#69 "Fight Test" by The Flaming Lips

Somehow I got my alphabet mixed up and forgot to do this song before I did "Fire." Sorry, folks.

"Fight Test" is the first song from the Flaming Lips' wonderful 2002 album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." I think I'd heard of them before. No, I didn't remember that they were once the featured band at The Peach Pit in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. Yeah... don't laugh. You know you watched it too. Their name must have stuck in my mind for some reason, and when this album came out there was certainly a lot of press about it. I just remember that one day I was walking around Border Books and saw this on one of the listening stations. I listened to a few of the songs and was definitely curious. Coincidentally enough, one of my students came by the following Monday and said, "I've got this really cool album for you to check out" and gave me a copy of this cd. I thought it was so cool... inventive, unique, intelligent, tuneful, emotional, silly... so many things wrapped up into one. Though the Lips can descend into their own abyss of madness and creativity sometimes, they can also write really great songs when they want to.

The lyrics to "Fight Test" seem to be about avoiding confrontation... because being standoffish and indifferent seem to be the cooler way to be. In the beginning of the song, frontman Wayne Coyne sings "When it came time to fight, I thought that I'd just step aside and that time would prove you wrong and that you would be a fool." Later he realizes the err of his thinking and has the great lines, "There are things you can't avoid. You have to face them... when you're not prepared to face them." In the end he realizes that he's too late and that he let "the other guy" win. It's a great song about growing up and trying to figure out what kind of person you want to be and what kind of person you should be. And like a lot of the Lips' songs, there are interesting philosophical moments with a chorus that goes "I don't know where the sunbeams end and the starlight begins... it's all a mystery." I love that line. It's one of those great things that people just never think about, but is right there for your consideration.

"Fight Test" is from the album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.