The Flying Lizards are known mostly for their singles featuring quirky but catchy covers of pop hits from the mid 1950s to early 1970s, cloaking the band's avant-garde sensibilities, in true post-modern fashion, in the guise of the then popular novelty genre. These covers were "Summertime Blues" (1978, original by Eddie Cochran), "Move On Up" (1981, original by Curtis Mayfield), "Sex Machine" (1984, original by James Brown) and "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" (1984, original by Larry Williams). But their biggest hit was their 1979 cover of Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)", which remains popular to this day due it having since become a regular staple in popular Hollywood movies and TV shows, such as The Wedding Singer, Empire Records, the first Charlie's Angels and Lord of War.
The unlikely success of their single "Money" allowed the band creative freedom to record their eponymous debut album, The Flying Lizards. Besides three covers, the 1979 album contained seven original tracks, which, typical for post-punk of the time, combined elements of Krautrock, dub and funk. Deborah Evans-Stickland and Vivien Goldman provided most of the vocals.
A cover of the 1922 Music Hall novelty song "The Laughing Policeman" was recorded in 1980 with Kit Hain (of the duo Marshall Hain) on vocals, but when the group's label Virgin was not interested in releasing it as a single, Cunningham took it to Arista and released it under the alias The Suspicions. The EP is now a rare collector's item.
The recording of the band's second album Fourth Wall was a more ambitious affair, featuring a proper horn section and guest musicians like Robert Fripp and Michael Nyman. The New York singer Patti Palladin of the duo Snatch did most of the vocals. Released in 1981, the album was a commercial failure despite being critically acclaimed.
The Flying Lizard's third (and last proper studio) album Top Ten consists entirely of covers, done in a deliberately emotionless, robotic style, featuring vocals by Sally Peterson. The album, released in 1984, makes use of the then-emerging digital technology such as sampling.
A posthumous album of dub instrumentals, The Secret Dub Life of the Flying Lizards, appeared in 1995, which contains remixes of existing dub reggae tracks recorded in Jamaica in 1978 by Jah Lloyd. As the original recordings were already mixed-down to mono, remixing them stretched the creativity of Cunningham and chums to the limits.
The Window
The Flying Lizards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(He's throwing things at the window)
Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)
Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)
Can you hear him bang on the window?
(He's throwing things at the window)
(Chorus):
I don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't...
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
(He's making holes to drain blood)
Sometimes you fight for the world
Sometimes you fight for yourself
Sometimes you fight for the world
Sometimes you fight for yourself
Should I sit and listen
Sit, wait, listen hoping that the door's shut tight?
The Flying Lizards's song "The Window" is a short and simple track with only a few lines of lyrics. The main theme of the song appears to be someone trying to get into a room by banging on the window and throwing things at it repeatedly. The singer expresses their reluctance to let this person into the room, wishing that they weren't so much larger than them. The use of repetition in the lyrics suggests an ongoing struggle between the two characters, and the chorus highlights the singer's desire to keep the other person out. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer may be contemplating sitting quietly and waiting for the danger to pass, possibly suggesting a feeling of helplessness in the face of a larger foe.
Overall, "The Window" is an intriguing and enigmatic song that leaves much up to interpretation. The lyrics could be seen as a metaphor for resisting outside forces or as a straightforward account of a physical altercation. The sparse instrumentation and repetitive structure of the song intensify the sense of mounting tension and create a surreal and unsettling atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you hear him bang on the window?
He's throwing things at the window
Can you hear him bang on the window?
He's throwing things at the window
Can you hear him bang on the window?
He's throwing things at the window
Can you hear him bang on the window?
He's throwing things at the window
I don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't twice my size
Don't want to let him in
I wish he wasn't...
I don't want to let him in because he's intimidating and I fear for my safety
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
Sometimes I think he's a vampire
He's making holes to drain blood, which is similar to what vampires are known for
Sometimes you fight for the world
Sometimes you fight for yourself
Sometimes you fight for the world
Sometimes you fight for yourself
At times, you have to choose between fighting for the greater good and fighting for your own well-being
Should I sit and listen
Sit, wait, listen hoping that the door's shut tight?
Should I stop and listen, and hope that the door is securely shut to keep him out?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VIVIEN GOLDMAN, VIVIEN ANNE GOLDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@l.a.9008
Also my favourite FL..genius. Great layering of vocals. I'd love to see a video for this.
@lannabofanna779
Greatly enjoying...we were creeped out about the possibility of someone entering our house last night; then this song came into my head from 38 years ago and haunted me all day. So glad for the Youtube upload and so satisfying to hear it again! Creepy, offbeat but creative and wonderful.
@HoodooDot
This tune is genius! Definitely my favourite lizards tune.. they kinda of reign in the mental just enough for it to be, for me, a perfect tune. A forgotten classic.
@thickbrianq
One of my all time favs! Flying Lizards 💙 💙 💙 💙
@joeyrider
my favourite too.... many thanks
@joeyrider
Everything Vivien Goldman is in glows! I can't stop listening to this and Launderette since ages I wish she had more material recorded
@l.a.9008
They had 3 female vocalists. This one apparently couldn't sing easily or well so she spoke the words..I love that approach. She sounds so cold, perfect for this song. Her name is Deborah Evans- Strickland. Blue eyes. Vivien Goldman has brown eyes. She sang The Window, my other favourite track.
@BuckViddy
...He's making holes to drain blood...... My favorite TFL song. Thanks for posting.
@biskadorwersonst8523
he´s making homes to drain blood
@peterweikl
thanks for posting this