I met tragedy yesterday On the south end, today He smiled at me Said “Walk this way” He took my hand, said to me “Welcome friend. You’ll be with me.”
Said “I’m pleased to know you.” Said “I’m pleased to do you.” Said “You may leave…” “You will return.” He said “You still smile, child…” “But you will learn.”
I am no hope***
I said “I want my freedom.” I said “I gotta be free.” So, I told that man… “Get the hell away from me.” I want my life I want my life I want my life Don’t need no tragedy
*** This is an unspoken lyric. It’s part of the original poem, included here for context.
David Bowie already captured the ideal, studio sound for “Space Oddity”. My version is quite different.
His original recording has the slick, studio mixing of the vocals and the instruments. The original gives all of the cool, background sound effects that give the impression of space travel. Bowie’s “Space Oddity“ is arguably a masterpiece.
Any attempt to re-create that would be an exercise in vanity, and one which is bound to end in failure and disappointment.
If it did somehow succeed, it would still be nothing more than a staid rehash of something that was already done and done incredibly well. So, I went the opposite way with this.
I think it’s safe to say that astronauts don’t get to take their guitars (if they have them) on space flights. But if they did… that’s what I wanted this to sound like.
I wanted to give the auditory impression of a lonely space traveler, Sitting inside a little capsule, out there, in the unknown. Therefore, The audio is nothing more than a guitar and vocal track.
It’s mixed in such a way as to sound small, like it’s being played from inside the rocket. It’s supposed to sound like it’s being transmitted on a frequency that the space traveler isn’t the least bit certain will ever be heard.
Much like the plaque that American astronauts placed on the Moon, all those years ago, it’s a statement to some thing, anything, that may be out there. It’s an isolated signal, announcing “I am here”, even if no one else ever knows that I was here. It’s the tree falling in the woods, with no one around to hear it.
The video attempts to capture what I can only imagine are the two predominant emotions astronauts must feel. One is the giddy, childlike exhilaration of exploring uncharted territory… “We’re going into space! We’re going to the Moon!”
The other is the dread, mortal fear of something going horribly, horribly wrong. When things go wrong in space, it’s no small matter. Errors in space often result in immediate, violent death.
Perhaps even worse, is the possibility of becoming stranded. It’s the fear of being all alone, with no possibility of rescue. It’s the real and present danger of being doomed to endless wandering, sitting and waiting to run out of oxygen, to run out of food and water… waiting to run out of hope.
I hope that you enjoy watching and listening to this as much as I enjoyed making it for you. If Mr. Bowie happens to be listening, on any frequency, then I sincerely hope that he enjoys it, as well. It’s also fitting that today, NASA set a new record for space exploration, with their helicopter on Mars.
My grateful thanks go to the following people, for providing the images that I used to (hopefully) convey these ideas. The musical performance will likely fall short of even the sparsest expectations. Yet, I believe that the visual imagery is more than enough to make it worth the four and a half minutes of your time. This is a credit which goes entirely to the photographers and videographers. The honor is all theirs.
When you lose control And door dogs yelp for your soul The world just frays apart But we know where to start To pull it back together And this time for the better Now we know we must let her Slip inside our minds She protects us in the climbs We climbed a little too high, Passed through the fear to die We know that space and time Is not where we stand Don’t you think we would understand? If we were supposed to know But here is the matter at hand We know how to roll We don’t need no control Over all that we have known We know how to roll
II.
The world it moves too fast Then it moves too slow And then it moves too fast But don’t you think we know The confusion that we cast It all comes back together But never quite the same Now you’ve been and you know I was there and I saw you roll I watched you lose control Over all that you had known Watched you pull it back together And this time for the better Now you know you must let her Slip inside your mind She protects you in the climbs You climbed a little too high Passed through the fear to die But we know that space and time Is not where we stand Don’t you think we’d understand? If we were supposed to know Well here is the matter at hand We know how to roll We don’t need no control Over all that we have known We know how to roll
This song is a Pink Floyd song that we did. This one isn’t very well known, except by the most hardcore Floyd connoisseurs. The tune is from an album entitled More, which was the soundtrack to an even more obscure movie by the same name.
Recorded live by Magus & The Plastic Infinity, at a club in Wilmington, NC.
Trent Boswell – guitar, vocals
Skip Eames – drums
David Fleet – bass
Lyrics
Come on, my friends, let’s make for the hills They say there’s gold but I’m looking for thrills You can get your hands on whatever we find, Because I’m only coming along for the ride
Well, you go your way, I’ll go mine I don’t care if we get there on time Everybody’s searching for something, they say I’ll get my kicks on the way
Over the mountains, across the sea Who knows what will be waiting for me? I could sail forever to strange sounding names Faces of people and places don’t change
All I have to do is just close my eyes To see the seagulls wheeling In those far distant skies All I want to tell you, all I want to say Is count me in on the journey, Don’t expect me to stay
Music and lyrics written by Pink Floyd (Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright). All rights to the song belong to someone else, someone really, really rich.
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When you hear that I am dead and gone, Once it’s official and you’ve dried your eye I’ve only a few very simple requests With which I do truly hope you’ll comply
Little things, but the first is important, So much so that I’ll say it over and over You can pray or not; it doesn’t matter a bit, But don’t forget to play Crimson and Clover
I don’t need a fancy, expensive coffin Keep the money; I don’t need a new suit Incinerate me and spread my ashes Where trees and flowers will happily root
It matters very little to me whether or not People say they’re coming or if they arrive Please don’t allow anyone into my service That I didn’t care for when I was alive
Unless I loved them ever so dearly, Show them the door and tell them “Ciao” I never wanted them around before; I’ve certainly got no use for them now
Let everyone be happy and have a party Pouring me a libation might be nice If you do, do remember I like good tequila Or bourbon (no Scotch) and Coke on ice
But sincerely, I don’t require any fuss at all I don’t give a damn; for me, it’s all over I really don’t care what you do, except… Original (long version) Crimson and Clover
I could provide you with a whole playlist Of songs I adored and loved to share, But attention spans… most people only Hear themselves; they don’t really care
Long story short, the bullet points are: Tequila, bourbon, fire and ashes, nobox, Real friends only; not sure how to enforce (Maybe a secret handshake or knocks?)
But leave me thirsty, in a wooden crate, And invite my least favorite people over; It won’t even matter, as long as you Don’t forget the most essential thing:
Many are they Who have whispered lies Many are they Who have made me despise Many are the lies And many who have heard She knows that I could love her If not for fear of that word
You know that I’ll try Put a little sunlight in your eye You know that I’ll try Put a little shine in your smile And you know that You can come with me, anytime But you know that I have fear Of the fear and the lies
Kevin Trent Boswell 