Scratching the Door
The Flaming Lips Lyrics


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I went out for a walk in the mornin
what did I see
a great big hole in the ground where the world used to be
and it smelled like it'd been burned
and it wasn't gonna turn
and I never thought that it would happen on a day like today
I went out for a walk in the mornin
to see my friend
and discovered that the planet had come to an end
and it didn't take too long
and I knew that it was wrong
and I never thought that it would happen on a day like today

It smelled like it'd been burned
and It wasn't gonna turn
and I never thought that it would happen on a day like today

I went out for a walk in the mornin'
to smell the air
I breathed it in and there was nothin' there
My lungs get full of pain




and I'm drinkin' acid rain
and I never thought that it would happen on a day like today

Overall Meaning

The Flaming Lips’ song “Scratching the Door” is a powerful commentary on the catastrophic effects of human activities on the environment. The song opens with the singer taking a morning walk and stumbling upon a terrible sight, a great big hole in the ground where the world used to be. The hole smells like it’s been burned and it’s not going to turn. These disturbing visuals suggest that a massive environmental disaster has taken place, possibly caused by human actions. The singer expresses his disbelief at the fact that such a catastrophic event could happen on a beautiful day like today.


The second verse of the song is equally disturbing as the singer goes out to see a friend and discovers that the planet has come to an end. He knew that it was wrong and it didn’t take too long. This suggests that the damage done to the environment was the result of reckless and irresponsible human behavior. The singer’s protestation that he never thought this would happen on a beautiful day like today creates a sense of urgency and despair. In the final verse, the singer goes out to smell the air and finds nothing there. His lungs fill up with pain as he breathes in acid rain, another powerful metaphor for the destruction that humans have unleashed upon the planet.


Overall, “Scratching the Door” is a haunting commentary on the damage that humans have done to the environment. The images of a burned-out world, acid rain, and the absence of any natural life create a sense of urgency and hopelessness that is hard to ignore. The lyrics suggest that humans need to take responsibility for their actions and make changes before it’s too late.


Line by Line Meaning

I went out for a walk in the mornin
I took a stroll in the morning


what did I see
And what did I come across


a great big hole in the ground where the world used to be
But to my surprise, I saw a massive pit where the world once existed


and it smelled like it'd been burned
It had a scent of something set ablaze


and it wasn't gonna turn
The situation was irreversible


and I never thought that it would happen on a day like today
I was stunned, as I never reckoned such an occurrence could happen on a day like that


to see my friend
I had left to meet my acquaintance


and discovered that the planet had come to an end
To my dismay, I learned that the realm had ended


and it didn't take too long
The destruction happened relatively quickly


and I knew that it was wrong
I sensed that it was an immoral occurrence


I went out for a walk in the mornin'
Again, I took another walk the next morning


It smelled like it'd been burned
The smell of scorch lingered in the air


and It wasn't gonna turn
It was a non-reparable situation


I went out for a walk in the mornin'
Once more, I went for a walk early in the morning


to smell the air
To breath the fresh air


I breathed it in and there was nothin' there
But when I inhaled, there seemed to be no air


My lungs get full of pain
I felt my chest stuffed with discomfort


and I'm drinkin' acid rain
It appeared that I was consuming rain tainted with acid


and I never thought that it would happen on a day like today
I never envisioned this to arise on such a day




Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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