Astronomy Songs

By Tom Campbell

[Verse 1]
When the daylight fades and the stars arise,
He sets his sights on the endless skies.
With every glance through his telescope lens,
The heavens unfold as the night descends.

He points out the constellations with pride,
And talks of the galaxies far and wide.
With every new turn, the night comes alive,
In the vastness above, our spirits revive.

[Chorus]
The avid astronomer, with passion and skill,
Reveals the night sky, quiet and still.
"Come see the Moon!" he invites with delight,
To gaze at its glow in the calm of the night.

We view craters and seas on the lunar face,
As he shares the marvels that time can't erase.
With eyes full of wonder and hearts full of awe,
We're lost in the beauty that he always saw.

[Verse 2]
From Venus to Mars, he knows them all,
Every bright planet, both big and small.
He speaks of the past, of ancient light,
And paints the dark canvas with tales so bright.

He's seen the great wonders, but still wants more,
Exploring the cosmos, where dreams can soar.
With him by our side, the night feels near,
And the infinite sky becomes crystal clear.

[Chorus]

[Interlude]

[Bridge]
So come to the field where the stars are bright,
And join him beneath the endless night.
The avid astronomer, forever he'll be,
Sharing the universe with you and me.

As the stars fade away with the light of dawn,
His love for the cosmos keeps shining on.
With the sky as his guide, he'll always roam,
At peace with the stars, beneath heaven's dome.

[Chorus]

Sung to the tune "Ballad of the Green Berets," by Ssgt. Barry Sandler
Words by Tom Campbell

Glowing band across the sky
Makes me want to jump and fly.
I don't care what others say,
Nothing's quite like the Milky Way.

Countless stars are burning bright
As they spread across the dark night
A billion suns in bright array
Are just one part of the Milky Way.

Gas and dust obscure the view
And it won't let starlight through
Else we'd see the heavens blaze
With the light of the Milky Way

Countless stars are burning bright
As they spread across the dark night
A billion suns in bright array
Are just one part of the Milky Way.

Spiral arms swing slowly 'round
Cosmic dance without a sound
Out among the twisted fray
Sits our Sun, in the Milky Way.

A ball of stars makes up its core
Ten billion suns, or maybe more
And in the midst, or so they say
A black hole eats the Milky Way.

Sung to the tune "Music of the Night," by Andrew Lloyd Weber
Words by Tom Campbell

Night time sharpens
Heightens each sensation
Darkness wakes and
Stirs imagination

Silently the senses
Abandon their defenses
Helpless to resist the star-filled sky

Slowly, gently
Night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it
Tremulous and tender

Seeing is believing
The Universe is weaving
A tapestry that's made of starry light
Oh, can you see the beauty of the night?

Close your eyes and imagine what the cosmos holds
And be thrilled like you never were before
In the dark, it is easy to believe
That your mind can touch the stars once more.

Softly, warmly
It will wrap around you
See it, feel it
Lovingly surround you

Nebulae unfurl
Spiral galaxies will twirl
In the darkness which has set your heart aflight
The darkness that's the beauty of the night.

Close your eyes, start a journey to some strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes and abandon gravity;
Only then can you begin to see.

Floating, falling
Throughout all creation
Drifting, flying
See the new space station?

Coming into view
Is a hot star colored blue
And a supernova shines extremely bright
Its death will bring us beauty in the night.

[interlude]

Everything will somehow seem all right
When you perceive the beauty of the night.

Sung to the tune "The Sound of Silence," by Simon and Garfunkel
Words by Tom Campbell

Hello Venus, my old foe.
I've come to look at you once more.
Your hot surface I do long to see
But all your clouds, they still hinder me
And the carbon dioxide that's in your air
Hide what's there.
I hate those cloud-ed planets.

So then I turned my scope around;
Jupiter is what I found.
Clouded bands are forming darkened lanes;
The Red Spot whirling like a hurricane,
And its moons dance 'round with some kind of cosmic glee,
Mocking me,
Cheer the cloud-ed planets.

I'm maddened now, my scope did fly
Until Saturn, it caught my eye.
Saw your lovely, cold and glowing rings
But your surface didn't show a thing
'Cept for little bands of yellow and brownish fog;
Looks like smog.
Another cloud-ed planet.

