As music fans from Oklahoma and all over the world know, the Flaming Lips are awesome. They are purveyors of some of the most creative, absurd, and fantastic rock music of the past 20 years. And their live shows are famous for being some of the craziest psychedelic parties ever. I could gush on and on, but I think you get the point.
Recently, Oklahomans voted in an online poll for "Do You Realize", one of the Flaming Lips' most beloved songs, as Oklahoma's official state rock song. Out of ten songs, "Do You Realize" received approximately 50% of the 21,000 votes and was the overwhelming victor. All that was needed was for that vote to be confirmed by the Oklahoma Legislature. This is the kind of thing that tends to be confirmed unanimously or by voice vote. And indeed, the Oklahoma Senate unanimously voted in favor of the resolution that would make "Do You Realize" the official state rock song.
But according to The Oklahoman, some stick-up-their-ass House Republicans weren't going to have any of it. Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City) appears to have been offended by the fact that the Flaming Lips have been known to use swear words. He issued the following brilliant quote: "Their lips ought to be on fire". Rep. Corey Holland (R-Marlow) had his poor sensibilities offended by the fact that he once saw a member of the Lips wear a shirt with the hammer and sickle on it.
So the matter of confirming the choice of the people of Oklahoma was brought to a vote on the floor of the Oklahoma House today, and though it received a plurality of the votes, 48-39, it fell short of the 51 majority needed for passage. All 39 votes against "Do You Realize" came from Republicans, naturally. This is all quite ridiculous, of course. The people of the state of Oklahoma voted on this (albeit online), and they want the Flaming Lips! The status of the song was in limbo, as the failure of the House to confirm the Senate's vote had killed the resolution for the moment.
Thankfully, Gov. Brad Henry swooped in and came to the rescue! He intends to sign an executive order during a ceremony on April 28th that will give the song its proper honor. In a press release, Gov. Henry stated:
"For more than 20 years, Oklahoma’s own Flaming Lips have produced creative, fun and provocative rock music. The music of the Flaming Lips has earned Grammys, glowing critical acclaim and fans all over the world. A truly iconic rock ‘n’ roll band, they are proud ambassadors of their home state. They were clearly the people’s choice, and I intend to honor that vote."
Thank you Governor Henry for doing the right thing and sticking it to Oklahoma House Republicans that have too much time on their hands. The Flaming Lips posted a MySpace bulletin after the OK House rejected the resolution; I expect they'll soon release a statement thanking Gov. Henry. They'll also be joining the Governor on April 28 during the signing ceremony.