This week, EHS Daily Advisor took a look at the price of failing to properly protect workers. According to Liberty Mutual, the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries cost U.S. businesses $47.93 billion per year. Thus, the Song of the Week is “The Sound of Failure,” a deep cut from the Flaming Lips.
Released on the band’s 2006 album At War with the Mystics, “The Sound of Failure” was written about a young girl who is sad because her best friend has died, but who has grown weary of people expecting her to pretend to be upbeat. In the album’s liner notes, frontman Wayne Coyne wrote the song is about knowing it’s okay to have a troubled mind.
The 7-minute song is wistful and airy, filled with flutes and guitars and keyboards, even as it deals with a serious subject. The album was a success, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 chart and winning two 2006 Grammy awards.
Eighteen years later, the Flaming Lips are still touring, although they haven’t released a new studio album since 2020.