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
The 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 Spark That Bled" by The Flaming Lips is a song that delves into the idea of an unexpected awakening. The singer starts the song by accidentally touching their head, and realizing they have been bleeding for a while. This is the spark that ignites their realization that something powerful and profound is happening. They become curious about what kind of weapons are being used, suggesting that they have been battling something insidious and invisible. However, they discover that the softest bullet ever shot is what has caused their awakening. They feel a surge of energy, like they are blaring like a trumpet, and they want to share this newfound confidence with the people around them.
As the singer's newfound energy spreads to other people, it becomes a trend, a fashion, and a chain reaction. People start to reach out in desperation, trying to hold onto something they never had. The song ends on a note of melancholy, as the singer realizes that their awakening was, in fact, not an awakening at all. There was no true reaction, just a momentary spark that bled.
The song's lyrics are reflective and thought-provoking. The Flaming Lips use metaphor and clever lyrics to convey a deeper message about life and the search for meaning. The song is rich in symbolism, suggesting that we all have a spark that can awaken us if we let it.
Line by Line Meaning
I accidentally touched my head
I unintentionally touched my head
And noticed that I had been bleeding
And realized that I was bleeding
For how long, I didn't know
I was unaware of 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 wondered what type of weapons my attackers had
The softest bullet ever shot?
I wondered if the weapon used was harmless
I stood up and I said yeah!
I made a decision to stand up and fight
From this moment on
From this point in time
Blaring like a trumpet
Loud and impactful
Coming from above us
Originating from overhead
And somewhere below
And from a lower location
The confidence of knowing
The feeling of being certain
Descending to relieve us
Descending to take away our troubles
Struggle to believe it's so
Difficult to believe that it could be true
I spoke up and I said yeah!
I spoke out and agreed to fight
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
It led to a series of events
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It was moving forward with energy
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
It was popular and trendy
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to
People had given up and stopped trying
Holding on to something that they never had
Trying to keep something that was never theirs
And that's too bad
That is unfortunate
Cause in reality there was no reaction
There was no real response to the situation
I stood up and I said hey, yeah, yeah, yeah!
I rose to the occasion and showed my support
Lyrics © 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.