Race For The Prize

Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne lost his father to cancer in 1997, which inspired the lyric about two scientists racing for a cure. The "race for the prize" is the quest to cure the disease. "I try to look at myself as a scientist of some kind," Coyne explained. "So many times people look at themselves as artists and anything that comes out of their fingertips, or ass, is good. Scientists don't have that luxury. They can't just say, 'I have the cure for cancer and it's pink with dots on it, isn't it great?' It actually has to work."

"Race For The Prize" is a live signature for the band, played at just about every show. Coyne will sometimes go silent to listen to the crowd sing - they always know the words.

The soundscape on this track is built on a string section instead of guitars. The band was doing a lot of sonic exploration at the time.