So Uranus I next did try
Colored blue just like the sky
It was just a little tiny ball
Couldn't see any details at all
And your atmosphere hides like a shroud
A methane cloud-ed planet.

Suddenly, I came to see,
All my thoughts had blinded me.
Planet surfaces could not be had,
But the clouds themselves were not so bad.
So I looked at the atmospheres instead of what they hid;
Glad I did.
I like the cloud-ed planets.

Sung to the tune "Old Flame," by Alabama
Words by Tom Campbell

I saw you when you were a young star.
I saw your surface start to glow.
You burned so bright, so hot was your fire
But now your life is ending; you're getting old.

CHORUS:
There's a cold flame burnin' at your heart.
Your hydrogen's depleted, you can't start.
Now you are not getting any stronger
And you can't last much longer
But you'll become a big Red Giant before you part.

Your outer shell is getting larger.
And helium is what you fuse.
But soon, that too will be exhausted.
Then there will be nothing for you to use.

CHORUS

CHORUS (fade)

Sung to the tune "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Sammi Smith
Words by Tom Campbell

Smell of rain is in the air.
Clouds are forming like a wall.
I don't think that I can set
Up my telescope at all.

Took another look outside -
I can't see no starry light.
How will I ever pass the time?
Help me make it through the night.

I don't care about the storm
Or how bad we need the rain.
All I ever really wanted
Was to see the stars again.

So I'm stuck here all alone
With my star charts at my side.
Wish the clouds would up and go.
Help me make it through the night.

Here I am beside my scope,
Wishing hard with all my might.
I'm starting now to lose all hope -
Help me make it through the night.

Sung to the tune "Mrs. Brown (You've Got a Lovely Daughter)," by Herman's Hermits
Words by Tom Campbell

Hey, Von Braun, you've got a lovely rocket.
Looks like it will climb into the sky.
But it's sad, it won't be lifting off,
For I'm afraid that it's a danger to my field.

Hey, Von Braun, you've got a lovely rocket.
Look at all those tubes of gasoline.
Just one match, and a strong gust of wind
And your machine will be burning up all my fields.

That small engine
Carries quite a load,
But, if it burns, then
I'm afraid it'll explode.

Hey, Von Braun, you've got a lovely rocket. (lovely rocket)
It's too bad that I will tear it down. (tear it down)
But I must, it's only for the best,
I've got to save my house and protect all my fields.

Hey, Von Braun, you had a lovely rocket. (lovely rocket)
Hey, Von Braun, you had a lovely rocket. (lovely rocket)
Hey, Von Braun, you had a lovely rocket. (lovely rocket)
Hey, Von Braun, you had a lovely rocket. (lovely rocket)

Sung to the tune "In the Ghetto," by Elvis Presley
Words by Tom Campbell

As a spaceship flies
Through the endless void of deepest space,
It has stumbled into the strong embrace
Of a black hole.

And the engine dies
So the frightened crew sends out a call
They are stranded and are starting now to fall
In a black hole.

Crewmen there begin to see
It sucks to have gravity
The unseen mass will beckon their spaceship in
It's so strong that light will bend,
They're sure to meet with their end,
As their little, fragile ship begins to stretch out thin.

But their call is heard
By a captain in a ship passing near the place
He wants to help, but not face-to-face
With a black hole.

Yet without a word,
Moves a little closer to the maw;
Try to help others to get away from the jaws
Of a black hole.

Acting out in desperation
the spaceship tries to dock.
It turns around, it pulls and tugs,
Tries to move, but it just won't budge.

And the captain cries.
Though he gave it his best, it won't do no more
Both ships become caught in a big tug-of-war
With a black hole.

And then his engine dies.
As the brave men look on helplessly,
They then begin to scream in agony
From a black hole.

And the crewmen die.

Sung to the tune "Roisin the Bow," an Irish folk song
Words by Jon U. Bell

In Ireland in eighteen and forty,
Out at the Birr Castle Desmesnes,
The Earl of Rosse built the Leviathan
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.

To gaze at the sky's starry plain, me lads,
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.
The Earl of Rosse built the Leviathan
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.

