The Flaming Lips release new ballad "Mother Please Don't Be Sad"

"Mother Please Don't Be Sad" is the sixth song to be shared from American Head, arriving after album opener "Will You Return / When You Come Down", "You n Me Sellin' Weed", "Dinosaurs On The Mountain", "My Religion Is You", and "Flowers of Neptune 6".

As Rolling Stone reports, lead vocalist Wayne Coyne recalls being held at gunpoint as a young man in the song. He says, "Well, until then, I could probably say I didn’t realise I was really alive. I never really thought about it. We were living such an insane, healthy, wonderful, happy life - my brothers and all of our friends just running around doing the craziest shit ever. But then I’m laying on the floor thinking: 'This is how I’m going to die'."

American Head will follow on from last year's King's Mouth album. It's produced by longtime collaborator Dave Fridmann, and sees Kacey Musgraves contribute backing vocals to three tracks - "Flowers of Neptune 6", "Watching the Lightbugs Glow" and "God and the Policeman".