My Own Planet

Album: The Flaming Lips (1984)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the closing track on The Flaming Lips debut, self-titled EP, which was the only release with Wayne Coyne's brother, Mark, on lead vocals. Wayne wrote the song's lyrics, which find him wishing for a way to escape to his own planet, "'cause this one here is a drag." He explained in the band's bio Staring At Sound by Jim DeRogatis: "'My Own Planet' is cosmic, and it's punk rock; it's melodic and it's noisy. It was kind of rebellious, but it wasn't rebelling against this Reagan power thing, like the hardcore bands. It was rebelling by creating yourself. We didn't come up with another one like that for ten years."

    Michael Ivins, the band's bassist, added: "That was sort of our Jesus and Mary Chain, balls-out rock song."

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