1st I want to apologize to anyone if this offends
my coin was 1986 and I watched this happen live on TV and it affected me immensely. It was one of the most intense moments I have ever witnessed as an American, right up there with 9/11. There was a deep sense of loss in the country
I truly believe NASA was at fault and should have prevented this diaster by aborting the mission. Thay knew there was problems but due to schedules and pressures probaly due to money they went ahead.
I still have the utmost respect for the astronauts of NASA and the space program and My heartfelt sympathy and condolences still goes out to the families and friends of the crew that was lost in this diaster.
Challenger
Oh God No!!! the space shuttle just blew up
verse
NASA thought they had it made
Sending people into space
N. A. S. A. rah, rah, rah
Blew up in their face
All those happy faces
Now they've turned to gloom
As the heroic shuttle crew
Flew up to their doom
Chorus
A school teacher, a black guy
A jew, a jap , oh boy
All went up in smoke and flames
Aboard this dangerous toy
Challenger, Challenger
Blown into little bits
Challenger, Challenger
Now NASA ‘s having fits
Verse
All the little children
Watching it at school
All going to have nightmares
Cause NASA broke the rules
They televised live via satellite
For all the world to see
And showed us again and again the video
On national TV
Chorus
A school teacher, a black guy
A jew, a jap , oh boy
All went up in smoke and flames
Aboard this dangerous toy
Challenger, Challenger
Blown into little bits
Challenger, Challenger
Now NASA ‘s having fits
verse
They rushed to meet their schedule
But now they're real behind
Did away with safety measures
Just to make the time
The families are now in mourning
They didn't hear about the warning
That came from the engineers
And fell upon deaf ears
Chorus
A school teacher, a black guy
A jew, a jap , oh boy
All went up in smoke and flames
Aboard this dangerous toy
Challenger, Challenger
Blown into little bits
Challenger, Challenger
Now NASA ‘s having FITS_____!
Hey Maddog,
Yeah, I remember watching that too. Horrifying.
You've done a good job of showing your respect for the crew and disappointment with the program.
One thing with the chorus. I like how you've shown that the crew was comprised of a broad spectrum of people, but maybe this is just a Canadian thing, I'm uncomfortable with the line "a black guy, a jew, a jap". I hate being P.C. but you may want to find another way of saying this IMO.
I've taken the liberty of playing around the couplet before the first chorus:
Those former happy faces
Blank toward the glowing screen
The heroic crew was lost
Along with a part of me
You may not want to use this as-is, but it gives some commentary, makes it personal, and tells the story at the same time.
Good work, keep it up.
Rob
Ice cream is a dish best served cold.
Hi maddog,
I also remember that explosion and what struck me was how unbalanced it was, by that I mean that my exposure to explosions up to that point had be courtesy of Hollywood where the fire balls and clouds expand with such artistry. But this one was nothing like that, it was more real, and the impact it had on me much greater. I think you've done a good job at tapping into those emotions and thoughts that I certainly had at the time, well done. Like Rob I also have a little disquiet about the chorus, for me not so much about being PC (although I do take his point) but more that I feel it's a bit light and maybe a little forced, the “oh boy†and “fits†phrases especially. The rhythm I'm hearing in my head may be a bit bouncy for the point I think you are making. For me the chorus is especially important in this song because it personalises the tragedy and I think I would be inclined to make the language used in there a little more formal.
All that said I do think the song is good. Do you have any music in mind ?
Cheers
Paul
