This Here Giraffe - Flaming Lips

Artist: Flaming Lips
Song: This Here Giraffe
Year: 1995
Album: Clouds Taste Metallic

I saw the Flaming Lips at Lollapalooza in 1994, during their bubble machine phase. I was already a fan from their quirky hit "She Don't Use Jelly" and various appearances on odd television shows. That second stage show made me a believer. I was entranced by the band's earlier songs and I made it my goal to track down as much of their music as I possibly could.

The build up, for me anyway, to Clouds Taste Metallic was enormous. They had a song in the new Batman movie, which was on the album. Expectations were high. Then they all came crashing down. I'm not sure what the public expected from a quirky band, but this record wasn't it.

I was even disappointed with this album, when it initially came out. It lacked the style and familiarity of Transmissions From The Satellite Heart. Again, that was my first impression. After listening to Clouds Taste Metallic at various points over the years, I began to appreciate the subtleties of the album.

I began to move away from thinking of the album as "Bad Days" and a bunch of other songs to an album filled with solid material. "This Here Giraffe" is one of the songs that I couldn't wrap my brain around at the time. It's a song that slowly grows on you. After hearing the song a few times, you will find that the melody will seep into your brain at odd times. This seems like the sort of thing that the Flaming Lips would want.

Lyrics:
I saw this bird fly off his head
Without him ever lookin' up
This here giraffe was never caught complainin'
He wouldn't take skin off your back

And you hear yourself, thinking
And you hear yourself, thinking
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed

I saw this man stick out his neck
With his binoculars intact
He couldn't tell the right side of his brain
Just lost all interest in his left

And you feel yourself shrinkin'
And you feel yourself shrinkin'
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed

And you hear yourself
And you hear yourself
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed
This here giraffe, laughed