A New Song by Donna Stearns Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy
Lyrics by Donna Stearns
(Refrain)
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
there is so much more
than stars and meteors.
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
there are craters on the moon,
and there are planets too.
Up, Up, Up where it's so high.
Up, Up, further than birds fly.
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
there are galaxies, and many constellations that we see.
(Approaching Verse-1)
Chorus: UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY
Host: In 1609... who disproved that Earth was the center of the universe?
Chorus: UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY
Contestant: In 1609?
Chorus UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY
Contestant: Somebody throw me a lifeline!
Chorus: Up and up and up and up.
(Verse-1)
Contestant: You're askin' me who's the father of science?
Gameshow Host: Yes.
Contestant: -who made discoveries and controversial triumphs?
Host: Yes, he was first to see 4 moons orbiting Jupiter,
Back-Up Chorus: Not the Earth.
Host: -creating quite a stir among other scientists and the Church! Whatcha answer?
Back-Up Chorus: Galileo
Contestant: What?
Back-Up Chorus: Galilei,
Contestant: Who? Sure, let me go with Galileo.
Back-Up Chorus: astronomer!
Host: Correct! 400 Points!
(Solo)
He reported phases of Venus.
Looking through his telescope, there were shadows he could not miss!
He was looking up
(Refrain)
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
observing so much more
than stars and meteors.
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
he saw craters on the moon,
and he saw planets too.
Up, Up, Up where it's so high.
Up, Up, further than birds fly.
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
(Approaching Verse-2)
Culturist (spoken): Worshippers, Stonehenge, The Star of Bethlehem.
Chorus: Up and up and up and up.
(Verse 2)
Culturist: Some cultures had long histories of events,
Culturist: who viewed the skies above as the reverent Heavens.
Culturist: Cahokian chiefs would rule their tribes from the mound highest in the sky,
Back-Up Chorus: Here's why-
Culturist: waiting for God to guide, being close to hear divine advice.
Back-Up Chorus: All worshippers
Culturist: . . . Greeks . . .
Back-Up Chorus: placed Heaven
Culturist: . . . and Romans.
Back-Up Chorus: up in the
Culturist: Aztecs.
Back-Up Chorus: sky,
Culturist: Buddhists. Jews.
Back-Up Chorus: and searched for meaning too.
Culturist: Like in the old Egyptian times.
(Solo)
Stars were once believed to be Pharaohs -
so when they died,
their afterlife shined in the sky.
Worshippers were looking-
(Refrain)
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
seeing so much more
than stars and meteors.
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
where there were craters on the moon,
and there were planets too.
Up, Up, Up where it's so high.
Up, Up, further than birds fly.
UP, UP, UP IN THE SKY,
(Bridge)
So the sky belongs to everyone,
to us and people long ago,
whether astronomers or worshippers or others, and lovers. Ah!
(Approaching Verse-3)
Juliet: Listen to my Romeo
(Verse-3)
Romeo: "Two of the fairest stars in all of Heaven ... do entreat her eyes."
Juliet: Ooh, Romeo. " . . . cut him out in little stars and make the Heaven so fine."
Back-Up Chorus: It's the tale of Shakespeare's pair-
Juliet: and their despair.
Back-Up Chorus: Now compare-
Juliet: with the Chinese myth about two stars that we know as Vega and Altair.
Back-Up Chorus: The Milky Way separated two lovers ...
Back-Up Chorus: Herd-Boy and Weaver Girl!
Juliet: And across that Milky Way . . .
(Solo)
A bridge would form and reunite these lovers.
It happened once a year
when Heaven let them meet each summer.
(Modulated Extended Refrain)
(c) 2009 Donna Stearns, All Rights Reserved.
Copyright Donna Stearns, 2009, All Rights Reserved.