So apparently it’s some kind of shuttle tradition that the astronauts wake up with a special song. Usually it’s something soaring like U2’s Beautiful Day, but for the last shuttle mission ever NASA is sponsoring a song contest for shoe draggers like me.

Thanks to @Eastsidelama for twittering about it!

The NASA people will pick 10 of the submitted songs and then put it to an internet vote. They didn’t want lyrics, but they did want you to describe what the song is trying to express. I wrote that “I wanted to express the child-like wonder of space along with the idea that our future and past – both literally and metaphorically – lies with the stars.” Oy.

So here’s my entry, “Welcome to Wonderland”. Kittery Embers listeners will recognize it…and I know it’s not really “space rock”.
[audio: http://radioghost.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/WelcometoWonderland.mp3]
Quicktime or Download

Lyrics:

Well I rode on the Carousel
Till my horse tired
I threw darts at balloons till I won
And I drank all the lemonhead
And drove bumper cars
Till it seemed like I owned the whole park

And wherever I went, well I shook every hand
I said, Welcome to my Wonderland!
I said Welcome to our Wonderland!

Now I’m riding the milky way
I swim with the stars
I play cards with the moon and the sun
And I jest with the infinite
And pray next to God
Sing this lullaby silent and dark

And whoever I’ve been, and whatever I’ve done
I left a piece of our heart in the sun
And some day I will take everyone