"But we who feel the weight of the wheel
When winter falls over our world
Can hope for tomorrow and raise our eyes
To a silver moon in the open skies
and a single flag unfurled."
Hope Eyrie is singer Leslie Fish's musical homage to the 1969 moon landing of the Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle. It is widely regarded to be a filk anthem of sorts. It was the winner of the 1984 Pegasus award for Best Original Filk Song. According to the Leslie Fish node, it's also traditionally played at the funerals of astronauts. Fittingly so, I might add.
I love this song. It manages to capture that elusive something that fired those early forays into space, that spirit of discovery and exploration that landed man on the moon. President Bush (the elder) once remarked that Project Apollo was the best return on an investment since Leonardo da Vinci bought a sketchpad. And, hey, I agree. There's just a sort of irrefutable coolness about the moon landing that makes the science nerd inside of me hyperventilate. Which is why I like Hope Eyrie. And why you, if you've ever lay on your back staring dreamily at the night sky, might too.
References:
http://www.prometheus-music.com/space.html (you can listen to the mp3 here!)
http://www.ovff.org/pegasus/songs/hope-eyrie.html
http://scifiinc.net/scifiinc/gallery/bio/Fish,_Leslie.htm
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