“Jag vill bo i rymden”, a filk song that appeared right when Sweden left the chaotic and feuding fhaaandom of the 80’s behind itself and became extremely serconnish (and abandoned filk). Instead, it became a classic in some Swedish student circles. Its origin as a filk song was rediscovered after 25 years. Original text and music by Martin Q Larson, who later went on to become the president of the Society of Swedish Composers. Here is a (for some values of) singable English translation/version:
My mother often asks me like this:
What will you do when you grow up?
How do you plan to support yourself,
you’re playing all the time!
But then I always answer like this:
I’m really training hard you know,
I’m going to be an astronaut
fly space craft all the time!
Space craft space craft space craft
I wanna fly a space craft
Travel in a space rocket
Discover another planet
Space craft space craft space craft
I wanna fly a space craft
Shoot with little laser guns
Visit some big black holes!
I’m flying among the asteroids
and hunting the evil villains
then I build myself a star rocket
and go to a new galaxy
Space craft space craft space craft…
And if a space monster appears
then I will shoot it to pieces
so I’m saving the universe
becomin’ ev’ryone’s friend
Space craft space craft space craft… :||:
A German translation was done in the 90’s (“Welt Raum Welt Raum Welt Raum” in the chorus), but it has sadly been lost in the vastness of space.
The introduction is “an old polska from space” (polska is a traditional Swedish style of dances and music in ¾ beat).
(mod note: the original video link was giving me issues, so I got a new one from youtube, so…I hope it’s the same. Oh, and for people like me who are basically children and don’t speak Old Fannish, “serconnish” means serious, but in a way that can imply either brilliant fan literary criticism, or like…weaboo serious.)
Well let me tell you all the story of the Good Ship Bodacious
And its wonderful journey into space
It took off in a tornado over Parsons, Kansas
And it vanished with never a trace
If the ship’s engines blaze without holds or delays
Why that boat could amaze in it’s prime
Fortune smiles on strays and audacity pays
If the last spaceship leaves on time
Not enough hopeful space songs of late. “The Last Spaceship,” by Cat Faber. Lyrics, chords, sheet music, AND a download link here!
The news has been full of reports lately that 80% of North Americans can no longer see the Milky Way due to light pollution. Can. not. even. SEE. the. MILKY. WAY! So, while this is a couple years old, it’s still depressingly on topic:
She grew up in the city. It’s the only life she knows, Surrounded by glass buildings, and the neon city’s glow. And the only stars she’s ever seen were on the picture show…
@filkyeahfilk and anyone else who likes space stories
Batya here: I’m pretty sure “Some Kind of Hero” was on one of the first filk collections I ever owned, although not this recording of it. “Dawson’s Christian,“ on the other hand, is one of those songs that I heard five different parodies of before I ever heard the original. (My favorites are probably “Dawson’s Mitzvah” and “Crossin’ Myths Some,” a terrible pun of a title for a hilarious crossover fanfic in song.)
“Hope Eyrie,” by Leslie Fish, performed by The Trubadors (Ayelet Dekel, Yannai Gonczarowski, and Roni Goren Ben-Zvi) at Yuri’s Night at Campus Tel-Aviv – a “World Space Party” celebrating human achievements in space.
…and I’m honestly so angry I didn’t know about this event earlier, so extra thanks to @nokama for submitting! It’s held every April 12 (ish) in various locations worldwide. Including Antarctica, apparently.
And who here has never dreamed of dragons?
Who here has never dreamed of stars?
Well we might be dreaming still, but there’s a fire oe’r the hill
And a red Dragon has set her sights on Mars
I have always thought that it must be a terrible burden to be Eugene Cernan. Who wants to be known as the LAST man on the moon?
Armstrong and Aldrin, heroes of yore, Doing something never been done before. But I would honor, Cernan and Schmitt, The very last people to journey that trip.
On the scale of the sky even species must die;
Mortality’s all that is sure.
Generations have gazed up the path that he blazed
Where his footprints beyond us endure.
“Neil Armstrong,” by Cat Faber – written they day after she found out Neil Armstrong had died.