Battles

I'm not as cool as my indie hipster boyfriend. It's true. I always discover the band of the moment well after the moment has passed. The Flaming Lips had been all the rage for a few years. I didn't notice. Then, about half a year ago, Peter's bandmate had a Zaireeka listening party. Zaireeka is a 4 cd set by the band that is meant to be played at the same time. It is interesting and beautiful. I was definitely into it.

The other night, my two good friends, SMFA and Majestorludi, came over for our semi-regular Friday night hangout date. Majestor went to put on some music and reached for Flaming Lips' 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots'. I haven't stopped listening to it since. I subjected Ron to it yesterday on the way to the Republican-Jewish Coalition party and have been humming along to the songs all morning today.

Anyway, Peter already wrote about this on his Pandavox site but I'd like to draw attention to the first song on the Yoshimi album. It's called 'Fight Test' and its about the fact that sometimes you have to fight (whether it's to battle pink robots or terrorists and tyrants), and that there is no virtue in 'always being cool' and stepping aside. Read into it what you will.

Fight Test

I thought I was smart, I thought I was right
I thought it better not to fight
I thought there was a virtue in always being cool
So it came time to fight, I thought I’ll just step aside
And that the time would prove you wrong
And that you would be the fool

I don’t know where the sunbeams end and that the starlights begin
It’s all a mystery

Oh, to fight is to defend
If it’s not now then tell me when would be the time
That you would stand up and be a man
For to lose I could accept
But to surrender I just wept
And regretted this moment, oh that I, I was the fool

I don’t know where the sunbeams end and that the starlights begin
It’s all a mystery
And I don’t know how a man decides what’s right for his own life
It’s all a mystery

‘Cause I’m a man, not a boy
And there are things you can’t avoid
You have to face them when you’re not prepared to face them
If I could, I would, but you’re with him
I’d do no good
I should have fought him but instead I let him, I let him take you

I don’t know where the sunbeams end and that the starlights begin
It’s all a mystery
And I don’t know how a man decides what’s right for his own life
It’s all a mystery