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
Turning Violent
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me about it
Turn, turn around
You aren't violent
Don't turn violent, oh
Turn on and on
Turn on and on
Turn on
Turn on
Turning violent
Tell me about it
Turn, turn around
You aren't violent
Don't turn violent, oh
Turn on and on
Turn on and on
Turn on and on
Turn on
Turn on and on
Turn on and on and on
Turn on and on
Turn on
Turning violent
Tell me about it
Turn, turn around
You aren't violent
Don't turn violent, oh
Turn on and on
Turn on and on
Turn on (listening and watching)
Turn on (watching and listening)
Turning violent
Tell me about it
Turn, turn around
You aren't violent
Don't turn violent, turn
Turn on and on (if you're violent)
Turn on and on (if you're sinister)
Turn on (listening and watching)
Turn on (watching and listening)
Turn on and on (listening and watching)
Turn on and on (watching and listening)
Turn on (turning violent)
Turn off
The lyrics to The Flaming Lips's song Turning Violent seem to be a plea for someone to resist their violent tendencies. The opening line "Turning violent, tell me about it" implies that the singer is concerned about someone's potential for violence and asks them to explain their thoughts and feelings. The repeated chorus of "Don't turn violent, oh" reinforces this message, urging the person to resist the urge to act out aggressively.
The verses are filled with language related to turning - "Turn, turn around" and "turn on and on" - which could be interpreted as a metaphor for spiraling out of control. The repetition of "turn on and on" has a hypnotic and almost trance-like quality, suggesting that the person is being drawn into a destructive pattern of behavior. However, the repeated refrain of "you aren't violent" offers some hope that the person can resist this pattern and avoid causing harm to themselves or others.
Overall, the lyrics of Turning Violent convey a sense of urgency and concern about violence and its potential consequences. The repetition of certain phrases and words creates a hypnotic and somewhat ominous atmosphere, but ultimately, the message is one of hope and a plea for people to resist the urge to lash out.
Line by Line Meaning
Turning violent
Addressing the fact that someone is becoming aggressive and agitated.
Tell me about it
Asking the person to provide more detail about the situation causing them to turn violent.
Turn, turn around
Asking the person to change direction and consider a different approach to the situation.
You aren't violent
Reassuring the person that they are not naturally a violent or aggressive individual.
Don't turn violent, oh
Imploring the person not to succumb to violent tendencies and to find a peaceful resolution instead.
Turn on and on
Repeatedly continuing a certain behavior or thought process without making any meaningful progress or change.
Turn on
Encouraging the person to become more engaged and invested in the situation, to be fully present in the moment.
Turn on and on and on
Emphasizing the idea of being stuck in a cycle of unproductive behavior or negative thinking.
Turn on (listening and watching)
Suggesting that it's important to pay attention to what's going on around you in order to better understand the situation.
Turn on (watching and listening)
Reinforcing the message that observation and reflection can be crucial tools in deescalating a situation.
Turn on and on (if you're violent)
Highlighting the destructive nature of violent behavior, and urging the person not to let it consume them.
Turn on and on (if you're sinister)
Acknowledging the possibility that hidden or malicious intentions could be behind someone's violent behavior.
Turn on (turning violent)
Recognizing that the situation may escalate to violence if not dealt with properly.
Turn off
A call to action to stop unproductive or harmful behaviors and thoughts, and find a more positive path forward.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KLIPH SCURLOCK, MICHAEL IVINS, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@getit9066
Hammer & Sickle - the appropriate symbol for this song.
@rea12326
You guys need to release a Terror live album. Man, I'd buy the hell out of that.
@faust3530
People don't like the terror? Really? It's definitely in their top 5 albums for me
@ArseLoad0fMetal666
It's definately completely different to their other big albums. I don't mind The Terror, but as I only got into them the last couple of years, I wish they'd play stuff NOT from the last two albums! Yoshimi, Soft Bulletin, Sattelite Heart, and Clouds Taste Metallica are ALL seminal CLASSIC albums, how come we only get to hear a single or two off any of these any more!
@mattydigs
ArseLoad0fMetal666
Because they played those songs for many, many years. In some cases, a decade. I love Yoshimi battles the pink robots 1 too but i understand why they'd want to get rid of it after 10 fucking years lol
@mr.radiolips4964
rim shot.
@momo_genX
What are your top 5 albums? Mine are the early stuff. This is very good, but it is post-Do You Realize?
@gabegaulden3372
I love how the lips evolve in every album and people think its bad well that's the point of being a say it with me now EXPERIMENTAL BAND
@waddafugg3072
Wanna know a funny quirk of experiments? Sometimes they succeed and other times they fail. Don't go belittling people because they don't like an album.
@broshem
I was brought up in a violent home. This song soothes my soul.