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
Spark That Bled
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
What was this, I thought, that struck me?
What kind of weapons have they got?
The softest bullet ever shot?
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
From this moment on
Blaring like a trumpet
Coming from above us
And somewhere below
The confidence of knowing
Descending to relieve us
Struggle to believe it's so
I stood up and I said yeah!
I spoke up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to
Holding on to something that they never had
And that's too bad
'Cause in reality there was no reaction
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
The Flaming Lips’ song “The Spark” is a dynamic and philosophical track that explores the nature of power, identity, and authenticity. At the beginning of the song, the singer accidentally touches their head and realizes that they have been bleeding for some time, prompting them to wonder what could have caused this injury. The lyrics suggest that the source of the injury may be metaphorical rather than physical, as the singer questions what kind of weapons “they” have and whether this was caused by the softest bullet ever shot. This sense of confusion and questioning continues as the singer stands up and proclaims “yeah!” and “hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!” It’s not clear what the singer is standing up against or for, but their confident defiance is palpable.
As the song progresses, the singer’s proclamations become more abstract and poetic. They refer to a blaring trumpet coming from above and below, a confidence that is descending to relieve them, and a struggle to believe it’s all true. These images suggest a higher power or force that is at work, perhaps offering the singer some kind of guidance or revelation. Meanwhile, the people around the singer are holding on to something they’ve never had, resigned to a fate that may not be real. The song ends where it began, with the singer accidentally touching their head and realizing that they have been bleeding for an unknown amount of time. Through it all, the singer seems to be grappling with a difficult and complex sense of purpose and identity, trying to find their way in an uncertain world.
Line by Line Meaning
I accidentally touched my head
I unconsciously touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
And realized that I was bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
I didn't know how long I had been bleeding
What was this, I thought, that struck me?
I wondered what had hit me
What kind of weapons have they got?
I questioned what type of weaponry was used against me
The softest bullet ever shot?
Was it the gentlest missile that was fired?
I stood up and I said yeah!
I rose to my feet with excitement and exclaimed 'yeah!'
From this moment on
Starting at this second
Blaring like a trumpet
Resounding like a trumpet
Coming from above us
Reverberating from overhead
And somewhere below
And somewhere beneath us
The confidence of knowing
The assurance of understanding
Descending to relieve us
Descending to alleviate us
Struggle to believe it's so
Difficult to accept that it's true
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up again, excitedly stating 'yeah!'.
I spoke up and I said yeah!
I declared loudly 'yeah!'
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
I rose to my feet, repeating joyfully 'hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!'
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
And it appeared to start a series of events
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It had force and was becoming popular
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
It was the current trend and fashionable
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to
People who reached out had accepted that they
Holding on to something that they never had
They were grasping on to something they never truly had
And that's too bad
And that is regrettable
'Cause in reality there was no reaction
Because there was actually no response
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jeff Chavarria
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
What was this, I thought, that struck me?
What kind of weapons have they got?
The softest bullet ever shot?
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
From this moment on
Blaring like a trumpet
Coming from above us
And somewhere below
The confidence of knowing
Descending to relieve us
Struggle to believe it's so
I stood up and I said yeah!
I spoke up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to
Holding on to something that they never had
And that's too bad
'Cause in reality there was no reaction
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
Akshit
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
What was this, I thought, that struck me?
What kind of weapons have they got?
The softest bullet ever shot?
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
From this moment on
Blaring like a trumpet
Coming from above us
And somewhere below
The confidence of knowing
Descending to relieve us
Struggle to believe it's so
I stood up and I said yeah!
I spoke up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to
Holding on to something that they never had
And that's too bad
'Cause in reality there was no reaction
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
georgeharrison70
My God, The Soft Bulletin is such an excellent album. It's truly one of the best albums of the 90s.
Branco Canales
apart of which ones?
Kevin Thomas
I agree and there was so much good shit in the 90's: Neutral Milk Hotel, Teenage Fanclub, Pavement, Elliott Smith... the list goes on. This album is amazing and right up there, one of my favorites.
geoffrey eltgroth
I thought this album was from the early 2000s, regardless good stuff
jeff Chavarria
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
What was this, I thought, that struck me?
What kind of weapons have they got?
The softest bullet ever shot?
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
From this moment on
Blaring like a trumpet
Coming from above us
And somewhere below
The confidence of knowing
Descending to relieve us
Struggle to believe it's so
I stood up and I said yeah!
I spoke up and I said yeah!
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to
Holding on to something that they never had
And that's too bad
'Cause in reality there was no reaction
I accidentally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
Gabriel Bizzlebop
the bohemian rhapsody of our time. I truly believe it. this album is one of the best albums ever put together.
nap
WRONG
sir psycho sussy
@nap ha
Syndiate
@nap WRONG
Daniel J. H. McDonald
I can't believe I haven't heard this until 2017. This is absolutely beautiful. Automatic favorite.