Spaceman Ern

Lily Tomlin said she’d always wanted to be someone, but now she realizes she should have been more specific.

Here’s a song I wrote that’s heavily influenced by John Prine which I’m planning on singing at tomorrow’s Tuesday Night Open Mic at Hard Times Cafe.

Spaceman Ern (by me, Ernest Lilley) ((I’m still working on it))

G I used to want to be a spaceman
go on up there in a C tin can
to explore the solar G system
and maybe go to D mars

Now I just want to G stay here
with my feet on solid C ground dear
someplace I know that G you’re near
like D maybe in my G arms

and I wanted to be someone
that people could look up to
as I whizzed around in orbit
at 10 thousand miles an hour

But now I think that I’d be happy
even if it’s kind of sappy
just to be the fella
that brings you lots of flowers

So you can take some other rascal
and put him in a capsule
and send him on a voyage
off to see the stars

But if I’m being factual
and not especially tactful
You’d have to be plumb crazy
to want to go that far

G I used to want to be a spaceman…

 

Cause now I see things clearly
I find I feel sincerely
That all really want now
is a space inside your heart.

and I wanted to be someone
that people would look up to
and not just that they’d look through
like a dirty windowpane

I’d like to be your good friend
on which you know can depend
to be there when you need me
and never go insane

(obviously, I’m still working on both the song and the never going insane part)