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Life and Death in the Cosmos
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Song written for my cosmology class about supernovae, the deaths of massive stars that give life to us and other entities in the cosmos made out of elements heavier than helium
pop rock folk universe cosmos alan marscher boston university profess cosmos ii science songs songs for science nerds songs in russian
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A mainly one-person band featuring strong vocals and guitar back-up, playing a variety of songs in a rock, folk, and pop blend. The songs range from science ner
Cosmos II is the pseudonym of Alan Marscher, a professor of astronomy at Boston University. Usually, he performs alone on guitar and vocals. The songs are all originals composed and copyrighted by Marscher. Some are "science nerd" songs that Cosmos II performs to science students at B.U. The majority, though, are just general songs about life, love, the pursuit of happiness and meaning, and various other random topics. Most of the songs are in English, while some are in Russian, the country where Marscher's wife, Svetlana hails from. The style is a mixture of rock, pop, and folk - what is often termed "adult contemporary." Many are humorous - e.g., "Medical Miracle" about how Viagra has revitalized a lot of middle-aged men or "Relatively Weird" about the wonders and perils of traveling around at near-light speeds. Others are philosophical, such as "All from Nothing?" about how the universe came to exist and "Elusive Truth" that asks whether absolute truth can exist. Some are just plain love songs - an example is "Together or Apart" - and others are love-is-difficult songs, like "Winter's Darkness." Laughs and tears for everyone! Marscher recorded all of the songs himself on a small digital recorder. He doesn't have loads of free time, so he hasn't worked hard enough to remove imperfections, add a drum pattern, etc. But most songs have harmony and are at least at the "demo" level of quality. Friends who have listened to them have neither gone mad nor rushed the CD to the local recycling center. More importantly to Cosmos II, Marscher can listen to them without wretching in horror over the slight mis-timings of the different tracks and other imperfections.
Song Info
Charts
#12 today Peak #1
#4 in subgenre Peak #1
Author
Alan Marscher
Rights
2016 by Alan Marscher
Uploaded
November 23, 2016
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.7 MB 160 kbps 3:16
Story behind the song
All atoms except for hydrogen are synthesized in the cores of stars. When a star more massive than about 8 times the mass of the Sun uses up its hydrogen fuel in its core, it makes heavier elements. Eventually, these stars explode, having made all of the elements found in nature and spreading them throughout the Galaxy. When the next generations of stars are made from interstellar gas, they then contain these heavy elements. This allows planets to form around stars and, at least on our planet, people to appear.
Lyrics
1. The most massive stars have LOTS OF GAS But are so luminous that they BURN OUT FAST        Their core pressure gets too low to SUPPORT THEIR WEIGHT       Gravitational collapse CONTROLS THEIR FATE 2. Contraction of the core makes it VERY DENSE Its heat just keeps getting MORE INTENSE            Heavy nuclei of atoms get SYNTHESIZED As the matter gets more and more ENERGIZED . . . and . . . Climax:   The core implodes, the core implodes, and the rest of the star . . . EXPLODES!!!    It EXPLODES!!!   Propelled out to space It EXPLODES!!!    It just EXPLODES!!!   At an extremely rapid pace Left behind is a neutron star or sometimes a small black hole The first one spins as a pulsar, the second swallows planets whole 3. The remnant mixes with interSTELLAR GAS Enriched in elements made DURING THE BLAST        In clouds that later form new STAR SYSTEMS With planets where might live some ORGANISMS . . .  like us . . . like us Aftermath: Our ancestors were short-lived stars, so massive that they exploded apart We're made out of their atomic debris, "sons and daughters of the cosmos" describes humanity "Sons and daughters of the cosmos" describes you and me
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lee1102
Apr 01, 2022
Alt Metal???? I really don't think so. And #3 on the Metal Charts??? Give me a break. It sounds like you threw this song together in 5 minutes. The phrasing is horrible, the lyrics sound like a text book, and the song does not belong in the top 10 of the charts, especially after 10 years!