The tube length was well over fifty;
The mirror was six foot across.
So big was it they couldn't turn it,
Just raise it 'tween stone walls of moss.

To gaze at the sky's starry plain, me lads,
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.
The Earl of Rosse built the Leviathan
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.

At first light they gazed upon Castor,
Then Luna and Jupiter's moons.
But the famine raged over the country,
And Leviathan shut down too soon.

To gaze at the sky's starry plain, me lads,
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.
The Earl of Rosse built the Leviathan
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.

Now once the cursed famine was over,
Lord Rosse observed great nebulae.
He sketched out the arms of the Whirlpool
And saw there a great galaxy.

To gaze at the sky's starry plain, me lads,
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.
The Earl of Rosse built the Leviathan
To gaze at the sky's starry plain.

Sung to the tune "Monday, Monday," by The Mamas and The Papas
Words by Tom Campbell

Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da
Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da
Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da

Brahe, Brahe, (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
So good to me. (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Brahe's data, it was all I hoped it would be.
But Tycho Brahe, Tycho Brahe couldn't guarantee
Circular orbits would be the geometry.

Brahe, Brahe, can't make it fit.
Brahe, Brahe, why can't I get the correct orbit?
Oh Tycho Brahe, you gave me no warnin' of what was to be!
Oh Tycho Brahe, could it be your accuracy?

Every data plot, every data plot,
Every data plot, seems to be so fine, yeah!
But when I connect the dots, when I connect the dots,
You will find me cryin' all of the time.

Brahe, Brahe, (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
So good to me. (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Brahe's data, it was all I hoped it would be.
But Tycho Brahe, Tycho Brahe so now can't you see,
It's like the orbit will almost fit elliptically?

Every data plot, every data plot,
Every data plot, seems to be so fine, yeah!
But when I connect the dots, when I connect the dots,
You will find me cryin' all of the time.

[fade out]
Brahe, Brahe, (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Can't make it fit. (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Brahe, Brahe, (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Why can't I get the orbit? (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Oh, Brahe, Brahe, (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
It's such a pain. (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
Brahe, Brahe, (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)
I'll go insane. (Ba-da, Ba-da-da-da)

Sung to the tune "Jealous Heart," by Jenny Carson
Words by Peter Jedicke

Neutron star, oh, neutron star, you're massive,
And your tidal forces are intense.
You have crushed your atom shells to pieces,
Neutron star, your gravity's immense.

You were once a star like all the others,
Shining brightly in the evening sky.
'Til your thermonuclear reactions
Consumed all your hydrogen supply.

[Interlude]

Neutron star, oh, neutron star, you're spinning,
'Round and 'round at such a fever pitch.
You conserve your angular momentum
And speed up with every little glitch.

You were once a star like all the others,
Shining brightly in the evening sky.
'Til your thermonuclear reactions
Consumed all your hydrogen supply.

Sung to the tune "Red Rubber Ball" by Simon & Garfunkel
Words by Tom Campbell

I should have known you'd soon start to die.
The inhabitants of Earth were just about ready to be fried.
But I know you're not the only sun in the galaxy.
If I never feel your flame again, it's all the same to me.

And I think it's gonna be all right.
Yeah, the worst is over now,
The morning sun is shining like a pale yellow ball.

While you were still a young and gentle star,
We started colonizing the planets from afar.
First we travelled to the worlds in our back yard, they say,
Then we headed out to the rest of the Milky Way.

And I think it's gonna be all right.
Yeah, the worst is over now,
Our dying sun is swelling like a bright orange ball.

Our ships are headed out, and now I'm among the last
To leave our dying world, so I'll miss its fiery blast.
This sun that gave us life and warmth throughout the centuries,
Will soon be nothing more to us than distant memories.

And I think it's gonna be all right.
Yeah, the worst is over now,
Our former sun is bloated like a red giant ball.

I think it's gonna be all right.
Yeah, the worst is over now,
Our newfound sun is shining like a pale yellow ball.

Sung to the tune "Mad World" by Roland Orzabal
Words by Tom Campbell

He discovered me in 1930
Mr. Tombaugh, Mr. Tombaugh.
Named me Pluto like that dog from Disney
Happy birthday, happy birthday.

