One song definitely, and another song arguably, based on the science fiction works of Frank Herbert (Dune and “Gambling Device,” respectively):
260. Iron Maiden, “To Tame a Land” (1983):
(Also: back in 1977, a David Matthews released a Dune-themed concept album, which I picked up at the time, having just read the novel shortly before my 13th birthday; it has no lyrics, so it doesn’t really fit into this SongFest, but you can listen to it here. It’s not my conception of what Dune-themed music should sound like; but then, neither is Iron Maiden – or Toto.)
Two songs about invading alien viruses, plus one about invading aliens destined to be defeated by terrestrial viruses (or bacteria, whatever – yeah, I know they’re not the same thing):
257. Laurie Anderson, “Language Is a Virus (From Outer Space)” (1986):
Inspired by a line from William Burroughs:
258. Rick Springfield, “Alien Virus” (2004):
“Monkeys are talking to a black monolith” is an obvious reference to Barry Lyndon:
259. Jeff Wayne and Richard Burton, “Eve of the War” (“War of the Worlds,” 1978):
We shall remain poor and naked for ever and shall always be hungry and thirsty; no matter how hard we try, we’ll never have anything better to eat. Our bread supply is very meagre: little in the morning and less at night, for by the work of our hands we’ll never have more to live on than fourpence in the pound; and with this we cannot buy sufficient food and clothing. For though our labour is worth twenty shillings a week, we have barely enough to live on. And you can be sure that there’s not one of us whose work doesn’t bring in twenty shillings or more, and that’s enough too make a duke wealthy! Yet here we are in poverty, while he for whom we labour grows rich from our work. We stay awake much of the night and all day to earn his profit ….
239. Leslie Fish, “Grandma Went Out With A Bang” (date unknown):
240. Frank Zappa, “Token of My Extreme” (1979):
I can’t imagine what this song is parodying:
241. They Might Be Giants, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett (In Outer Space)” (2009):
242. Dave Doré, “New Crew in Town” (2004):
A comparison of the original and reimagined versions of Battlestar Galactica:
243. David Seville, “My Friend the Witch Doctor” (1958):
Arguably fantasy rather than science fiction – but maybe the Witch Doctor is a technomage, and these are the “fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever.”
244. ZZ Top, “TV Dinners” (1983):
Here it’s the video that’s science fiction, not the lyrics:
