Wayne Coyne on Living with Death | Blank on Blank

"I'm pouring my guts out so they can feel like your guts at the same time."
- Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips in 2002

When Jennifer Van Evra picked up the phone to interview Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, the last thing she expected was a conversation about death. The Oklahoma natives had just released their gleeful album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and had become known for their rapturously happy live shows. But as their conversation went on that Saturday morning, Coyne showed a side of a rock star you don't normally get to see. We're bringing you these outtakes as part of Blank on Blank: a series with PBS Digital Studios that transforms lost interviews with cultural icons into animated short films.

In this episode the animated conversation is about the eternal questions of life and death--and how you can use the inevitable fate we all face to enjoy every moment we have. Coyne talks both about how music helped comfort him while his father was dying and the near-death experience he had as a teenager during an armed robbery while working at Long John Silver's. The power of music weaves through it all.

Oh, and we used illustrations from Wayne Coyne's comic book throughout the film. That was cool.

Some more choice quotes from Wayne Coyne:
"Music has the power to transcend your physical being and take you up just a little bit"
"People have all been looking at me in my bare feet, talking existential bullshit "
"Life is worth celebrating... even though we're all headed to the same hole at the end of the day"
"I hate this notion I would ever forget how temporary this whole thing is"

Get the interview backstory, GIFs and more @ http://blankonblank.org/interviews/wa...

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Executive Producer: David Gerlach
Animator: Patrick Smith
Background Illustrations: Wayne Coyne
Audio Producer: Amy Drozdowska

Watch the previous episodes:

Maya Angelou on Con Men
   • Maya Angelou on Con Men | Blank on Blank  

Bette Davis on The Sexes
   • Bette Davis on The Sexes  

Michael Jackson on Godliness
   • Michael Jackson on Godliness | Blank ...  

Jimi Hendrix on The Experience
   • Jimi Hendrix on The Experience | Blan...  

Meryl Streep on Beauty
   • Meryl Streep on Beauty | Blank on Blank  

Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness
   • Philip Seymour Hoffman on Happiness  

David Bowie on Stardust
   • David Bowie on Stardust | Blank on Blank  

Gene Wilder on The Truth
   • Gene Wilder on The Truth | Blank on B...  

John Lennon on Love
   • John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Love | Bl...  

Johnny Cash on The Gospel
   • Johnny Cash on The Gospel  

Heath Ledger on Role Playing
   • Heath Ledger on Role Playing | Blank ...  

Tupac on Life and Death
   • Tupac Shakur on Life and Death | Blan...  

Kurt Cobain on Identity
   • Kurt Cobain on Identity | Blank on Blank  

Janis Joplin on Rejection
   • Janis Joplin on Rejection | Blank on ...  

Barry White on Making Love
   • Barry White on Making Love | Blank on...  

Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid
   • Maurice Sendak on Being a Kid | Blank...  

Carol Burnett on Finding Home
   • Carol Burnett on Finding Home | Blank...  

Grace Kelly on JFK
   • Grace Kelly on JFK | Blank on Blank  

Farrah Fawcett on Stiletto Power
   • Farrah Fawcett on Stiletto Power | Bl...  

Beastie Boys on Being Stupid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4mx2P...

David Foster Wallace on Ambition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5R8gd...

Wilt Chamberlain on Tall Tales
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxLiVn...

Larry King on Getting Seduced
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yD8Pz...

Jim Morrison on Why Fat is Beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhszZ5...

Music
The Flaming Lips
"She Don't Use Jelly"
"A Spoonful Weighs a Ton"
"Do You Realize"

Photo:
George Salisbury

Background Illustrations:
Wayne Coyne

Help us caption & translate this video!

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