Do You Realize??

This article is about the song by The Flaming Lips. For the Delorentos EP, see Do You Realise (EP).

"Do You Realize??"
Single by The Flaming Lips
from the album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Released	August 19, 2002
Format	7", CD, Maxi-CD, DVD
Recorded	June 2000–April 2002
Genre	Neo-psychedelia
Length	3:32
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	The Flaming Lips, Dave Fridmann, Scott Booker
The Flaming Lips singles chronology
"Waitin' for a Superman" (1999) "Do You Realize??" (2002) "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" (2003)

"Do You Realize??" is a song by The Flaming Lips, released as the first single from their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It is widely considered to be one of the group's most accessible and popular songs.^{[citation needed]} It reached #32 in the UK Singles Chart and was adopted as the Official Rock Song of Oklahoma in 2009.

Structure and recording

"Do You Realize??" is based around a melodic soundscape that focuses more on synthesizers than guitars, which is characteristic of the album, and follows an alternating chorus/verse structure.

In an interview with Mojo, Coyne revealed that during the recording of Yoshimi..., band member Steven Drozd was trying to kick a heroin addiction. When they took breaks from playing, Drozd would have a really tough time with his withdrawal. Listening to him cry, and with the death of his father in mind, Coyne wrote "Do You Realize??".

Wayne Coyne, commenting on "Do You Realize??" said, "Whenever I analyze the scientific realities of what it means to be living here on Earth – in this galaxy – spinning around the sun – flying through space – a terror shock seizes me!!! I'm reminded once again of how precarious our whole existence is..."^[1]

UK track listing

• 7"

1. "Do You Realize??"
2. "Up Above the Daily Hum"

• CD1

1. "Do You Realize??"
2. "If I Go Mad/Funeral in My Head"
3. "Syrtis Major"

• CD2

1. "Do You Realize??"
2. "Up Above the Daily Hum"
3. "Xanthe Terra"

• DVD single

1. "Do You Realize?" (video)
2. "Do You Realize?" (audio)
3. "The Southern Oklahoma Tigger Contest"
4. "Noodling Theme (Epic Sunset Mix #5)"

"Syrtis Major" and "Xanthe Terra" are instrumental pieces intended to be taken from the forthcoming Christmas on Mars soundtrack.

Oklahoma state song

In March 2009 "Do You Realize??" was announced as the official state rock song of Oklahoma, after winning an on-line vote among ten finalists as authorized by the Oklahoma state legislature: out of 21,000 votes cast, nearly 51% were for "Do You Realize??"^[2][3][4] The Oklahoma Senate approved this choice unanimously. However, on April 23, 2009, a vote in the Oklahoma House of Representatives fell three votes short of the 51 votes necessary to ratify the resolution: one Republican state legislator attacked the band for its use of offensive language, while another said he opposed the song because band member Michael Ivins had worn a red T-shirt with a yellow sickle and hammer during a previous appearance by the band. Democratic Governor Brad Henry subsequently announced that he would issue an executive order in lieu of the resolution rejected by the Oklahoma House.^[5][6]

In popular culture

The song has been used in several television commercials, including a 2002 commercial for Hewlett-Packard, featuring Coyne in a plain white suit with the two other band members wearing pink bunny suits, a 2007 commercial for Land Rover,^[2] as well as commercials for VH1, Mitsubishi, and Merrill Lynch.

The song can be heard in the films How to Deal (2003) and 50 First Dates (2004). It was also featured in a 2008 episode of the British soap opera Emmerdale, when the character Matthew King dies.^{[citation needed]}. The song was also performed live on Charmed, in the episode Sam, I Am in the fictional club P3.

In 2007, the song was used in a theatrical production of Drawing War by Brett Neveu at Oak Park and River Forest High School.^[7]

In the UK, Absolute Radio DJ Geoff Lloyd nominated the song as his Song of the Decade in 2009. Music magazine Rolling Stone ranked it as one of the best songs of the decade

Opening song of movie the The Other Women with Natalie Portman.

Chart positions

Chart (2002)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	32

References

1. ^ Coyne, Wayne. "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots:Wayne's Notes". FlamingLips.com. http://www.flaminglips.com/content/discography/a/11_notes.php. Retrieved 2007-07-14. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Aswad, Jim (2009-03-09). "Flaming Lips' 'Do You Realize??' Named Official Rock Song Of Oklahoma". MTV.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1606171/20090303/flaming_lips.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-04-20. 
3. ^ Barbara Hoberock, ""Flaming Lips' 'Do You Realize??' named state rock song", Tulsa World, March 2, 2009.
4. ^ "Oklahoma Rock Song (official website)". http://www.oklahomarocksong.org/. Retrieved 2008-10-25. 
5. ^ Michael McNutt, "Oklahoma House votes down Flaming Lips' state rock song 'Do You Realize??'", The Oklahoman, April 23, 2009.
6. ^ Jennifer Chancellor and Barbara Hoberock, "Henry steps in after House blisters Lips", Tulsa World, April 24, 2009.
7. ^ ""New Noble Play Not Happy Go Lucky"", The Trapeze: 7, March 23, http://oprfhs.org/activities/Trapeze/07-03-23/6_7.pdf 

External links

• Song review from Allmusic