Published: April 30, 2009 08:39 am      

Flaming Lips tune named state rock song

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Michael Ivins left his hammer-and-sickle T-shirt at home and Wayne Coyne didn’t drop the “f” word, but The Flaming Lips band members still managed to reflect their non-conforming style Tuesday as their song “Do You Believe??” was proclaimed the official rock song of Oklahoma.

Gov. Brad Henry signed an executive order flanked by all four band members in front of about 300 cheering fans at a ceremony that almost didn’t happen after conservative Republicans in the Oklahoma House blocked a resolution to honor the song because two House members objected to band members’ clothing and language.

“What a cool effort for a cool state,” Henry said as he prepared to sign the order. “Their music is original, it’s daring, it’s eclectic and it’s fun.”

Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, sponsor of the unsuccessful resolution, said honoring The Flaming Lips and their song will shine a spotlight on a part of the state that is rarely seen — the contribution to rock music by the group and other Oklahomans like Wanda Jackson, Leon Russell, J.J. Cale and Hoyt Axton.

“We hear a lot about country music, but we don’t hear a lot about the roots of Oklahoma rock,” Dorman said.

Coyne said the Oklahoma City-based group was honored to have its song named the state rock song “despite the silliness that happened at the end of last week.”

“We always felt people always believed in us,” Coyne said. “We really do believe in all of you.”

Coyne also had kind words for Henry, who signed the executive order to honor the results of an online survey in which more than half the voters picked “Do You Believe??” to be the state’s official rock song.

“This is a class thing you’re doing here,” Coyne told the governor.

Jill Simpson, director of the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, described Henry as “a governor who has now raised the cool factor for the state of Oklahoma.”

Almost 11,000 people picked “Do You Realize??” as their choice for the official state song in a survey last year in which more than 21,000 people voted from a list of 10 songs selected by a panel of experts.

The Senate voted 46-0 last month for a resolution making it the official state rock song, but the House voted 48-39 on Thursday when it takes at least 51 votes to pass a measure in the 101-member chamber.

The House vote occurred after one lawmaker complained that Ivins wore a T-shirt bearing a hammer and sickle, a symbol of communism, when the band was introduced in the House earlier this year. Another said he was offended by Coyne’s foul language when the band was feted at an event last year that was sponsored by city officials.

At Tuesday’s ceremony, Ivins wore a “Ghostbusters” T-shirt although a couple of the band’s fans wore hammer-and-sickle T-shirts. And Coyne said he had promised “not to use the ’f’ word.”

“Sometimes it just jumps out,” Ivins said as the crowd laughed.

Following the ceremony, Coyne described the House vote as “political games” and said it had not deterred his admiration for his home state.

“It doesn’t diminish my pride or my belief or my satisfaction in my being an Oklahoman,” Coyne said. “These naysayers, this small minority of people. I really don’t think they represent what Oklahomans believe and feel.”