The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?? - Lyrics Meaning

The song, Do You Realize??, appears on The Flaming Lips' tenth album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and was released in 2002. The album as a whole was received with much acclaim and critical praise. The song is about understanding that life is finite and that people should make every effort to spend as much time as possible with their loved ones, because one day everyone will have gone. The song is upbeat throughout, despite when lead singer, Wayne Coyne, makes a point to tell his audience, "...everyone you know will someday die." This is an important part of his overall message and he wants you to embrace this mortality. Coyne urges the listener to focus their energy on the here and now, as opposed to mourning a loved one's passing. He says to tell these people how you feel and make an effort to connect with them, because you will not always have a chance.

Mourning and loss are difficult subjects to overcome, but Coyne explains that just as the sun slips from view, it never really disappears. The sun is simply out of sight for a little while and will return as the earth rotates. This is the mindset we should have with those that have passed away - they are always there, in our hearts, we just may not be able physically spend the time with them any longer.