"...the most hazardous, and dangerous, and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked." - John F. Kennedy
"...I too play a guitar- but sometimes I play the fool" -John Lennon
Mostly, I write originals songs and record/produce the material at home. I just play acoustic/electric guitar, sometimes bass. I'll fill out the songs with other "instruments". Lately I've been filming renditions of these songs, doing covers of pop/rock songs, and making music videos of my material.
Story behind the song
Saw a tv program on the space race and liked how the words sounded together, then decided the subject matter should be tackled. There seem to be a number of space songs out there, but oddly enough, I don't know of any that deal with the historical aspect of the attempt to reach the moon. The story is told from three angles: Verses-omnicient, Chorus- US followed by USSR.
Lyrics
With the launch of Sputnik
Two rivals pioneer
Space exploration
To mirror the Cold War
Tip your hat to Goddard
For silencing the skeptics
German Scientists
Perfect his rocket research
Laika and the chimps
Enter space before a man
Orbiting the Earth
First Gagarin then Glenn
Geosynchronous
Artificial satellites
Embody hidden benefits
To everyday life
"The great British explorer, George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there". Well space is there, and we're going to climb it. And the moon and the planets are there. And new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And therefore; as we set sail, we ask God's blessing, on the most hazardous, and dangerous, and greatest adventure on which Man has ever embarked."
-John F. Kennedy
US perspective:
And it's a race to space, the future's on our mind
We've gotta take first place, we can't afford to fall behind
Haste will not make waste, if we set foot by '69
Apollo saving face, one giant leap for mankind
USSR perspective:
And it's a race to space, our future's undefined
We must pick up the pace, a bear cannot be resigned
This will be our saving grace, forget the ravages of time
Red comrades will embrace, when we cross the finish line
(Launch sequence countdown)
Ancient field of rocketry
About to transform history
A battle of technology
For global supremacy
Communism vs. Democracy
Premier Kruschev vs. Kennedy
US perspective:
And it's a race to space, the future's on our mind
We've gotta take first place, we can't afford to fall behind
Haste will not make waste, if we set foot by '69
Apollo saving face, one giant leap for mankind
USSR perspective:
And it's a race to space, our future's undefined
We must pick up the pace, a bear cannot be resigned
This will be our saving grace, forget the ravages of time
Red comrades will embrace, when we cross the finish line
NASA endeavors
To close the missile gap
Leapfrogging the Soviets (leapfrogging the Soviets)
Neither side without mishap
Gemini Program
Rendezvous and docking
Venera to Venus
But nobody is watching
The US now disclaims
Any ownership of moon
Armstrong gets the credit
But a victory for whom?
"That's one small step for Man- one giant leap for mankind"
-Neil Armstrong
(Actual Sputnik Satellite Transmission)
Words and Music: Geoffrey Orbegoso (2008)
AH THAT ROCKIN SOUND I LOVE SO MUCH! CHEERS! JON:)