Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face?
Do you realize we're floating in space?
Do you realize that happiness makes you cry?
Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes
Let them know you realize
That life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
Do you realize? Oh, oh, oh
Do you realize that everyone you know
Someday will die?
~ Wayne Coyne et al (The Flaming Lips)
No, I did not realize that this classic was fifteen years old. It appears on The Flaming Lips' 2002 release Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. You may know it because you heard it at a funeral. Or a wedding. (Till death do us part?) Or a Hewlett-Packard commercial. The song gets around.
But I bet you didn't know this: from 2009 until 2013, the song was the "Official Rock Song of Oklahoma." That's right. Of course, there's a political reason why it stopped being that after 2013. You can google it yourself if you're interested. (I'm trying to take a break from politics.)
One review states that Coyne wrote the song when bandmate Stephen Drozd was having a hard time trying to kick a heroin addiction. That makes sense. Is it true that we never appreciate life, a loved one's or our own, until it becomes possible that it may be taken away from us? Probably. We tend to take so much for granted.
In researching the song, I came upon a comment that claimed the average life expectancy for humans is 67 years. What? In a near panic, I asked Google to verify that comment. Google told me the correct answer is 79 years. Phew! I'm good for awhile.
And yes, I do realize how silly that is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go pry the tongue out of my cheek. As for you, you should go tell someone how beautiful he or she is.
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