After the Prize

(or) Spaceships in the Sky

Lyrics copyright Mark E. Horning, December 2004

Rev. 18 Feb 2004 w/ input from Blake Hodgets

TtTo: Giants in the Sky, by Stephen Sondheim

There's a Spaceship in the sky!

There's a bright white portent of promise soaring high!

Scaled has built a ship of surprising grace,

And on hybrid flame it has won the race

For a private firm to get into space.

(Two times in just two weeks)

Flying way up high with élan and verve

Far above the world, Where you can observe

That the sky is black And the Earth is Curved.

They won the prize up in the airless skies

Along the way they had some fun. but they're not done.

Cause suddenly one day,

Scores of spaceships will rocket through the air

Scores of private spacecraft built by those who would dare.

So you build anew and design upgrades,

'Cause there's cash and profit now to be made,

And they'll dare things now that they never would before

After the prize….

Now the whole world knows your face and name

And you have to deal with your newfound fame

And the best respite is to light the flame

Fly back above the sky

Where the earth is curved and the stars are bright

and the sky above you is endless night...

And it's then that you know it's not your last flight.

a race to orbit is well within your sight.

The fun is done and the engines ceased to run.

And your gliding down to the Earth below

And the world you know begins to grow.

Well, No one knows what the future has in store.

But the stars seem somehow closer now then they were before.

And you think of all of the things you've seen,

And you're grateful that you could live the dream,

and you're on the ground,

only different than before.

After the prize.

There'll be Spaceships in the sky!

There'll be rocket-powered, privately financed,

wondrous Spaceships,

In the sky!

Aiming High

Lyrics © 31 May 2004 by Mark E Horning

(Mark Capo 2)

(D) G

It's said we come from stardust

Am7 F/ D/

back to the stars we go.

G G Am7 C/

just a twinkle, glinting in the cosmic night

D/ G

So we walk the vacant places,

Am7 F/ D/

to seek the stars above

G G Am7 C/

gaze heavenward, enraptured by the sight

D/ G

When they first came to the desert,

Am7 F/ D/

they brought their hopes and dreams,

G G Am7 C/

and a vision, to soar beyond the sky.

D/ G

and they would not be dissuaded,

Am7 F/ D/

by those who'd failed before,

G G Am7 C/

for the greatest loss, is never to have tried.

D/ C D G

and they're boring holes now thru the desert skys.

C D G

you can see the future blazing in their eyes.

C D

and the stars above Mojave,

G/ Am7/ C C C

sing out with a joyous cry

C G G Am7

They're aimin' high, (chasin' the X-prize)

C/ D/ G G Am7 C/ D/

They're aimin' high (chasin' the X-prize)

G

They have climbed a dozen miles

Am7 F/ D/

and then two dozen more.

G G Am7 C/ D/

saw the sky, turn black, during the day.

Now some might call them crazy

for we've been to space before

but this time, I swear we're going to stay.

So they work inside their hangars

computers aid design

and the mills and lathes, sing the builder's song

they have laid up carbon fiber

stronger than any steel

look to the sky, it will not be too long

For they're boring holes now thru the desert skys.

you can see the future blazing in their eyes.

and the thunder in the heavens,

grows deafening by and by

They're aimin' high, (chasin' the X-prize)

They're aimin' high (chasin' the X-prize)

Now in truth it doesn't matter

who finally wins the race,

though history will celebrate his name.

for we all will be victors

and all will share the spoils

when humanity, the high frontier, has tamed

And they're boring holes now thru the desert skys.

you can see the future blazing in their eyes.

and none of us will blame them,

or even think to question why.

They're aimin' high, (chasin' the X-prize)

They're aimin' high (chasin' the X-prize)

Yes they're boring holes now thru the desert skys.

you can see the future blazing in their eyes.

I wish that I could join them,

on a rocket powered ship could fly

They're aimin' high, (chasin' the X-prize)

They're aimin' high