The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??

"You realize the sun doesn't go down.
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round."

Album: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots [10th album]
Recorded: New York, USA
Genre: Rock, Neo-Psychedelia
Album Release: July 16th 2002
Single Release: August 19th 2002 [Lead single]
Length: 3:33
Producer: The Flaming Lips and Dave Fridmann
Vocals: Wayne Coyne [age 41]
Label: Warner Brothers

Music video


On Conan from 2002

Charts, Sales & Streams

USA (albums): Certified gold (500,000 sales)
Spotify: 90,000,000
YouTube Music: 18,000,000

Credits

Details

• "Whenever I analyze the scientific realities of what it means to be here on Earth, in this galaxy,  spinning around the sun, flying though space, a terror shock seizes me. I’m reminded once again of how precarious our whole existence is." - Wayne Coyne


• "There would have been no way that we could have known that it was going to have this other power where people use it at their deaths of their grandmother’s and the births of their sons and daughters." (Wayne Coyne talking to Yahoo)
  


• Was named the official rock song of the state of Oklahoma after winning a public vote in 2009. In 2013 the title was revoked.
• Wayne Coyne wrote the song during breaks from recording Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. He could overhear the horrors of bandmate Steven Drozd trying to quit heroin in the next room and became inspired to write a song that celebrates the all too delicate gift we call life which can be beautiful in its darkest moments.
  
• While recording the album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Wayne Coyne would take breaks and listen to the cries of bandmate Steven Drozd who was attempting to quit heroin.
• Recorded in Brooklyn, New York.
  
• There is a cover version by Sharon Van Etten.
• Coyne describes the song as the one he is most proud of (talking to NME)
  

Artwork