Flaming Lips singer praises Gov. Henry

OKLAHOMA CITY, April 25 (UPI) -- Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry was "very cool" to have The Flaming Lips song "Do You Realize" named his state's official rock song, the group's lead singer says.

Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne said Henry did the right thing by saying he would issue an executive order to solidify the state song status of "Realize" despite political opposition, The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman said Saturday.

"I figured that no matter what happened, people would come to our rescue," Coyne said. "People would have a reason to really fight for us and say, 'No, this isn't what Oklahoma is all about.' ... And I think the governor is very cool, how he's come to our rescue."

Coyne had less praise for those politicians who opposed the song's proposed status as a result of a Flaming Lips member wearing a T-shirt adorned with a Communist Party symbol during a March visit to the state Capitol.

"Me, I just say look, it's a little minority of some small-minded religious wackos who think they can tell people what kind of T-shirts and what kind of music they can listen to, and the smart, rational, reasonable people of Oklahoma are never going to buy into that," Coyne told the Oklahoman.