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 Terror
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are all standing alone
The terror's in our heads
They don't control the controls
I turn to face the sun
We are still standing alone
At last we'll stand by the terror
We'll save the last sunshine
The way I long to go
We'll save the love, you'll still love
We're searching through the dark
We'll save the last sunshine
The way I long to go
We'll save the love, you'll still love
We're searching through the dark
We've all tried to come through
We've always tried to come through
We all stretched to come to this
The lyrics to The Flaming Lips's song The Terror explore themes of loneliness, fear, control, and hope. The repetition of the phrase "we are all standing alone" emphasizes a sense of isolation and separation from others, while the mention of "the terror" in our heads suggests a constant battle within ourselves. Despite this, the singer turns to face the sun, symbolizing a search for hope and light in the darkness.
The lines "we'll save the last sunshine" and "we're searching through the dark" express a desire to hold onto something good and meaningful in a world filled with uncertainty and fear. The idea of "taking control" suggests a need to assert agency and power over one's own thoughts and emotions, rather than letting them control us.
Overall, the song is a meditation on the human experience of navigating the often-dark terrain of the mind and seeking out sources of comfort and hope in an unpredictable world.
Line by Line Meaning
However long they love you
No matter how long you are loved, you will still feel alone and fearful.
We are all standing alone
Despite being surrounded by others, we are all ultimately alone with our own thoughts and emotions.
The terror's in our heads
Our fears and anxieties are not external forces, but internal ones that come from our own minds.
They don't control the controls
Although our fears may seem overwhelming, we still have control over our thoughts and actions.
I turn to face the sun
In the face of fear, we must look towards positivity and hope for a better future.
We are still standing alone
Despite our attempts to combat fear and loneliness, we are still ultimately alone in our struggles.
At last we'll stand by the terror
Instead of fighting against fear, we must learn to coexist with it and accept its presence in our lives.
It helps us take the controls
By accepting fear, we gain greater control over our own emotions and actions.
We'll save the last sunshine
In the midst of darkness, we will hold onto the last bit of hope and positivity.
The way I long to go
We all yearn for a better future, free from fear and anxiety.
We'll save the love, you'll still love
Even in the face of fear, we will hold onto love and all that it represents.
We're searching through the dark
Even when we feel lost and alone, we keep searching for a better way forward.
We've all tried to come through
Despite the difficulties we face, we have all tried to overcome our fears and challenges.
We've always tried to come through
Throughout our lives, we have continuously attempted to overcome our struggles and fears.
We all stretched to come to this
Everything we have experienced has led us to this moment, and we have all had to stretch ourselves to get here.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brunojoker102
(Correct Lyrics from the CD booklet)
"However love can help you
We are all standing alone
The terror's in our heads
We don't control the controls
I turn to face the sun
We are still standing alone
At last we'll sing of the terror
It helps us hold the controls
We'll sing in the sunshine
We'll laugh every day
We'll sing 'cause love will save us
The sunshine every day
Your voice says yes but I can't go on
Your voice says yes but I can go
More
What gives judgement the final word
When at once the sacred word
Can't be heard"
@spacebass79g98
Catching them live during this era was magical. The whole set was amazing. The Terror is and will be at the top of Flaming Lips albums.
@Phospherone
Agreed
@descendents7
The guy who said "yeah" at the end needs an award.
@Ernestoyt81
My dad always said: "Be careful with the flaming lips, Eugene"
@samatoha
Great observation, so ture but in a good way.
@graveytrain55
lol that's great
@Sauvenil
LOL Set Your Controls For The Heart Of The... Flaming Lips.
@Laizerdisk
Did he also tell you to be careful with that axe?
@mattykay1137
Yep PF and the lips
My favourite 😃
@pelon104m
I love that they never shy away from the weird darkness