OKLAHOMA CITY -- On Tuesday,
Gov. Brad Henry laid a contentious debate to rest with the flourish of a pen, and ended a politicized story that spanned the rock world over and briefly brought Oklahoma to its center stage.
Tuesday afternoon, Henry publicly signed an executive order naming the Flaming Lips tune "Do You Realize??" as the official state rock song at a ceremony at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.
He also proclaimed April 28 "Flaming Lips Day."
The Oklahoma City band, along with hundreds of fans, young and old, filled the foyer and balcony areas of the Oklahoma History Center to honor the longtime Oklahoma band, in an open area circled with floor-to-ceiling, stories-tall windows that looked out to the Oklahoma State Capitol building.
After joking about changing his name to Brad "Yoshimi" Henry to honor the 2002 Flaming Lips album, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," that spawned the popular single, he said, "We've always known how cool Oklahoma really is," and flashed a broad grin.
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