SciFi SongFest, Songs 257-259

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):


SciFi SongFest, Songs 248-256

Nine songs about comic-book heroes:

248. Neal Hefti and Nelson Riddle, “Batman” (1966):

During the very brief time that we had a tv during my toddlerhood, I learned this song:

Updated version, from the 2017 Lego Batman Movie:

Which in turn reminds me of these (admittedly non-musical, but hey, My Blog My Rules No Proviso LOL Minions) sequences from the HISHE Superhero Café:

249. Marvel Superheroes, “Captain America” (1966):

Plus this snarkommentary fron the HISHE Superhero Café:

Speaking whichly …

250. Billy Van Singers and Laurie Bower Singers, “Spider-Man” (1967):

Michael Bublé’s 2001 cover:

And a different interpretation of the lyrics:

Is he strong? Listen, bud –
he’s got radioactive blood!

Wealth and fame he’s ignored –
action is his reward!

Speaking whichly …

251. Bob Crewe Generation, “Barbarella” (1968):

Warning: images NSFW.

The lyrics start out calling her “Wonder Woman” ….

Speaking whichly …

252. Charles Fox Singers, “Wonder Woman” (1976):

Same songwriter (Charles Fox) as “Barbarella”! (I bet you did not know that.) This time the “Wonder Woman” reference in the lyrics is more apposite:

253. Queen, “Flash Gordon” (1980):

Plus this classic reference:

254. Anthrax, “I Am the Law” (1987):

255. Spin Doctors, “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues” (1991):

Speaking whichly …

256. 3 Doors Down, “Kryptonite” (2000):


SciFi SongFest, Songs 245-247

Pop stars from the stars:

245. Prism, “Spaceship Superstar” (1977):

246. Battlestar Galactica, “It’s Love, Love, Love” (1978):

Heard briefly on the original show …

… and at greater length on the soundtrack album:

247. Beastie Boys, “Intergalactic” (1998):


Who Said This?

Guess the mystery author:

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 ….

Click here to see the answer.


SciFi SongFest, Songs 239-244

Six songs somewhat on the silly side:

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:


SciFi SongFest, Songs 236-238

You Will Live Under the Sea, this (quite beautiful) book assured me when I was a kid:

A companion volume added that I would also go to the moon, just like Bobby and Betty.

Well, I don’t think any of that’s quite going to work out. But here are three songs about the life submarinous:

236. The Beatles, “Yellow Submarine” (1966):

This song was presumably the inspiration for Hagbard Celine’s golden submarine in the Illuminatus books.

When I was in college, a parody song (not by me!) was in circulation, about students studying in the Cabot Science Library: Calc in A, and Chem in D / in the Cabot Library / We all live in the Cabot Library / Cabot Library, Cabot Library ….

237. The Beatles, “Octopus’s Garden” (1969):

I first heard this song as a kid as part of the soundtrack for an underwater nature film at San Diego’s Reuben H. Fleet Science Theatre:

238. Decemberists, “Mariner’s Revenge Song” (2005):

I’m ethically opposed to revenge, but aesthetically I often find it pleasing:

Plus an animated video:

And another:

And another:

And another:

And another:

And another:

And a partial other:

And a live-action cover version:

(The lead in this last oddly reminds me of Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride. The age gap between the two men looks a bit more than fifteen years, but ….)

(Clarificatory Edit: By “the two men” I don’t mean Cary Elwes and this guy; I mean this guy and his intracetaceous companion.)


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