09 B5: Sci-Fi References in Music List
Description
This article is from the SF references in music List FAQ, by Rich Kulawiec rsk@gsp.org with numerous contributions by others.
09 B5: Sci-Fi References in Music List
William S. Burroughs:
In addition to the spoken-word album "Dead City Radio", he collaborated
with the Disposable Heroes Of Hip-Hoprisy on "Spare Ass Annie" and wrote
the libretto to Robert Wilson & Tom Waits' opera "The Black Rider". The
"Black Rider" CD consists of songs based on the opera; Burroughs sings on
"'Tain't No Sin". Did a version of "Words Of Advice" with Material on
their "Hallucination Engine" CD. See also Laurie Anderson.
Bush, Kate:
"Breathing", about breathing the fallout following a nuclear blast, (supposed
to be sung by an unborn child) is from "Never For Ever", and "Experiment IV"
from "The Whole Story" about designing a sound that can kill.
"Cloudbusting" is about a boy (played by Kate in the video) whose father
builds a rain-making machine and is kidnapped by the government.
(This song was inspired by Peter Reich's "The Book of Dreams".
The lines "I hid my Yo-yo/In the garden/
what made it special/made it dangerous"
is a reference to the fact that the rainmaking energy was inhibited
by radiation, so Peter's father made him throw away his yo-yo.
Peter buried it in the garden instead. -- Theo O'Neal)
(Peter Reich's father, Wilhelm Reich, was actually a 'scientist'
(regard the quotes) who did research in 'orgone energy'. Don't ask
me seriously what 'orgone energy' should be, but one of it's
abilities should have been to make it rain. The story
behind that is not sci-fi at all, it is true life (more or less).
Wilhelm Reich was actually arrested by the government and died in
prison, something the nine (or so) year old Peter couldn't comprehend
as a child. Peter later wrote 'a book of dreams' to cope with that
experience. -- Ulrich Grepel )
See also "Hammer Horror" from "Lionheart", a throwback to the
horror films of the 60's. "Deeper Understanding" from "The Sensual
World" is about computer addiction. "Hello Earth" from "Hounds of Love"
refers to an astronaut viewing the earth from his spaceship.
KB also covered Elton John's "Rocket Man".
Byrds, The:
"Hey Mr. Spaceman" from "The Fifth Dimension". "Space Odyssey"
from "Notorious Byrd Brothers" is a retelling of Clarke's "The Sentinel".
A comment on "Space Odyssey" from Norm Woodward:
According to their introduction to the song at a concert I
attended, the reason the song was about "the Sentinel", ie, a
pyramid, was that there was a rumor that Stan Kuprick was still
searching for material for the soundtrack for his long awaited
epic, and they thought they had a chance to be in it. Since
the only thing known about the project was that it was based on
the short story, the Byrds tried to stretch the lyrics to fit
the gig. Obviously, they were not in the final mix.
Byrne, David:
"In the Future", from the "Civil Wars" soundtrack is an
often-contradictory list how we will be in the future.
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