A tiny world with frozen beaches;
Cold and lonely, cold and lonely.
I'm in orbit at the outer reaches;
One and only, one and only.

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda strange:
They hail me as a planet, then they want to make me change.
And just because I'm little doesn't mean that I'm a dwarf.
So is it any wonder I'm a very, very
Sad world, sad world.

They sent probes to study all the planets.
None flew past me, none flew past me.
Names like Pioneer and Voyager, they
All forgot me, they forgot me.

Astronomers held a convention:
"What's a planet? What's a planet?"
And they said I wasn't worth a mention.
"We should ban it! We should ban it!"

And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda strange:
They hail me as a planet, then they want to make me change.
And just because I'm little doesn't mean that I'm a dwarf.
So is it any wonder I'm a very, very
Sad world, sad world.
Lonely world, sad world.

by Tom Campbell

The crowd has gathered under fading light.
Stargazers ready for the coming night.
Voices hush while the sky begins to swell -
Stars reveal what the dark won't always tell.

Whispers float softly as the planets rise.
Wonders unfold beneath the darkened skies.
Eyes strain to see and hearts start to ignite,
Chasing the stars through the endless night

[CHORUS]
I'm looking through the scope with all my might.
Photons hit my eye at the speed of light.
Galaxies collide with the eager crowd.
Stars may be silent but the cheers are loud.

Orion's Nebula, a cosmic sea
Cradling new stars in its mystery.
Colors burst softly, like a fireworks show -
A starlit heart with a nebulous glow.

The Hercules Cluster, a bright star ball -
Thousands of stars held in gravity's thrall.
Ancient lights whisper tales as old as time,
Their orbits locked tight in a dance sublime.

[CHORUS]

[INTERLUDE]

[CHORUS]

[OUTRO]

Sung to the tune "Heart of Glass" by Blondie
Words by Tom Campbell

Once I had enough of a mass
I became a star of gas.
Seemed so good, that fiery bla-a-ast.
But I knew it wouldn't last.

Once I had my hot hydrogen
Slowly fuse to helium.
Seemed so good, that burning so fa-a-ast.
But I knew it wouldn't last.

In between those nuclear reactions and I'm burning still
No gravity contractions, I still have some fuel.
And if I feel my gas run low, it just means that
I'm ready to explode.

Once I had enough of a mass
I became a star of gas.
Seemed so good, that fiery bla-a-ast.
But I knew it wouldn't last.

There's no doubt, my fuel is now exhausted and I'm burning out
My outer shell, I lost it, time is running out
You shoulda seen my nova, yeah.

La-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la
La-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la
La-la-la La-la-la-la-la-la-la La-la

Yeah, in flight emitting bluish light.

Oo-ooh, o-oh, oo-ooh, o-oh
Oo-ooh, o-oh, oo-ooh, o-oh

Once I had enough of a mass
Which I did begin to pass
Felt so good, that fiery bla-a-ast,
But I knew, it wouldn't last.

Oo-ooh, o-oh, oo-ooh, o-oh
Oo-ooh, o-oh, oo-ooh, o-oh

by Tom Campbell

Sue loved to gaze up at the night,
With books of stars, her heart took flight.
Through her telescope she'd peer and see
Bright planets shining brilliantly.
But of all her finds, when skies were clear,
The Moon was what she held most dear.

[Chorus]
"Stargazer Sue, what will you do
With your great big telescope?
You look at Mars and see the stars
When you should be skipping rope."
They laughed and teased, but Sue stayed true:
Her heart belonged up in the blue.

The kids all laughed and made her sad,
But then she turned and ran to Dad.
He knelt beside her, holding tight,
"Just look above and trust the night.
No more tears and no more sorrow,
We'll go fishing come tomorrow."

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
The wind grew loud, the waves did rise,
The boat rocked hard beneath the skies.
The shore was gone; Dad glanced around,
Unsure of how to get to town.
But Sue just smiled and scanned the night:
"The Dipper points to North--go right!"

