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
Thank You
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goes like this"
Backstage in Detroit
And the room is full of smoke and apprehension
We'd been playing shows
As the warm-up and the band for Beck Hanson
Then he handed me this wonderful statue.
And I said, "Thank you Jack White
For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me."
It shined so bright
That I couldn't help believin' it would save me.
When I finally got it home
My whole neighborhood was a-glow
And I said, "Thank you Jack White
For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me."
(Here comes the down)
(Oh Yeah!)
Jack and Meg are funny
They got a modern backwards-liberal family code
Brother and sister
Playing rock 'n' roll and doing it on the road
I bet that van begin to stink
But then I wonder - oh - what Christ would think.
I said, "Thank you Jack White
For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me."
It shined so bright
That I couldn't help believin' it would save me.
And when I finally got it home
My whole neighborhood was a-glow
And I said, "Thank you Jack White
For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me."
(Nice one)
In the song "Thank You" by The Flaming Lips, the singer tells a story of a special gift he received from Jack White, whom he didn't know very well at the time. The story takes place backstage in Detroit during a tour where The Flaming Lips were the warm-up band for Beck Hanson. Jack enters the room, greets the band, and hands the singer a fiber-optic statue of Jesus. The gift shone so brightly that the singer couldn't help but believe it would save him. He takes it home, and the whole neighborhood is aglow. The song ends with the singer thanking Jack White for the gift.
The lyrics showcase the power of art to bring light and hope in the midst of darkness and apprehension. The fiber-optic Jesus is a symbol of the hope and beauty that can be found in the midst of what sometimes seems like chaos or confusion. The singer expresses gratitude not only for the gift but for Jack's and Meg's unique musical identity and family dynamics.
The lyrics also hint at the fact that Jack White and The Flaming Lips have a close relationship. Jack's gift represents a bond between them that goes beyond mere acquaintances.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell ya a story about a very special gift I received from a, from a man that I didn't know very well. But he brightened up the night and made it one of the great shining moments of our long tour.
I want to share a story about a gift I received from someone I didn't know well. He made our night memorable and special during a long tour.
Backstage in Detroit And the room is full of smoke and apprehension We'd been playing shows As the warm-up and the band for Beck Hanson In walks Jack, says - "How'd ya do?" (Oh yeah) Then he handed me this wonderful statue.
We were in Detroit backstage, feeling nervous and had been playing as a warm-up band for Beck. Suddenly, Jack White walks in and greets us. He then gives me a wonderful statue as a gift.
And I said, "Thank you Jack White
For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me."
It shined so bright
That I couldn't help believin' it would save me.
When I finally got it home
My whole neighborhood was a-glow
And I said, "Thank you Jack White
For the fiber-optic Jesus that you gave me."
I thanked Jack White for giving me a fiber-optic statue of Jesus. It was so bright I almost believed it could save me. When I got home, my whole neighborhood was lit up and I thanked Jack again for the gift.
Jack and Meg are funny
They got a modern backwards-liberal family code
Brother and sister
Playing rock 'n' roll and doing it on the road
I bet that van begin to stink
But then I wonder - oh - what Christ would think.
Jack and Meg White have a unique, liberal family dynamic and are siblings playing rock music on the road. I wonder what Jesus would think of their van's smell.
Contributed by Caden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.