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
Powerless
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You should do what you enjoy
No one is ever really powerless
That's what she said when she gave me a kiss
No one is ever really powerless
Now I think I know what that really is
It only happens if you try
Pain and pleasure both get you high
No one is ever really powerless
That's what she said, now I can't forget
No one is ever realy powerless
Now I think I know what that really is
The lyrics of The Flaming Lips's song Powerless touch upon themes of self-doubt, anxiety, and the pursuit of happiness. The suggestion that the addressee is 'just paranoid' implies that they are overthinking things and not doing what they enjoy. The singer then repeats the phrase 'no one is ever really powerless,' which could be interpreted as a comforting sentiment, but also ironic given that the song is called 'Powerless.'
The repeated refrain suggests that powerlessness is not actually a state of being, but rather a perception. If one tries, they can exert control over their circumstances and experiences. This becomes clearer in the second verse, where the lines 'It only happens if you try / Pain and pleasure both get you high' acknowledge that striving for one's desires, even if it involves taking risks, can be rewarding.
The song could be seen as encouraging listeners to resist feelings of powerlessness and pursue their passions. At the same time, it acknowledges that this can be a difficult process. The line 'now I think I know what that really is' could imply that the singer has also struggled with feeling powerless, but has come to understand how to overcome it.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, you're just paranoid
Don't worry too much, you're imagining things
You should do what you enjoy
Instead of worrying, do what makes you happy
No one is ever really powerless
Everyone has some degree of control or agency in their lives
That's what she said when she gave me a kiss
Someone reassured the artist about their powerlessness
No one is ever really powerless
Reinforcing the idea that people are not helpless
Now I think I know what that really is
The singer has gained insight into what powerlessness truly means
It only happens if you try
You only achieve things if you put in the effort
Pain and pleasure both get you high
Both positive and negative experiences can be intense and meaningful
No one is ever really powerless
Repeating the idea that people are not helpless
That's what she said, now I can't forget
The reassurance about powerlessness stuck with the artist
No one is ever really powerless
Reinforcing once again that people have agency
Now I think I know what that really is
The artist has fully grasped the meaning of powerlessness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYNE COYNE, STEVEN DROZD, MICHAEL IVINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stolen Halo
"Honey, you're just paranoid
You should do what you enjoy
No one is ever really powerless
That's what she said when she gave me a kiss
No one is ever really powerless
Now I think I know what that really is
It only happens if you try
Pain and pleasure both get you high
No one is ever really powerless
That's what she said, now I can't forget
No one is ever realy powerless
Now I think I know what that really is"
Dr. Jeremy Dunks
This album's really incredible. One of their best. Right up there with Clouds and Yoshimi. I love this band's ability to completely alter themselves from album to album. They always sound fresh and new. Bravo, Wayne, you're a damned genius.
Damien Cole
ten years later it still stands out
Merging Marky
Drozd is The Real Scientist tho even bk when he was bashing the drums with Ronald Jones still intact, Wayne's great tho. Usahead😁
DylanK
Soft Bulletin is also top 5
Boardrider93
They have the most unbelievable concerts
JustaPaperbagWriter
Easily one of my favorites off embryonic. The guitar that comes in around 3 and a half minutes in is just fantastic
William J Ellingsworth
this song sounds so good in head phones. this album is really such a blessing. best in ten years I say.
E. James Lange
This video is so simplistic, it's classy. I think one key aspect most people are over looking is that though the girl escapes, her blindfold remains over her eyes. I wonder if she really escaped, then?
notreallybandfromottawa
I love this band.
Stiffkittens Reviews
one of my fave songs from embryonic - it's a real grower! Love what they do with the guitar solo here! The flips seem to have a thing with monkeys recently - first the monkey used on the backdrop during evil on the tour, now this!