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
One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I turn my t.v. on and watch the fuzz
The sun scrapes away the first layers of the day
Nothing is meant, this is a beautiful accident
This could be the sunrise, or I could be wrong
Cause sometimes what looks like the sunrise
Turns out to be an atom bomb
Bombs are comin' in cereal packages
Early in the morning, just before the dawn
I turn my t.v. on and watch the fuzz
The Flaming Lips's song "One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning" is a thought-provoking track that delves into the complexities of life and the uncertainty of everything we know. The lyrics talk about the singer's experience of starting their day off by turning on the TV and watching a static-filled screen, which they refer to as "the fuzz." In this quiet moment before dawn, the singer questions the meaning of life and ponders whether it's all just a beautiful accident.
The lyrics suggest that the sunrise itself could be mistaken for an atom bomb, which highlights the ambiguous nature of our existence. The chorus repeats the phrase "bombs are coming in cereal packages," which seems to be a commentary on the idea that danger and violence can come from unexpected places. The song concludes with the singer returning to their routine of watching the fuzz on the TV, as if to suggest that despite all the uncertainties of life, there is comfort in the familiarity and routine of daily life.
Overall, this track is a powerful commentary on the human experience and the complexity of our existence. It raises questions about the meaning of life and the unpredictable nature of the world we live in.
Line by Line Meaning
Early in the mornin', just before the dawn
At the start of the day when the sun begins to rise
I turn my t.v. on and watch the fuzz
I turn on my television and see a distorted image
The sun scrapes away the first layers of the day
As the sun rises, it illuminates the world and uncovers the mysteries of the night.
Nothing is meant, this is a beautiful accident
Life is unpredictable, but the chaos and beauty of the world is what makes living so special.
This could be the sunrise, or I could be wrong
The world is full of uncertainty, and what I perceive to be the sunrise could be anything else.
Cause sometimes what looks like the sunrise
Just as something may appear to be beautiful and full of hope at first glance,
Turns out to be an atom bomb
In reality, it can be destructive and tragic, like an explosion
Bombs are comin' in cereal packages
Even the most ordinary of objects can be weaponized and cause harm
Bombs are comin' in cereal packages
Repeated for emphasis (and possibly as a warning)
Early in the morning, just before the dawn
The cycle of life and uncertainty starts anew, as one day ends and another begins.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, RICHARD ENGLISH, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alex Valdez II
Early in the mornin', just before the dawn
I turn my t.v. on and watch the fuzz
The sun scrapes away the first layers of the day
Nothing is meant, this is a beautiful accident
This could be the sunrise, or I could be wrong
Cause sometimes what looks like the sunrise
Turns out to be an atom bomb
Bombs are comin' in cereal packages
Bombs are comin' in cereal packages
Early in the morning, just before the dawn
I turn my t.v. on and watch the fuzz
tiki trash
I saw them play this in 87 along with 150-200 people at the U of M. Everyone was sitting
on the floor and I thought, "WTF? I thought this was gonna be a punk show". They had a super bright white spot light behind the band so that in the dark the band appeared only as silhouettes. To my mind it gave them a Zepplinesque vibe. On the floor in front of the band was a slowly rotating disco ball with a pin spot light on it that shone white rays like lasers through the strawberry scented fog, very low tech but very effective. Oh yeah, and the Lawrence Welk bubble machine cracked me up. They blew my mind and I've been a fan ever since. Girls used to wear shirts that said "member of the church of Wayne Coyne's hair" lol. I saw them again in 88 as a 3 piece. I consider myself very lucky to have seen them so early on.
Ryan Kieth
I saw them on the same tour. It was, and still is, one of the best shows I've ever seen.
tiki trash
@Ben Abraham Girls had on Tshirts that said, "member of the church of Wayne Coyne's hair."
Ben Abraham
Saw them probably around the same time at University of Florida in Gainesville.
tiki trash
On reflection it was probably more like 100 people in the room.
Rob Campbell
did not realize i had stored all of this song in my head for 20 years... haven't listened to it since i lost the vinyl, but still remember it so clearly upon hearing it
abecton87
when i was in college i was a radio dj. remembering that this song was nearly 10 minutes long, i would put it on everynight and go outside for a smoke. good memories.
OzricClown
OMG one of the greatest songs ever made... I was so lucky to witness this live!!
tiki trash
@Station 2Station About 150 people at the University of Montana and everyone was sitting on the floor.
tiki trash
I count myself in the lucky ones to see this live.