56 W: 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.
56 W: Sci-Fi References in Music List
Wah!:
"The Seven Thousand Names of Wah!" on "Nah Poo- The Art of Bluff"
deserves a mention since its title is borrowed from Arthur C. Clarke
and finishes with the lines "One by one the stars are going out" which
is a direct quote from the Clarke story ("The Nine Billion
Names of God"). The single "Better Scream" concerns a
future apocalyptic war.
Wakeman, Rick:
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" retells Verne's story; "No
Earthly Connection" has a fantasy slant to it. "Myths and
Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table" tells
the story of Camelot. The album "1984" (released in 1981!) is
a concept album based on George Orwell's book of the same name.
It includes tracks entitled "Robot Man", "Julia's Song", "No Name"
and "The Proles". Wakeman also released the album "Time Machine"
in the mid-80's, but it's unclear that this has any relationship
to the H.G. Wells novel. See also Yes and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe.
Randy Van Warmer:
On the album "Terraform", the title track is a three part SF song, the last
part of which is "I'm so 21st century" (repeated ad-nauseum). The song,
as well as the album, is absolutely dreadful. ;-)
Warp 7:
"Theme from Enterprise", another techno version.
Warrior:
The LP "Fighting for the Earth" deals with saving the earth
from demonic evil by forming a band of hard-core warriors to
do battle with it. The band has been characterized as
"a nontypically environmentally concerned metal band".
Was (not Was):
"Born to Laugh at Tornadoes" contains "Man vs. the Empire Brain
Building" a cyberpunk piece in which the vocals mostly consist of
the following line repeated over and over:
"In my life there's just three things:
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Woman
and
Man vs. the Empire Brain Building"
Of course, "Walk the Dinosaur" is about...
Waters, Roger:
"Radio K.A.O.S." is a story about a psychic who hears radio
waves in his head; he learns to control them and takes over
a military computer system. His 1992 release "Amused to Death"
exmaines mankind's fascination with television, and ends with
the arrival of "alien anthropologists" who declare that mankind
had evidently "Amused itself to death." See also Pink Floyd.
Participated (with his Bleeding Heart Band) in the soundtrack
for the English animated film "When The Wind Blows"
about an old couple experiencing a nuclear attack.
The second half of the soundtrack album (Virgin) is by them.
Wayne, Jeff:
"War of the Worlds". H.G. Wells' story with
Richard Burton doing narration, and awful music (purely
a personal opinion ;-) ).
Weather Report:
"I Sing the Body Electric" borrows the title from Ray Bradbury and
shows an android on the cover.
The Weathermen:
LP "Ten Deadly Kisses" features a track "Space", which is about
a space-age yuppie.
Jimmy Webb:
"The Highwaymen," a song about reincarnation in which the
narrator imagines himself in last verse: "I'll fly a starship/across the
universe divide/and when I reach the other side/perhaps I may become a
highwayman again/or I may simply be a single drop of rain/but I'll be
back again..." Also recorded by Nelson, Jennings, Krisofferson and Cash.
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