Flaming Lips' 'Do You Realize??' named state rock song

By George Lang - Staff Writer | Published: March 2, 2009 | Modified: March 2, 2009 at 5:58 pm

Looking on from the gallery this afternoon, Wayne Coyne stood and saluted the Oklahoma State Senate shortly after it passed Senate Joint Resolution 24, which declared the Flaming Lips song “Do You Realize” the Official Oklahoma Rock Song.

The Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne performs at Dfest in Tulsa July 27, 2007. ADAM WISNESKI/TULSA WORLD

“All songwriters, they know when they get something really lucky,” Coyne said shortly after SJR 24, sponsored by Oklahoma State Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus, and State Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, passed the senate 46 to 0. “The fact that the world can relate to it and the world likes it and the world can sing along ... I think the really great songs are just sort of dumb luck. And we just really got lucky with this little song.”

The song, a single from the 2002 compact disc “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” beat out nine other finalists chosen by an advisory panel working with the Oklahoma History Center. These included “Let's Have a Party” by Wanda Jackson, the Ventures' “Walk Don't Run,” “Endless Oklahoma Sky” by John Moreland and the Black Gold Band, Leon Russell's “Home Sweet Oklahoma,” “Move Along” by the All-American Rejects, “Never Been to Spain” by Hoyt Axton, The Call's “Oklahoma,” Mae Boren Axton's “Heartbreak Hotel” and “After Midnight” by J.

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