FLAMING LIPS: CHRISTMAS AT THE ZOO (VIDEO)
December 21st 2006 09:00
So it’s that time of year again. It’s Jesus’s birthday soon and all you whacky Christians should be buying the bearded and berobed guy some presents.
But what do you get for the guy who has EVERYTHING?
I don’t even know what to get my family members for Christmas, and they have next to nothing, so buying presents for the son of god is a little daunting. Still, I have an inkling that the J-man isn’t so much into material things and wouldn't want you to BUY him anything anyway. For instance, I’m sure Jesus doesn’t need an I-pod because he has all those dead rock stars floating around like angels and filling the air with sweet sweet music twenty-four seven (imagine an angelic GG Allin flying around by Jesus’s side, singing “Scumfuc Tradition” and throwing angel poop around). No, Jesus doesn’t need material things because he is all about hope in man and a kickass outlook. So why not give Jesus something he’ll appreciate, by following in his sandalled footsteps and doing some good deeds this silly season?
One of my good deeds is to share this delightful Christmas video with you all. It’s the song “Christmas At The Zoo” by the Flaming Lips from their underappreciated noisy psych-pop masterpiece Clouds Taste Metallic (1995).
”Christmas At The Zoo” Video originally from Clouds Taste Metalic (1995)
This song is itself about a good deed. In it, singer and lyricist Wayne Coyne relates a tale of releasing all of the animals at the zoo on a snowless Christmas Eve, only to have them turn around and say “thanks but no thanks man” because they’d rather save themselves.
What does this say about anything? Well, like the best Flaming Lips lyrics it has an adorable childlike outlook on the world but also seems to have a deeper message about the nature of human relationships. The message seems to be that you can try to help people (and animals) as much as you want, but a lot of the time they won’t want your help. People tend to be fairly individual and it gives them dignity and self-esteem to do things for themselves, even when they are clearly struggling.
But while it’s sometimes hard to bring yourself to offer people help, the song seems to be saying that you shouldn’t give up on trying. You certainly shouldn’t force your good intentions on others, but you shouldn’t be afraid to offer assistance either. While the animals in "Christmas At The Zoo" would rather save themselves, they appreciated the concern, and just the act of offering help to someone can brighten that person’s day, and yours as well. Even the imagery of the snow-covered zoo at the end of the song seems to be some kind of metaphor for the brightness and happiness that comes from trying to help others, however futile your attempts might seem.
So even though someone mightn’t want it, don’t be afraid to offer people help this Christmas. Maybe you can invite that lonely old guy from across the street to share in Christmas dinner, or put a present or some non-perishable food in one of those collection boxes at the supermarket. Just watch some of the shitty Christmas movies on TV for ideas. And don’t stop there (I hate that hypocritical bullshit of only doing good things because it's Christmas). Do it all the time. It’s how Jesus (if he does in fact exist) would want it.
P.S. Whoa, I wasn’t expecting to go on such a rant in this post. I just wanted to put up a vaguely Christmas-related video. Still, that would be pointless if it didn’t mean anything. Anyway, I hope you like the video. It’s got some great lo-fi psychedelic effects and the tune itself warms the cockles of my heart with its Christmas bells and relentlessly upbeat melody. It even has some carefree whistling.
***
IMAGES
Clouds Taste Metallic*
(album cover used under fair dealing)
* images on this page were taken from the following Wikipedia page:
Clouds Taste Metallic
But what do you get for the guy who has EVERYTHING?
I don’t even know what to get my family members for Christmas, and they have next to nothing, so buying presents for the son of god is a little daunting. Still, I have an inkling that the J-man isn’t so much into material things and wouldn't want you to BUY him anything anyway. For instance, I’m sure Jesus doesn’t need an I-pod because he has all those dead rock stars floating around like angels and filling the air with sweet sweet music twenty-four seven (imagine an angelic GG Allin flying around by Jesus’s side, singing “Scumfuc Tradition” and throwing angel poop around). No, Jesus doesn’t need material things because he is all about hope in man and a kickass outlook. So why not give Jesus something he’ll appreciate, by following in his sandalled footsteps and doing some good deeds this silly season?
Clouds Taste Metallic (1995)
”Christmas At The Zoo” Video originally from Clouds Taste Metalic (1995)
This song is itself about a good deed. In it, singer and lyricist Wayne Coyne relates a tale of releasing all of the animals at the zoo on a snowless Christmas Eve, only to have them turn around and say “thanks but no thanks man” because they’d rather save themselves.
What does this say about anything? Well, like the best Flaming Lips lyrics it has an adorable childlike outlook on the world but also seems to have a deeper message about the nature of human relationships. The message seems to be that you can try to help people (and animals) as much as you want, but a lot of the time they won’t want your help. People tend to be fairly individual and it gives them dignity and self-esteem to do things for themselves, even when they are clearly struggling.
But while it’s sometimes hard to bring yourself to offer people help, the song seems to be saying that you shouldn’t give up on trying. You certainly shouldn’t force your good intentions on others, but you shouldn’t be afraid to offer assistance either. While the animals in "Christmas At The Zoo" would rather save themselves, they appreciated the concern, and just the act of offering help to someone can brighten that person’s day, and yours as well. Even the imagery of the snow-covered zoo at the end of the song seems to be some kind of metaphor for the brightness and happiness that comes from trying to help others, however futile your attempts might seem.
So even though someone mightn’t want it, don’t be afraid to offer people help this Christmas. Maybe you can invite that lonely old guy from across the street to share in Christmas dinner, or put a present or some non-perishable food in one of those collection boxes at the supermarket. Just watch some of the shitty Christmas movies on TV for ideas. And don’t stop there (I hate that hypocritical bullshit of only doing good things because it's Christmas). Do it all the time. It’s how Jesus (if he does in fact exist) would want it.
P.S. Whoa, I wasn’t expecting to go on such a rant in this post. I just wanted to put up a vaguely Christmas-related video. Still, that would be pointless if it didn’t mean anything. Anyway, I hope you like the video. It’s got some great lo-fi psychedelic effects and the tune itself warms the cockles of my heart with its Christmas bells and relentlessly upbeat melody. It even has some carefree whistling.
***
IMAGES
Clouds Taste Metallic*
(album cover used under fair dealing)
* images on this page were taken from the following Wikipedia page:
Clouds Taste Metallic
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