Science Fiction Music

David Bowie's Space Oddity is a great example of a science fiction short story in song form (albeit one about an acid trip). One of my favorite songs ever, by one of my favorite rockers ever, is equally great. Writing a great sci-fi short story is hard. Writing a song that is a great sci-fi short story is brilliance.

The song is Billy Radcliffe. It's by Frank Black and the Catholics, from their album Pistolero.

Billy Radcliffe didn't go to town
And when we looked up
He was looking right down
Catching blue in his eyes that were brown
Billy Radcliffe
(Billy Radcliffe)

Billy Radcliffe owned by the state
From his first breath
To the cemetery gate
He was the first boy born in space
Billy Radcliffe
(Billy Radcliffe)

Billy Radcliffe very first one
He really had lived just a cursed son
A split in half man sang the cherubim
Billy Radcliffe
(Billy Radcliffe)

Billy Radcliffe saw what the Devil man saw
He saw a spot of blue in black of the eye of the Lord
Such a cruel love
Is the kind that has wrought oh Billy
Billy Radcliffe

Billy sadly didn't live long
He had to stay there
Because he wasn't too strong
He's stepping out the door
Blowing up like bomb
Billy Radcliffe
(Billy Radcliffe)

Billy Radcliffe very first one
Really a hatched man a light switch son
A split in half man sang the cherubim

Billy Radcliffe very first one
A split in half man sang the cherubim
I bet you cried when he died now didja
Now didja ?

Now Billy Radcliffe saw what the Devil man saw
A spot of blue in black of the eye of the Lord Oh Billy
Billy Radcliffe saw what the Devil man had
And I feel very bad for
William Radcliffe