The Flaming Lips is an American neo-psychedelic band, formed in Oklahoma Ci… Read Full Bio ↴The Flaming Lips is an American neo-psychedelic band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States in 1983. Throughout their career, band members have come and gone, but currently The Flaming Lips consist of original members Wayne Coyne (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Michael Ivins (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), along with members Steven Drozd (drums, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Derek Brown (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). Former members include Mark Coyne (lead vocals), Richard English (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), Nathan Roberts (drums), Jonathan Donahue (guitar, backing vocals), who went on to form Mercury Rev, Ronald Jones (guitar, backing vocals), and Kliph Scurlock (drums).

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

What Is the Light?
The Flaming Lips Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What is the light
That you have
Shining all around you?
Is it chemically derived?

'Cause if it's natural
Something glowing from inside
Shining all around you

Its potential has arrived

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the place that you're drawn to
Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the face that you're drawn to

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the place that you're drawn to
Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the face that you're drawn to

What is the light
That you have

Shining all around you?
Is it chemically derived?

Overall Meaning

The Flaming Lips's "What Is the Light?" is a song that attempts to explore the existential question of the meaning of human existence. The opening lines, "What is the light that you have shining all around you?" ask the listener to reflect on the source of their inner light, and whether it is derived from external factors such as chemical substances, or whether it is natural and intrinsic to themselves. The lyrics suggest that the latter is more powerful, as something glowing from inside has a potential that has arrived.

The song moves on to explore the connection between inner light, love, and space. The lyrics state that looking into space, the light surrounds and draws one to the place of love. The idea of love being the place that one is drawn to, and the face that one sees in the light, suggests that the search for meaning and purpose in life can be found through the love and connection we have with others.

Line by Line Meaning

What is the light
Questioning the source and nature of the light

That you have
Referencing the light surrounding the listener

Shining all around you?
Emphasizing the pervasive nature of the light

Is it chemically derived?
Asking whether the light is produced artificially or naturally

'Cause if it's natural
Introducing the possibility of the light being natural

Something glowing from inside
Suggesting that the light may come from within oneself

Shining all around you
Reiterating that the light surrounds the listener

Its potential has arrived
Noting the significance of the light's presence

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Describing how the light envelops the listener

Love is the place that you're drawn to
Imagery that suggests love as a destination

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Continuation of the earlier description

Love is the face that you're drawn to
A variation on the earlier line that emphasizes the attraction to love

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Repetition for emphasis

Love is the place that you're drawn to
Final reminder of the listener's attraction to love

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL IVINS, STEVEN DROZD, WAYNE COYNE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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What is the light
That you have
Shining all around you?
Is it chemically derived?

'Cause if it's natural
Something glowing from inside
Shining all around you
Its potential has arrived

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the place that you're drawn to
Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the face that you're drawn to

Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the place that you're drawn to
Looking into space, it surrounds you
Love is the face that you're drawn to

What is the light
That you have
Shining all around you?
Is it chemically derived?