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
Us and Them
The Flaming Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And after all we're only ordinary men
Me and you
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
And the General sat, and the lines on the map
Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up and down
And in the end it's only 'round and 'round and 'round
"Haven't you heard it's a battle of words?"
The poster bearer cried
"Listen son," said the man with the gun
"There's room for you inside."
Down and out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
With, without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about
Get out of the way, it's a busy day
And I've got things on my mind
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died
The Flaming Lips & Stardeath And White Dwarfs's song "Us And Them" is a rendition of the classic Pink Floyd song about the absurdity of war and the way it tears people apart. The song describes the opposing sides in a war, referred to as "us and them," and how they are really just "ordinary men" who wouldn't choose to fight if given the choice. The chorus reminds us that despite differences in appearance or ideology, we are all human beings who ultimately share more in common than we realize.
The song delves into the chaotic nature of war, with lines like "Forward he cried from the rear / And the front rank died" and "Black and blue / And who knows which is which and who is who." These lyrics paint a vivid picture of the confusion and destruction of war, where it is difficult to even discern who the enemy is. The General's detachment from the battlefield is also highlighted, as he sits safely looking at the lines on the map while soldiers are dying in front of him.
The song also touches on the propaganda and manipulation that often accompanies war. The line "Haven't you heard it's a battle of words? / The poster bearer cried" is a reference to the propaganda posters used to recruit soldiers. The next line, "Listen son," said the man with the gun / "There's room for you inside," is a cynical take on the way young men are often convinced to fight in wars they don't fully understand.
Overall, "Us And Them" is a poignant commentary on the senselessness of war and the way it dehumanizes those who are forced to fight in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Us and them
There's a clear division between groups of people
And after all we're only ordinary men
No matter which group you're in, everyone is just a regular person
Me and you
This line reinforces the idea that everyone is the same
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
Despite being ordinary, people can still make choices that are not ideal
Forward he cried from the rear
Leaders often don't lead from the front
And the front rank died
The people at the front often bear the brunt of conflict
And the General sat, and the lines on the map moved from side to side
Those in charge make decisions that affect many without being directly involved themselves
Black and blue
Conflicts can be violent and cause harm
And who knows which is which and who is who
In conflicts, it can be tough to tell who is right and who is wrong
Up and down
Conflicts can be tumultuous and chaotic
And in the end it's only 'round and 'round and 'round
Despite all the chaos, it can feel like nothing really changes
"Haven't you heard it's a battle of words?"
Conflicts can involve a lot of rhetoric rather than action
The poster bearer cried
This line is a reference to propaganda and the people who spread it
"Listen son," said the man with the gun
Those in power often use violence to quell opposition
"There's room for you inside."
The powerful often try to recruit others to their cause
Down and out
Some people are in positions of struggle and difficulty
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
Struggle is a common experience that many people share
With, without
Some people have more resources than others
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about
Resources are often a significant factor in conflict
Get out of the way, it's a busy day
Some people are too focused on their own lives and goals to be concerned with the struggles of others
And I've got things on my mind
People who are too focused on their own goals may not be prioritizing the right things
For want of the price of tea and a slice
Even something small like a cup of tea and a piece of bread can make a difference in someone's life
The old man died
This line reinforces the idea that people's struggles can have serious, sometimes fatal consequences
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard William Wright, George Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dbzphish84
Dang, there's something about the lyrics that i just love. They just sound so human in their imperfection, vulnerable almost. I never heard of the flaming lips before but based on this cover i'd say there hella creative.
Joe Johnson
Probably my fave off PF's album. This sounds nice as well.
DuppyBruh
Such a good cover I cant help but come back for more
Raust
this is my favorite track off of dark side of the moon. this is a very interesting interpretation of it.
Heinzes
Fantastic version of my favourite Pink Floyd tune! Lovin' this shit.
AlyssaQ420
To me, The Flaming Lips (and maybe Tool) are the only band that can cover Pink Floyd without completely crucifying the song. They did a pretty good job.
Jason G.
The beauty of art is it challenges us to think for ourselves. not everyone HAS to like it, :)
Ron
So, so beautiful. This is a virtual crossing of the streams and our universe, as we know it, is forever changed.
funjohnnie40
Wow, how did I miss this?? I heard this for the first time last night on CBC radio, dropped everything and just sat enraptured....
FlakyShaky
This is beautiful, and I'm a huge Floyd fan