So many songs can be converted to themes of science – astronomy, geology, ornithology, paleontology… Most aren’t silly songs; they have some meaning or tell a story.
ASTRONOMY
Backstory to this song: As a deep sky observer, the moon is “the enemy” because it washed out the faint objects that I like to track down and sketch. (See elsewhere on my website.) There are a lot of songs that are about the moon and all can be rewritten with some astronomical theme.
Full Moon Rising
By Alan Goldstein, March 20, 2024
(With apologies to Creedence Clearwater Revival)
I see the full moon arising
I see trouble in the sky
I see starlight a dimmin’
I see bad views oh why
Don’t look east tonight
Well, it’s bound to ruin your sight
There’s a full moon on the rise
I hear the crickets a-chirping
I know observin’ going to end
I fear photons overflowing
I hear the curses of rage ascend
Don’t look east tonight
Well, it’s bound to ruin your sight
There’s a full moon on the rise
All right
I hope you got your gear together
I hope you are quite prepared to cry
Looks like we’re in for lousy weather
Dark sky is turnin’ to brighter sky
Don’t look east tonight
Well, it’s bound to ruin your sight
There’s a full moon on the rise
Don’t look east tonight
Well, it’s bound to ruin your sight
There’s a full moon on the rise
GEOLOGY
Backstory: The Pacific Ring of Fire is where tectonic plates are subducted into the mantle and are lined with volcanoes. This song was crying out to be rewritten for volcanologists to sing around the campfire. But anyone can do it!
Ring of Fire
By Alan Goldstein, March 26, 2024
(With apologies to June & Johnny Cash)
Earth is a burnin’ thing
And it has a fiery ring
Bound by a geo-desire
I study Pacific’s ring of fire
I study Pacific’s ring of fire
Plates go down, down, down
And the volcanoes go higher
And it flows, flows, flows,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
I study Pacific’s ring of fire
Plates go down, down, down
And the volcanoes go higher
And it flows, flows, flows,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
From the Earth lava has heat
When plates of crust meet
Red rocks falls from the sky
Oh, but the fire goes high
I study Pacific’s ring of fire
Plates go down, down, down
And the volcanoes go higher
And it flows, flows, flows,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
I study Pacific’s ring of fire
Plates go down, down, down
And the volcanoes go higher
And it flows, flows, flows,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
And it flows, flows, flows,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
The ring of fire, the ring of fire
The ring of fire
ORNITHOLOGY
Backstory: Barred owls are distinguished from other species by repetitive hoots. The “who-who-who-whooo” translates into “Who cooks for you?” Hence the verbiage in this song.
Who Are You?
By Alan Goldstein 3-23-24
(With apologies to ‘The Who‘)
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
The barred owl asks, Who cooks for you?
It woke up in maple knothole
A birder knew its name
He said, “You can sleep in your home today
If you don’t get up and fly away”
It ducked back into the shadows
And bumps rose under my hair
I remember scannin’ my optics around
Bird watching from my chair
Well, who are you? Who cooks for you?
I really wanna know
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Tell me, who are you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
‘Cause I really wanna know
The barred owl asks, Who cooks for you?
I took the trail back to the woods
Back to rollin’ pine
I felt a little like lying down
With my dog Rin Tin Tin
I stretched back and looked up
And looked back on my lazy day
Eleven hours in the upland
Geez, what a wonderful way
Well, who are you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Who are you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Come on Tell me, who are you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
The barred owl asks, Who cooks for you?
I know there’s a place you flew
Where pellets fall from trees
Your love of mice is like an empty cup
You look for food ‘neath the leaves
You fly out with talons drawn
Your prey you never miss
How can I measure up to a raptor now
After talents such as this?
Who are you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Come on Tell me, who are you?
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
I really wanna know
Who are you? Who cooks for you?
Tell me, tell me who are you?
The barred owl asks, Who cooks for you?
PALEONTOLOGY
Backstory: This was my first song lyrics done several years ago. It is work related as I have been guiding folks on the fossil beds at the Falls of the Ohio for more than 30 years. I’ve been identifying rocks for people for nearly 40 years.
Limestone Cowboy
by Alan Goldstein ~Summer, 2022
(With apologies to Larry Weiss / Darren Sampson / John Matthews – and Glen Campbell)
I’ve been walkin’ these fossil beds so long
Singin’ the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty slabs of limestone
Where ID’s the name of the game
And nice trilobites get washed away like the snow in the rain
There’s been a load of exploration
On the road to my horizon
But I’m gonna be where the calcite’s shinin’ on me
Like a limestone cowboy
Walking out on the beds like a guide in a fossil-spangled rodeo
Like a limestone cowboy
Getting requests for ID from people I don’t even know
And questions comin’ over the phone
Well, I really don’t mind the tasks
And the smile can hide all the asks
But you’re down when you’re hikin’ the trail takin’ the long way
And I dream of the things I’ll do
With a fossil brochure like a dollar tucked inside my pocket
There’ll be a load of fossil promisin’
On the road to my horizon
But I’m gonna be where the calcite’s shinin’ on me
Like a limestone cowboy
Walking out on the beds like a guide in a fossil-spangled rodeo
Limestone cowboy
Getting requests for ID from people I don’t even know
And questions comin’ over the phone Like a limestone cowboy
Walking out on the beds like a guide in a fossil-spangled rodeo
Like a limestone cowboy
Getting requests for ID from people I don’t even know
Like a limestone cowboy