The Flaming Lips dropped by “The Late Show” on Tuesday night to play their new cover of David Bowie‘s “Space Oddity” for host Stephen Colbert. But, because singer Wayne Coyne is not content to just do a trippy performance, he also filmed a separate backstage video in which he ticked off his many musical heroes and shared some weird stories.
“David Bowie was a huge part of my musical education, like so many other great influences. I asked Stephen about perhaps making separate appearances on the show for every band that I like — he gave me a hard no,” Coyne said. “So, I crammed all these influences into one catchy little tune.”
Listen for references to the Doobie Brothers, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, ELP, the Who and horrifying aside about hitting a deer with his car and going into the witness protection program to get away from dangerous drug dealers.
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Watch Coyne wear a light-up outfit and climb on Chewbacca’s shoulders during the “Space Oddity” performance: