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Satellites and Meteors

from The Lobster Lies Down on Bourbon Street by vonHummer

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I love old cars. I love reading the names. How bold. And how boldly they all copied each other. After a while, I began to notice that I could group them by name: outer space names like "Satellite," "Meteor," "Comet," and such. Fish: "Marlin," "Stingray," etc etc. What a great idea for a song that might be, I said to myself, a song that's a list of car names grouped by related subject matter.

Yeah, I really think that way.

But a decent song has to have an emotional raison d'etre or why bother with it? And so my song idea stayed a song idea until the rainy winter's morn that I came up with a dreamy, sad riff that reminded me of Gordon Lightfoot's "Pussywillows, Cat tails." Then and only then did I see the means to write up my list of old cars that we now enjoy as "Satellites and Meteors."

It's a fairly sentimental song. I suppose the ancient folk who grew up around horses have vivid memories of the sounds and smells and feel of horses and buggies, too. I'm still rather haunted by the memories of big, old cars from my childhood. The heat and smell of vinyl seats on summer days, the bounce of the old springy seats. The wonder of the AM/FM radios and 8-track players.

And these are memories of other people's big American cars, because my weirdo family only drove Volkswagens for most of my childhood.

Anyhow, it's a spooky idea in the song that maybe, when we die, like the Valkyries of Norse mythology, giant mint Buicks will carry us off to heaven. That's my request anyway. And may the driver be Jane Mansfield in a bullet bra. Thank you.

lyrics

"Satellites and Meteors"
[vonHummer]

Satellites and Meteors, Novas and Galaxies, Comets, Super Bees, Hornets, and Skylarks...
Cutlasses, Javelins, Eagles and Falcons, Monte Carlos, Sportabouts, Caprices,
Corvairs, Corsairs, Voláres, and Valiants whisper down ether streets to carry us home…
Chargers and Pintos, Mustangs and Vegas, Barracudas, Marlins, and Sting Rays,
Gremlins and Furies, Bobcats and Cougars, Continentals, Country Squires, and Regals,
Arrows, Rancheros, Cordobas, and Opels whisper down ether streets to carry us home…
Firebirds, Thunderbirds, Cyclones and Dusters, Toronados, Mavericks, Impalas,...
Matadors and Challengers, Rebels, Marauders,
Vista Cruisers, Rivieras , LeSabres,
Torinos, El Caminos, Swingers and Pacers whisper down ether streets to carry us home…
Safe in broad backseats, they carry us home…
Ashtrays and armrests, they carry us home...
8-Tracks and AM, they carry us home….

credits

from The Lobster Lies Down on Bourbon Street, released March 17, 2002
Bass drone, high guitar drone and vocals by vonHummer. Produced by Clark Kent for Therisno Records.

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vonHummer Portland, Oregon

vonHummer is a Portland music/cable access legend whose career spanned from Fall of 2001 to Fall of 2011, during which he recorded a hundred or so songs for use in his absurdist show (and feature film) and played only a handful of concerts. Currently retired, his work shines on for the ages. Or will he someday return...? ... more

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