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 Yeah Yeah Yeah Song Explained
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
If you could blow up the world with the flick of a switch
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
If you could make everybody poor just so you could be rich
Would you do it?
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your back
Would you do it?
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
If you could take all the love without giving any back
Would you do it?
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
And so we cannot know ourselves or what we'd really do
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
If you could make your own money and then give it to everybody
Would you do it?
No no no no no no no no no
If you knew all the answers and could give it to the masses
Would you do it?
No, no, no, no, no, no, are you crazy?
It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want
Because you cannot know yourself or what you'd really do
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ah (ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya)
Ah (ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya)
Ah (Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya)
Ah (ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya)
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song by The Flaming Lips poses a series of philosophical questions to the listeners about the extent to which one would go if bestowed with all the power in the world. The song poses a moral dilemma where the listener is questioned about blowing up the world, making everybody poor, laying on their back while others work, or taking all the love without giving any back. The song brings an introspective and reflective appeal to the listeners, questioning them and their moral standards. The question, “What would you do with all your power?,” is repeated in the song several times, calling for further contemplation and self-reflection. The refrain of the song is catchy and repetitive, which makes the song memorable, and the melody is upbeat and optimistic despite the seriousness of the lyrics.
Overall, The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song challenges listeners to think about what kind of a person they are and what they would do if given ultimate power, even if the answers are uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
A repeated and nonsensical phrase that emphasizes the idea of having abundant power.
If you could blow up the world with the flick of a switch/ Would you do it?
Asks the listener if they would use their immense power to destroy the world without consequence.
If you could make everybody poor just so you could be rich/ Would you do it?
Asks the listener if they would use their power to exploit others for their own financial gain.
If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your back/ Would you do it?
Asks the listener if they would use their power to be lazy and enjoy the labor of others.
If you could take all the love without giving any back/ Would you do it?
Asks the listener if they would take advantage of people's affection without returning it.
And so we cannot know ourselves or what we'd really do
Argues that it is impossible for anyone to truly know themselves and how they would use extreme power.
With all your power/ What would you do?
Repeats the central question of the song, asking the listener what they would do if they had unlimited power.
If you could make your own money and then give it to everybody/ Would you do it?
Asks the listener if they would use their power to generate wealth and distribute it evenly.
If you knew all the answers and could give it to the masses/ Would you do it?
Asks the listener if they would use their power to share their knowledge and provide answers to everyone.
It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want / Because you cannot know yourself or what you'd really do
Argues that following one's every desire without consideration for consequences can be dangerous and reveals one's true character.
Ah (ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya/ Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya)
A repeated and nonsensical phrase that maintains the song's emphasis on vast power.
With all your power/ What would you do?
Repeats the central question again, pressing the listener to consider their answer.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSEPH CARTAGENA, REMY SMITH, LALO SCHIFRIN, MARC SHEMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind