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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"10 Songs About Aliens" |
09.14.11 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
It’s been said that “the truth is out there”. Who am I to argue? For decades stories of “little green men” and “unidentifiable objects” have ruled the science fiction world and have even graced the cover of shitty tabloids. There are those of us who believe that there is more life out there and that we are not alone. There are those of us who think there is a perfectly logical reason why people have had these experiences and that there is nothing else out there. One day when we’re all taken over by aliens, the “truthseekers” will be able to say “toldyaso!” If we don’t get invaded by aliens, the doubters are right. This is just “one of those things”…
Like all weird, offbeat, and controversial topics it’s covered well in the music world. Today I’m going to take a look at some of my favorite songs about aliens. I expected some bigger songs to surface once I started looking into the alien topic. Not nearly as many as I thought. I’m sure I missed one or three, but I think I covered a fair variety. I’m going to STRESS the fact that this is MY favorite list. Yours can be and should be different. That said, it’s a fun list…
TEN
”Come Sail Away” by Styx
This song is weird as it is. When it comes down to it, it’s a really bad ass elevator song. It’s easy listening, but it’s got some really cool organ playing. When I researched this topic this song kept popping up. The lyrics make total sense, but it’s hard to know for sure on this one. Either way, I’m going to always just assume this song is about aliens from now on.
NINE
”Take Me To Your Leader” by Hanzel Und Gretyl
If you haven’t heard of the industrial metal band Hanzel und Gretyl then you’re probably not a real fan of industrial metal bands. They perform under a German gimmick. They wear big German costumes, speak German in the songs, and rock the hell out. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them a few times live in the Chicago area. Their stage show has some really intense lighting. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, but I can honestly say that their lights were the closest I felt to being pulled into a saucer.
EIGHT
”Your Neighborhood Spaceman” by Peeping Tom
I might be crazy in saying this, but there are times I enjoy Peeping Tom more than Faith No More. Yeah, blasphemy. So are aliens, so who cares? This song is crazy. I cannot recommend the self titled Peeping Tom album enough.
SEVEN
”EXP” by Jimi Hendrix Experience
The intro track to “Axis” is weird as hell. It’s a trippy news cast where the newscaster asks an a man a question only for us to find out he’s really an alien. What happens next is some trippy stuff. The host is drummer Mitch Mitchell and the alien man is played by Jimi Hendrix. This might be the closest we to Hendrix doing any acting. Cool track that leads right into “Up from the Skies” perfectly. Good stuff.
SIX
”Space Lord” by Monster Magnet
I’ll always have a soft spot for this song. The video rocked and for a short while I thought Monster Magnet was going to blow up huge. They’ve still put out some decent stuff over the years but I would have put money on this track making them “Korn big” (yeah, that’s a new measurement). This wasn’t the only song of theirs to explore the alien world. If you can only listen to one Monster Magnet song your entire life… make sure it’s a long one!
FIVE
”Hangar 18” by Megadeth
Megadeth was a huge let down when I saw them live in 2000. This video always creeped me out. It was a full on production. It starts with a story about the military capturing an alien. While they do test, the band rocks out on a balcony/walk way area in the same place. They had to have put a lot of cash into making this one. It was 1990. I know the effects are THAT great, but for the time they were pretty awesome. Hell, they’re still better than some projects out there. The best thing about this is for sure the guitar solos and the video itself. As a whole, the song is kinda meh.
FOUR
”Mr. Spaceman” by The Byrds
In 1966 we get one of the biggest bands around doing a tune about being abducted by an alien. The lyrics are pretty specific about the light coming in, being taken away, and all that fun stuff. It’s not The Byrd’s biggest hit, but it’s a fun song and probably one of the first tracks that’ll come up in a conversation with anyone that has knowledge of pre-cell phone music.
THREE
”Subterranean Homesick Alien” by Radiohead
A lot of the “OK Computer” album could fit this category. Of course “Paranoid Android” would work, but this is the winner. It’s often snubbed for the bigger tunes like “Karma Police”, “Lucky”, “Exit Music”, etc. I like this one because it’s probably the closest to the truth when it comes to aliens. They most likely are up there in the sky looking down and laughing at us.
TWO
”Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley
A classic! This was the first one that came to mind when I was putting this together. “Purple People Eater” is an old song. Back in the 50’s the whole idea of aliens and space men was first coming to pop culture. This was a fun song and is still a staple in children parties and gathering of ironic folk.
ONE
”The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars” by David Bowie
I could have gone with “Starman”, “Moonage Daydream”, “Lady Stardust”, or the title track of “Ziggy Stardust”. I could have gone with other albums and other songs, especially “Space Oddity”. Am I cheating here? Yep. I’m not going to pick ONE song from this album. David Bowie adapted the persona of an alien named “Ziggy Stardust” for a few years. This was the coolest thing to ever happen to glam rock. David Bowie pushed the envelope on a billion levels here. There would be tons of artists and bands to rip off or “show homage” after this landmark album. This album has instructions. It says “TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME”. I suggest following this rule.
What is YOUR favorite song about aliens?
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