State Rock Song

[swake]

First off, I like the Lips and I like this song.

But.

What in the hell? This song was at best a very minor hit by a moderately famous indie group, very few people know it. Worse, the song in no way  mentions Oklahoma or anything about the state.

I would have thought this should have been some sort of iconic hit song by a famous state artist that talks about the state.

[charky]

First off, I like the Lips and I like this song.

But.

What in the hell? This song was at best a very minor hit by a moderately famous indie group, very few people know it. Worse, the song in no way  mentions Oklahoma or anything about the state.

I would have thought this should have been some sort of iconic hit song by a famous state artist that talks about the state.

Personally I love the choice...a bit cheeky...although I would've probably gone with the Leon Russell song. But I'll give it up to the Lips...a great 25+ year career...and they've never given up on Oklahoma. Wayne Coyne still lives in OKC.

[HazMatCFO]

I am a Flaming Lips fan and think it's a good choice. Good lyrics, good song and the Lips are good Ambassadors for the State.

MMBop by the Hanson Brothers would have been the choice if we went by the Billboard top 40. I don't think so.

[Chicken Little]

I didn't see anything on the the big hoo-haw over the adoption of the state rock song.  Here's a a couple of articles to summarize:

4/24/09 Tulsa World - Henry steps in after House blisters Lips

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House on Thursday killed a measure to make "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips the state's official rock song. But Gov. Brad Henry will sign an executive order Tuesday, naming the Flaming Lips song as the official rock song of Oklahoma...

...Some legislators believe that a shirt worn by Flaming Lips bassist Michael Ivins when the vote winner was announced at the Capitol on March 2 was offensive. Ivins wore a red T-shirt with a yellow star-and-sickle logo, underneath a blazer. "I don't know why he made the choice to do that," said Rep. Corey Holland, R-Marlow. "The great thing about this country is he has the right to make whatever statement he wants to make. I have the right to be offended by that." 

4/25/09 Tulsa World - Coyne: Lips song targeted by 'wackos'

Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne spoke out Friday about a state House vote that killed a resolution naming the band's 2002 hit "Do You Realize??" as the official state rock song.

"It's a small minority of religious wackos that think they can tell everybody what to wear and what to say and what to do and what music is right for the rest of the world. And all the smart, normal, rational people of Oklahoma know better," Coyne said during a phone interview with the Tulsa World...

4/25/09 Oklahoman - Song fight isn't rocking Flaming Lips' world

...Rep. Corey Holland, R-Marlow, said Thursday he was offended band member Michael Ivins wore a red T-shirt with a yellow hammer-and-sickle emblem when he visited the Capitol on March 2.
Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, also fought the measure, denouncing Coyne for using the "F-word" at a 2007 event christening Bricktown's Flaming Lips Alley.

"These naysayers who want to talk about me saying (profanities) and Michael wearing this T-shirt, everybody can see through how silly this stuff is," Coyne said. "I figured that no matter what happened, people would come to our rescue. People would have a reason to really fight for us and say, 'No, this isn't what Oklahoma is all about.' ... And I think the governor is very cool, how he's come to our rescue."

[Hawkins]

I stopped listening to "modern" radio about 10 years ago. I don't live in a closet though, I do know who Britney Spears is and what not, but I can honestly say I've never heard of the Flamin' Lips.

Thank You God.

I have, unfortunately heard of the recent exploits of our State Government, and I have to say, these two different types of idiocy are a match made in heaven.

Why, exactly, were we going to pass a law to make a State "rock" song? This whole thing had Fark written all over it from the start.

Music changes. IMO, it isn't worth listening to anymore. That could change in another 10 years. For this reason alone, making an official rock song for our state seems pretty narrow-minded.

But they do it anyway, and this guy shows up wearing a Soviet emblem T-shirt.