They followed her lead, and land drew near,
Thanks to the stars, their way was clear.
Uncle Jerry grinned, "Sue, it's true,
You're a stargazer tried and true!"
With newfound joy, she felt so bold;
The stars above were hers to hold.

[Chorus]

[Outro]
So now when called that name at school,
She'd smile and feel so calm and cool.
For in her heart, with stars so bright,
She'd be Stargazer Sue each night.

Sung to the tune "Ghost Riders in the Sky," by Stan Jones
Words by Tom Campbell

An old cowpoke went riding out one dark and starry night
Upon a ridge he rested as he looked up in the sky
When all at once a mighty host of figures there he saw
A-turnin' 'cross the nighttime skies; it made him drop his jaw.

He first saw Cassiopeia, the Queen upon her throne
And nearby was Andromeda, chained up to some great stone.
He stared with eyes wide open as the Pegasus came by
A starry horse with wings outspread, a-flyin' through the sky.

Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o
Constellations: Those patterns in the sky

Orion was a hunter, with his bow drawn tightly back
And followed by his hunting dogs, who made a fearsome pack
He stood to face down Taurus, the Bull reared its horny head
While Lepus slumped beneath his feet, the Rabbit now was dead.

The wind, it seemed to whisper from across the void of space.
It said, "Now, cowboy, only you can keep the stars in place."
"If you don't take the time to learn these stories in the stars,"
"Your kids will cease to care for us, they'll never go to Mars."

Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o
Constellations: Those patterns in the sky

Sung to the tune "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" by Bob Nolan
Words by Tom Campbell

See them spinning around
Without making a sound.
Beyond Mars they'll be found
Drifting along with the tumbling asteroids.

Made of iron and stone,
They will endlessly roam,
Never finding a home.
Drifting along with the tumbling asteroids.

When our Sun is dead and gone
They will still be movin' on.

Thousands circle the Sun
But the space 'tween each one
Is such that they seldom run
Into another tumbling asteroid.

[interlude]

Most of the ones we found.
Look like hamburger ground.
But a few will be round.
Drifting along with the tumbling asteroids.

When our Sun is dead and gone
They will still be movin' on.

When some gravity source
Makes them veer off their course,
They'll impact with such force.
Drifting along with the tumbling asteroids.

Sung to the tune "Venus" by Frankie Avalon
Words by Tom Campbell

Hey, Venus! Oh, Venus!

Venus is a place
That doesn't want to show its rocky face.
Its atmosphere has covered it with clouds
And CO₂ enshrouds my view.

Venus, you're so fun,
You are the second planet from the Sun.
That sunlight makes your temp'rature so high
A surface that will fry an egg.

Venus, you're such a beauty to me.
Why is it my desire
To see a world on fire?

Venus, if I could
Land on your melting surfaces I would.
The pressure of your atmosphere is strong,
So I wouldn't last too long.

Hey, Venus! Oh, Venus!
Venus, I love you!

Sung to the tune "Lucille" by Hal Bynum & Roger Bowling
Words by Jane Hastings & Jon Bell

I knew when you came in that you'd soon be leavin'
You just had that look in your eye.
You looked at your watch and you said to your honey,
"If I don't get coffee I'll die."

You thought there were lasers and Star Wars' Darth Vaders
And popcorn and soft drinks and beer.
Instead there's just me and my trusty red pointer
And 88 star groups and planets I fear.

The Show was beginnin', and you wasn't grinnin',
You didn't know what would come next.
I talked about Hertzsprung and star evolution,
Until you looked very perplexed.

A few minutes later the silence grew greater,
Your gripin' and grumblin' had passed;
But just as we thought you were getting the message,
We noticed your snoring at last!

You picked a fine time to leave my star show,
With four blazin' quasars and a black hole to go,
With star systems dyin'
Your kids started cryin',
I feared that my anger would show.
You picked a fine time to leave my star show.

I talked about Io's explosive volcanoes
We waited to see one erupt,
But just as it happened the sound that we heard,
Was not a "kaboom" but "snuck snuck" (snoring noise)

You picked a fine time to leave my star show,
With four blazin' quasars and a black hole to go,
With star systems dyin'
Your kids started cryin',
I feared that my anger would show.
You picked a fine time to leave my star show.