Steven Drozd on putting “Pyramid Song” on the Flaming Lips' Late Night Tales

“Pyramid Song” is on the Flaming Lips' Late Night Tales compilation, and Steven Drozd explains the choice in an interview with South Australia's Rip It Up magazine. His first thought was the Lips' own cover of “Knives Out”, from their Fight Test EP, but having already covered it the band thought it better to pick “Pyramid Song”.

The collaboration Wayne Coyne floated a few years ago has gone no further, Drozd says, but it has not been ruled out. Both bands are busy, the Lips are interested, and he has read that Radiohead are fans. Thom Yorke and Coyne have spoken, though there has been no recent talk of it.

Drozd admits he never liked Radiohead until Amnesiac. OK Computer never grabbed him and Kid A was only okay. Then he heard “Knives Out” in a bar; it was strange in a subtler way, with guitar that reminded him of Johnny Marr and The Smiths. “Pyramid Song” came a little later, and as a musician he loves its odd time signature, the way the piano chords circle and its production.

It's such a weird, dark song and I have no idea what Thom's singing about, but I love the piano on it.

Steven Drozd¹