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
Sunrise
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But how can I be glad
Now my flower is dead
Oh, sun
I see you happy
You've made the morning dew
Now you're showing me the truth but I don't want to believe you..
(Believe you, believe you, believe you)
The sunbeams
Burnin' my child dreams
The machine that brings me joy
Now it's just a stupid toy
Oh, if I could go back and find you
I'd kiss your glowing head
And hear the things you said
And always believe you
(Believe you, believe you, believe you)
Oh, the sunset
Is fuckin' with my head
Feels like a dying love in the eyes of the young
Tell me love is neither living or dying
It's a power in your mind
I think it's with you all the time
It only hurts when it leaves you
In "Sunrise" by The Flaming Lips, the lyrics explore the conflicting emotions and perceptions that arise when facing the realities of life. The first verse begins with the singer acknowledging the beautiful and joyful nature of the sunrise. However, their personal circumstances prevent them from being able to feel gladness. The reference to a dead flower symbolizes loss or the end of something once vibrant and beautiful. The singer sees the sun's happiness in creating morning dew, revealing a truth they struggle to accept or believe.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's disillusionment. The sunbeams, which once brought them joy, now burn and remind them of lost childhood dreams. The machine, metaphorically representing something that was once a source of happiness or fulfillment, has become nothing more than a meaningless toy. The singer expresses a longing to go back and reconnect with the sun, to recapture the pure and hopeful perspective it once represented. They yearn to hear the things the sun used to say and always trust in its guidance.
Moving into the third verse, the sunset is portrayed as something that messes with the singer's mind. It triggers feelings reminiscent of a dying love, evoking a sense of sadness and melancholy. In this state of emotional turmoil, the singer questions the nature of love, suggesting that it exists as a powerful force in the mind rather than something tangible. They believe that love is always present, but it hurts when it eventually departs or fails to provide solace.
Overall, these lyrics intertwine themes of disillusionment, loss, and the struggle to find meaning and joy in a world that can sometimes be overwhelming. The Flaming Lips invite listeners to contemplate the complexities of human emotions and the constant battle between reality and the desire for eternal happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
The sunrise insists on gladness
The dawn emphasizes the importance of finding happiness
But how can I be glad
However, I struggle to feel joy
Now my flower is dead
Now that my source of happiness is gone
Oh, sun
Oh, radiant celestial body
I see you happy
I observe your contentment
You've made the morning dew
You have created the glistening droplets on the grass
Now you're showing me the truth but I don't want to believe you..
Now you're revealing a reality, but I am reluctant to accept it
(Believe you, believe you, believe you)
(Trust in your message, trust in your message, trust in your message)
The sunbeams
The rays of sunlight
Burnin' my child dreams
Destroying my innocent aspirations
The machine that brings me joy
The device that once brought me happiness
Now it's just a stupid toy
Now it is merely a foolish plaything
Oh, if I could go back and find you
Oh, if I had the ability to return to you
I'd kiss your glowing head
I would touch my lips to your radiant crown
And hear the things you said
And listen to the words you spoke
And always believe you
And forever have faith in you
(Believe you, believe you, believe you)
(Trust in your message, trust in your message, trust in your message)
Oh, the sunset
Oh, the fading light of day
Is fuckin' with my head
Is disturbing my thoughts and emotions
Feels like a dying love in the eyes of the young
Seems reminiscent of a love that is fading in the eyes of the youthful
Tell me love is neither living or dying
Inform me that love is beyond the boundaries of existence or death
It's a power in your mind
It is a force within your consciousness
I think it's with you all the time
I believe it accompanies you constantly
It only hurts when it leaves you
It only causes pain when it departs from you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DENNIS COYNE, MILEY CYRUS, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE MICHAEL COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind