From the recording Agnostic Hymns / Secular Psalms
4. Astronauts. A song about the fact many astronauts have historically returned to earth profoundly religious. As if the experience of going into space and observing both the vastness of the universe and our (insignificant) "pale blue dot" (to quote Carl Sagan), triggered something.
Lyrics
Astronauts
Astronauts are robust
Tough, made of the right stuff
All American boys
With buzz cuts
Yuri the cosmonaut
Puppet in the cold war
Wins the race
And thanks God
JFK is calling
Fly me to the moon and back again!
Safely!
USA
USA
It takes a nation
Put a man in space
Please pray for me
The astronauts
Behold
Through their porthole view
Our beautiful world
But more than just
A pale blue dot
The astronauts
Glimpse the face of God
“…I am the vine,
you are the branches. Whosoever
abides in me will bring forth
much fruit.
Apart from me you can do
Nothing…”, Ain’t that the truth?
According to the gospel of St. John
Oh moon!
Oh moon!
“That's one small step for man.
One giant leap for mankind.”
Houston!
Houston!
We have a problem with our belief system
Now we’ve arrived
The astronauts
Behold
Through their porthole view
Our beautiful world
But more than just
A pale blue dot
The astronauts
Find faith in God
You left the earth
Unsure
Just didn’t know anymore
What to think
You’re agnostic
But something changed out in space
Experienced something great
Back on earth
Turned religious
The astronauts
Behold
Through their porthole view
Our beautiful world
But more than just
A pale blue dot
The astronauts
Glimpse the face of God
Godspeed
Godspeed
Bring me back to thee!
Godspeed
Godspeed
Bring me back to thee!