Saturday, August 30, 2008

What does the Soundtrack of Astronomy Class Sound Like?

In class last week someone mentioned the Dave Matthews song, "Satellite". (In my eyes Like a diamond In the sky ...Satellite Strung from the moon And the world Your balloon Peeping tom Someone's secrets You've seen Eyes and ears have been). I didn't really know that song, but it sounds like a lament about "Big Brother" watching us from above.
Then I played the Police song "Walking on the Moon" before class on Friday (Giant steps are what you take Walking on the moon Feet they hardly touch the ground Walking on the moon My feet don't hardly make no soundWalking on, walking on the moon) Pretty factual, anyway.
Then someone else mentioned the Beatles song "Across the Universe" (Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns It calls me on and on across the universe).
Which got me thinking, what music do you as a class think is fitting to our study of astronomy? I know plenty of classics '70's and '80's and '90's that might work. How about "Rocket Man" by Elton John? (Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids In fact it's cold as hell And there's no one there to raise them if you did And all this science I don't understand It's just my job five days a week A rocket man.) Or David Bowie's Major Tom? (For here Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there’s nothing I can do Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles I’m feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go)
More obscure could be They Might Be Giants and their song from their album "Apollo 18", "See the Constellation" (See the constellation ride across the sky No cigar, no lady on his arm Just a guy made of dots and lines)
I did a quick search on the web for songs about stars, satellites, planets, and such- and found literally hundreds, including classic artists such as the B52's, Black Sabbath, and the artist formerly known as Prince, but also a lot of more recent music. (There's even a band called "Gas Giants")
So what would the sound track of this class sound like? Suggest some songs you know that might relate to astronomy, either literally or figuratively, as a comment to this blog post. This is NOT a homework assignment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aYY1v2r8As

2 comments:

G. Killian said...

The song "Satellite" by Guster also shows a relation to astronomy

"Shining like a work of art
Hanging on a wall of stars
Are you what I think you are?

You're my satellite
You're riding with me tonight
Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite

Elevator to the moon
Whistling our favorite tune
Trying to get a closer view

Even though the song is talking about a women that he loves, it still explains how the satellite moves and what its purpose is!

gmcraig said...

"Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words hold my hand
In other words darling kiss me

Fill my life with song
And let me sing forevermore
You are all I hope for
All I worship and adore
In other words please be true
In other words I love you"

**this song by Frank Sinatra is perfect to add to an astronomy soundtrack. the song refers to the moon and jupiter and mars and although it is a love song, it still has to do with the solar system**** BLOGGING IS STELLAR!!!!!