What a dork. Although Oklahoma is indeed plagued by an over-abundance of right-wing, overly-religious people (as he called them after he was scorned for his stupidity), this was a bad, bad move to make because we almost went to war with the Soviets, and that shirt represented the enemy of freedom from 1945 to the late eighties. It had NOTHING to do with overly-religious right-wingers.

Whats really, really sad, is that I know several people who have graduated from various Oklahoma high-schools this decade that are completely unaware of what the Cold War was. I'm not kidding.

This came to my attention during the latest "Indiana Jones" movie, when I had to explain to a girl sitting next to me who the KGB was, what the "Red Army" was, etc, etc... all the way through the film. 

Our educational system is ruined, the State Government is responsible for that to a great extent--so much so that they have spawned a generation of dumb people like this 'Lips' singer fellow, who probably himself doesn't know what the Cold War was.

--

[waterboy]

Why are you holding such a grudge against Russia? The cold war is over. It didn't get past the warm stage. Must we forever be offended by their emblems and their pride in nationality? I wonder as well if Russian youth are castigated by their elders for embracing Western style rock. Geez, petty stuff. Would a British Flag have been as offensive? Which ones can we wear?

Although I am surprised at how little under 30's know about 40's-70's history, it doesn't make me rail at the education system. Why is their fault? Those over 40 express very little knowledge of such things as the Spanish-American war, the Gilded Age, The Pueblo incident or phrenology which were common knowledge among their parents and grandparents. In fact, Nazis were quite impressed with American philosophies of Eugenics and mental treatments in the thirties. It may have led them to justify murdering millions of Jews. Did you know about Absynth or Radium water? Was our system of education then lacking?Fortunately the net makes it easy and fast to get some info but truely? That's why we keep making the same mistakes every generation. We carry so little forward from the last one!

[MichaelBates]

Why are you holding such a grudge against Russia? The cold war is over. It didn't get past the warm stage. Must we forever be offended by their emblems and their pride in nationality? I wonder as well if Russian youth are castigated by their elders for embracing Western style rock. Geez, petty stuff. Would a British Flag have been as offensive? Which ones can we wear?

The Hammer and Sickle isn't a national symbol of Russia. It's the international symbol of the Communist ideology, and when countries threw off the Communist yoke in the 1980s and 1990s, they removed the Hammer and Sickle from their flags. When the Romanians ousted Communist regime in late '89 and executed Nicolae Ceaucescu, they cut the Communist coat of arms (adorned with the Hammer and Sickle) out of their red, yellow, and blue tricolor flags, leaving a big hole in the center. (Correction: The coat of arms did not have the Hammer and Sickle, but did have a large red star, another symbol of Communism. In any case, those rebelling against the Communist government felt strongly enough about eliminating the Communist symbol from their national flag that they took scissors to the flag.)

The Hammer & Sickle is to Communism as the Swastika is to Nazism.

Everyone knows about Nazi atrocities, and rightly so. Had Ivins been wearing a foot-wide swastika on his chest, everyone, left, right, and center, would be calling for his head. Hawkins is right on point -- the most disturbing thing about this situation is how ignorant people are of the atrocities that have been committed and are still being committed by Communist governments around the world.

[Conan71]

I still fail to see how a little known song by the Flaming Lips wound up being the state rock song over better known songs written by Hoyt Axton, Michael Been (The Call), or Leon Russell amongst others.  Why do we need an "official" rock song anyhow?

I don't care how big a "rock star" someone is.  Show some common sense and decorum when your state tries to honor you.

[guido911]

I still fail to see how a little known song by the Flaming Lips wound up being the state rock song over better known songs written by Hoyt Axton, Michael Been (The Call), or Leon Russell amongst others.  Why do we need an "official" rock song anyhow?

I don't care how big a "rock star" someone is.  Show some common sense and decorum when your state tries to honor you.

