Tag Archives | Science Fiction

Yet another story of differently faring siblings: The Three Sisters Who Fell Into the Mountain (“Animated Tales of the World,” 2002), from Norway.

Following up yesterday’s four Star-Wars-related songs with four Star-Trek-related songs:

129. Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry, “Star Trek” (1966):

Yes, the Star Trek theme has lyrics. Roddenberry wrote them, even though he never planned to use them, because legally, if the theme had lyrics, then every time it was played, even (as nearly always) in its lyrics-less version, half of the royalties would go to him rather than to the composer. (No doubt this stratagem is covered somewhere in the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.)

A different song with somewhat similar lyrics was actually used in the series:

130. Wilbur Hatch, Gene L. Coon, and Nichelle Nichols, “Beyond Antares” (1966):

There’s one Star Trek series, namely Enterprise, that in fact has an opening musical song with lyrics in the broadcast version: “Faith of the Heart.” But I hate that song and everything it represents, and will not be posting it here.

In its stead I offer two songs inspired by the original series:

131. The Firm, “Star Trekkin’ ” (1987):

(Yes, I prefer even that to “Faith of the Heart.”)

And finally, the best of the lot:

132. Leslie Fish, “Banned from Argo” (1977):

Four Star-Wars-related songs:

125. Bill Murray, “The Star Wars Theme,” “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” and other classic tunes (1978):

126. Weird Al Yankovic, “Yoda” (1985):

The original song (“Lola” by the Kinks, 1970):

Weird Al’s Star-Wars-ified version:

127. Weird Al Yankovic, “The Saga Begins” (1999):

The original song (“American Pie” by Don McLean, 1971):

Weird Al’s Star-Wars-ified version:

128. Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake, and Adam Driver, “Please Mr. Kennedy,” from Inside Llewyn Davis (2013):

The original songs – a bunch of ’em:

And their culmination is an inadvertently, retroactively Star-Wars-ified song, as Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren sing about space travel – two years before The Force Awakens:

Electronica robotica, Kraft and Daft:

123. Kraftwerk, “Robots” (1978):

124. Daft Punk, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” (2001):

Two melancholy songs about space travel:

121. Queen, “ ’39” (1975)

122. Mastodon, “Oblivion” (2009):

Four songs about diabolical masterminds and sinister manipulators:

117. Deltron 3030, “Mastermind” (2000):

118. Pat Benatar, “Evil Genius” (1981):

119. Leslie Fish, “Teacher, Teacher” (1983):

120. Pink Floyd, “Another Brick in the Wall” (1979):

And as a bonus – the Doctor trolling his schoolteacher friend with the same tune: