For space is wide and good friends are too few.
Feels like I’ve held my breath for hours
And I turn on my eyes to find I’m very far away
I take account of all my wheels, my arm, and my tiny drill
After all my training, I will do nothing familiar today
“Impostor,” by The Doubleclicks
I usually put the chorus or something like that in that fancy indented bit, but…that seems spoilery with this.
Shine on, everybody’s moon, up everybody’s sky
Down everybody’s heart
Shine on everybody’s dreams, no matter where they fly
Watch over what they start
Dry up everybody’s tears, you know no one else can
And somebody ought to
Kind of work on keeping things together
Til we figure what to do
“Everybody’s Moon,” by Kathy Mar
Hey mister, from your off–world clothes, you’re no one that I know
Just who are you? What are you here to see?
How come you know so much about what happened long ago?
And how is it you look so much like me?
“Grandfather,” by Gary Hanak, lyrics available here, one of the saddest songs out there
I’m glad some of Gary Hanak’s stuff has finally made it to YouTube, because IT IS ALWAYS TIME FOR SAD SONGS ABOUT SPACE (that seem like they should be about Idaho)
“I Am Stardust” performed by the trio Urban Tapestry, written by Lloyd Landa
Urban Tapestry is Debbie Ohi, Allison Durno, and Debbie Redpath
Lyrics available here
Our Space exploration anthem “Somebody Will”. This particular version will appear on our upcoming album “Friend in the Dark”. Lyrics are here.
I’ve had this song going through my head all day. I thought I ought to share.
USS Make Shit Up – Voltaire
Here you go, captaindeanwatson – this is the song I was talking about!
Probably the most accurate Star Trek song ever written.
Suzette Haden Elgin’s “The Seas of Space,” to the tune of “The Water Is Wide,” a just about perfect example of folk music for the future.
Sung by Mark Heiman; lyrics available here
(The recording is kinda quiet; sorry about that)
“Sing me a song,” said the child in the garden.
“Grandmother, sing! I’ll sit here by your side.
Sing me a song of the world they call Terra,
The world that you came from when you were a bride.”
“Child I have journeyed all over the starfields
Out to the rim of the worlds that we know–
Child, I can’t sing you a song about Terra!
For Terra was too many planets ago!
“Sing me a song,” said the child in the garden
“Grandmother, sing to me! Tell me no lies.
Sing me a song of the world they call Terra;
I know you remember, by the tears in your eyes.”
“Child I have journied all over the starfields;
Child, I have left all my memories behind.
Child, I can’t sing you a song about Terra,
For I have put Terra clear out of my mind.”
“Grandmother, sing!” said the child in the garden.
“I have learned all about stubborn from you.
Sing me a song of the world they call Terra,
Where the grasses grow green and the oceans are blue.”
“Child how you weary me, asking of Terra!
You are no babe! You should understand why…
We who left Terra for ever and ever
Were those who could tell her forever goodbye.”
A haunting space song by Suzette Haden Elgin, who passed away this year.
Sung by Mark Heiman at Carleton College’s (well, Carleton’s nerd club’s) annual Filk Night in 2014. It’s a hard song to find recordings of, so I’m grateful he’s letting me post this.