
Tripling down on the focus of intense weather patterns in the southern area
All descended into
Transferred down to a particular place or being
Became part of
Merged with, fused together, joined as one
His giant head and mind
The entity taking in and integrating these universal elements was a colossal being with immense mental capacity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Steven Drozd, Wayne Coyne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shane's Squirrel Shack
This album legit helped me get sober no joke. One month today!
Ryan Hoard
Stay strong. You matter.
Zac M
Two years and one month
Lucy Alegria
Good for you!! Amazing album ! Saw them play this live in Sept and it was bad ass!
Mackey Dirk
Rock on my brother
Alison Shenton
WELL DONE YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF DON'T KNOW YOU AND I'M PROUD OF YOU ❤️ I WAS ON HEROIN FOR 20 YEARS BEEN CLEAN 2 YEARS STAY 😀 STRONG AND TAKE CARE ❤️🦋🌈
Jenna Ray
My sons are addicts, both in prison as i type this... we have a very strong musical connection, we send messages by sending youtube videos to help eachother understand our feelings ( when they aren't in jail of course)... Im emailing them these lyrics... ❤ they can't watch the video but they can know what it says. I love this and so will they. Prayers to The Great Creator Energy for their awakening and recovery.
Manuel Núñez
Wish Yall a Jump of Faith, ❤️🔥🙏
joel salgado
This song really hit me in the feels. Made me think about my experiences with death, drugs, trying to drink myself to death just to numb my pain from losing friends in combat. I’m in a better place now thankfully
CrosbyK9
happy for you. keep going bro