Baboon Blog Redux, Songs, space, The Future, Travel

Space Shanties – Redux

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Jupiter has been in the news this week as well as more discussion of the first manned mission to Mars.   In honor of these events, here is a repeat of a fun blog from 2015!

Today’s post comes from Captain Billy, skipper of the pirate ship Muskellunge.

Ahoy!

Me an’ me boys is crazy-excited t’ hear that NASA has discovered a underground ocean on th’ largest moon of Jupiter!

Not that we’s lookin’ fer other seas t’ sail, on account of this one here is fine, an’ plenty large enough. Plus, a Jovian Lunar ocean with a roof over it made of 95 miles of ice raises serious questions about navigation an’ winds an’ how tall can yer mast be t’ keep from scrapin’ th’ underside.

There’s no disagreement among me boys on this point – a ocean up in the stars don’t have th’ same allure as th’ one under the stars that we all enjoys so much.

But th’ possibilities is what has us thrilled.

If there’s oceans out there orbitin’ that vast gas giant, then what’s there t’ prevent there from bein’ Jupiter pirates? An’ if there’s Jupiter pirates, don’t it follow that there’d be Jupiter grog an’ Jupiter booty?

All of it incredibly massive, of course!

So naturally our imaginations ran away wit’ us, an we began t’ wonder what sort of sea shanty we might sing up there if we went, even though there’s no way we’d go (so don’t ask)!

Th’ song we made up is t’ th’ tune of one of our home world favorites – Stormalong.

O we’re sailin’ under an icy dome.
Way,hay, Ganymede.
We’re a long long way from our Earthly home.
Aye aye we’re on Ganymede.

An’ there ain’t no wind for to fill our sails
Way, hay, Ganymede.
It ain’t clear what sailin’ here entails.
Aye aye we’re on Ganymede.

But the ocean’s salty an’ dark and deep.
Way, hay, Ganymede.
If there’s monsters in it, let them sleep!
Aye aye we’re on Ganymede.

If there’s fishes swimmin’ beneath our feet
Way, hay, Ganymede
Please be slow an’ fat an’ O.K. to eat.
Aye Aye we’re on Ganymede.

Though it’s scary here an’ th’ water’s cold,
Way, hay, Ganymede
May the seas be calm an’ the booty gold!
Aye Aye we’re on Ganymede.

If you’re voyaging to a distant planet, what song do you want to take with you?

32 thoughts on “Space Shanties – Redux”

  2. I wasn’t going to post today, but the silence in here is getting loud.

    I’ve developed a full tilt crush on Stevie Nicks. Yeah, I know. I’m realistic about how this is gonna go. She lives a long way away, and I won’t fly these days. But there are two videos of her that I have to play at least once a day.

    I could write pages about this one. This was shot without her even knowing she was being filmed. Fleetwood Mac was getting prepped for a photo shoot for a magazine. For no reason (except that the music was in her head) Stevie interrupted the makeup lady by singing a song she was working on. The band jumped in, and then Stevie’s favorite backup singer joined. That’s Lori Nicks, the woman who married Steve’s brother. The makeup artist even adds her voice at one point.

    I find this irresistible. These days I’m hooked on harmonizing that uses polyphony, as in this clip. There is a purity here not usually associated with rock singers. This is just a stolen moment showing a young woman who can’t resist singing, even though there is no audience and no money. Just Stevie and a song.

    On my way to the planet, I’d need to play this at least once a day.

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    1. That is so cool, Steve. I could see the pure joy and love of music in her face as she was singing. I think that’s something all great musicians keep forever–making music because they absolutely LOVE to make music. Thanks.

      Chris in O-town

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  3. Morning all. I just got online for the first time a minute ago. I think if we’re going all the way to Mars or Jupiter I might need soothing music. And Enya is my go-to gal for soothing music every time.

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    2. Bob Seger, Boston, Chicago, CCR, S & G, Indigo Girls, etc.
      But not right, of course; you don’t need rock to go to a gas giant, by which I do not mean Trump.

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  11. Nice to hear from the cap’n again, VS.
    I was looking for a particular version of the Mool Mantra (or Mul Mantar… lots of spellings), a gentle repetitive thing I use for calming and relaxing, but can’t find the right one now, and these “modern” versions just aren’t the same…

    I also wouldn’t want to travel far without some Paul Simon and the aforementioned Beethoven, and so much more possibilities crowding into my brain I can’t list them all here. And probably two from Taj Mahal, Fishin’ Blues and Cakewalk into Town (speaking of funky, Joanne…)

    And it would be a good idea to bring the Rise Up Singing book with all those lyrics.

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    2. Those Taj Mahal tunes are from his double album “Take a Giant Step and De Ole Folks at Home”, which must be 50 years—half a century—old. Amazing how well it holds up. I have it on my iPod rotation. I especially like “Annie’s Lover” from that album.

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