+1

[waterboy]

The Hammer and Sickle isn't a national symbol of Russia. It's the international symbol of the Communist ideology, and when countries threw off the Communist yoke in the 1980s and 1990s, they removed the Hammer and Sickle from their flags. When the Romanians ousted Communist regime in late '89 and executed Nicolae Ceaucescu, they cut the Communist coat of arms (adorned with the Hammer and Sickle) out of their red, yellow, and blue tricolor flags, leaving a big hole in the center. (Correction: The coat of arms did not have the Hammer and Sickle, but did have a large red star, another symbol of Communism. In any case, those rebelling against the Communist government felt strongly enough about eliminating the Communist symbol from their national flag that they took scissors to the flag.)

The Hammer & Sickle is to Communism as the Swastika is to Nazism.

Everyone knows about Nazi atrocities, and rightly so. Had Ivins been wearing a foot-wide swastika on his chest, everyone, left, right, and center, would be calling for his head. Hawkins is right on point -- the most disturbing thing about this situation is how ignorant people are of the atrocities that have been committed and are still being committed by Communist governments around the world.

Relax o great capitalist defender. He said it, I referred to his remark.
"....because we almost went to war with the Soviets, and that shirt represented the enemy of freedom from 1945 to the late eighties. "

It was a shirt. I too doubt he even understood what it represented to the last two generations that fought against Communism with such vigor. Or maybe he was railing against those people. The ones who sent 50,000 GI's to their deaths in Viet Nam to prevent the dominoes from falling. The ones who haven't allowed Cubans to visit their families for the last generation because, because...oh hell who knows the mind of these people. The ones who victimized professors who dared teach comparative economic systems or who professed to be or having ever been "Card Carrying Communists". Those capitalists who destroyed creatives careers and lives like trash out the car window during the McCarthy era.

Just like guns, its people who committ atrocities. Communism, just like Capitalism are both systems used to hide and protect some of the basest of humans. Pre-Communist Cuba was capitalist and its leaders were ruthless affiliates of American mobsters. The British South African governments were capitalist and that same brand of capitalism allowed slaves to be treated as chattel in this country. Both of you should go have a drink together and discuss the war we almost had with Russia and the poor quality of education we all get. Then talk about how he believes Communism no longer remained a threat to freedom after the late eighties.

Everyone knows abut Nazi's? One of my 27yr old co-workers asked me the other day if that assassination attempt on Hitler was successful. You know, the one in the movie... So much for knowing about the Nazis.

I for one am tired of hearing about the inhumanity of Communism and its continuuing threat to free peoples everywhere. Communism fails just fine all by itself.

[Conan71]

Not condoning communism by any stretch, but think of how many people have been killed in the promotion of Christianity.

[Conan71]

I just got this email from a musician I respect a ton.  I could care less about their lifestyle, I'm simply trying to figure out the significance of the band and the song chosen and I don't see it in light of better choices.  I'd also forgotten about Wanda Jackson as another significant Okla talent.  I can't think of an "Oklahoma" song by David Gates, but there's another great example of Oklahoma talent.  If you look at overall contribution to the music industry, Leon Russell arguably has been one of the more influential people in all of Rock-N-Roll: producer, writer, performer, session musician.  Slight exaggeration, but the list of his peers who he's played with is probably longer than the list of those he's not.  "Home Sweet Oklahoma" would have been a great choice.

"Governor, the house is right and they don't know the half of it.
    I was afraid of this. I editorialized about it last year. I noted that teenybooppers had already nominated completely inappropriate material from their flavor-of-the-month bands. I even sent my article to The Oklahoma Historical Society. (add link to previous piece)
    The Flaming Lips; their name is either taken from a porn film or is a pot-smoking reference. They stole equipment from a church to get the band started. They sing about Jesus shooting heroin and a come-on from The Virgin Mary. One member had his hand amputated due to an infection from shooting heroin. They blaspheme, use all manner of profanity, even in public, and sing about sexual lubricants. Their first album, recorded in OKC, spoke of 'this town full of dumb f**ks'.
    Do these represent Oklahoma values? We don't think so. Obviously , the committee did not vet this group. Even without these obvious negatives, there are manifold reasons why they are not the best choice. They underscored this by wearing a communist shirt to the capitol and calling the majority of congress who opposed their selection 'a minority of religious wackos.' We doubt that congress even knew about the seamier side of this band.
    The closeness of the vote is indicative of the disinterest in this resolution. The majority of Oklahomans have not heard The Flaming Lips. Our elders in the house don't have the time or inclination to look into this. We'd like to save them future embarrassment, if it's not already too late.
    Popularity is no indicator of quality. Even so, this group's biggest hit was only #16, in England at that. Their lyrics, when not outright offensive  are nonsensical to conceal their complete lack of depth. Allmusic.com refers to them as "Acid Bubblegum Music". They are like Tommy James & The Shondells; lots of glitz and no substance.
    This is a decision we will have to live with. Music historians around the world will ask "How in the world did those Okies choose The Flaming Lips over such lasting and towering talents as Hoyt Axton, J.J. Cale, Wanda Jackson, & Leon Russell? They are the Bible Belt, yet they promote sex, drugs, and sacrilege?" It is to laugh, and the joke is on us. It's shameful.
    The reason is the skewed voting process. Online voting allowed the heaviest internet users, 20-somethings, to dominate the outcome. The reult was trendiness over actual musical value.
    The Hansen brothers will have a more lasting musical impact in the fullness of time. They have far more historical sense and musical ability and they are completely wholesome. If we must have a young group, they are something we can all be proud of. Leon Russell and Steve Ripley of The Tractors sat in with them on one gig!
    I know I speak for the musical community and most music chroniclers when I say the best choice by far is "Home Sweet Oklahoma" by  Leon. But Let's Have A Party" by Wanda Jackson – the very first female rocker, is equally deserving. The first rock and roll hit, "Heartbreak Hotel." and the anthemic "Never Been To Spain", indeed all of these are far more deserving than "Do You Realize" which is not half as interesting even from a compositional perspective. The song, by the way, was written to someone kicking heroin. It only hit #83 on the US charts.
    Leon Russell has been an influence in every field of pop music, beiginning with Rick Nelson and "Monster Mash" and through The Wrecking Crew, he played on countless hits: Da Do Ron Ron, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Beach Boys records, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, conducting for Dean Martin and rocking out on Shindig. He's done R & B, Country, Gospel, Bluegrass, and great rock and roll; and he's still doing it at 66.
    The reclusive J.J. Cale is the antithesis of the Lips' egotism. Would Eric Clapton sit in with the Flaming Lips? Cale had his first hit almost 40 years ago; "After Midnight" launched Clapton's solo career. Cale's latest album is his biggest commercial success yet.
    The Flaming lips may not be bad people, but they are shallow and thoughtless, and certainly not representative of most Oklahomans' values. They don't even play very well.
    If the governor signs this proclamation it will be embarrasing and even shameful. No one took fifteen minutes to Google the lyrics and the background of this group? Those of us who love music and love Oklahoma are humiliated and will have to regard this as meaningless. There must be a payoff somewhere."

[tulsascoot]

Flaming Lips Rule!!!!

[jiminy]

From what I heard, only about 20,000 people votes were counted.  I find it hard to believe that only 20,000 people out of 3.6 million in this state cared enough to vote for the official state rock song.  I never heard about it until the Hammer Sickle shirt guy incident.  Probably was only advertised on alt-rock music sites. 

[Conan71]

I finally listened to the song on Youtube tonight and realized I'd heard it before.  It's the song I'd labeled as a lame rip-off of "Mind Games" by John Lennon.  Such a cheery tune to have has our state rock song.  If we had to go this route, why not pick "She Don't Use Jelly"?  No more relevant to Oklahoma, but more people would know it.