It seems I can't stop banging on about men on the moon...

... but when my sister got sent the link to this video I thought I must share it. What I love most, apart from loving the song and it reminding of me of my teenage years when The Mose would play R.E.M. on a loop, mooning around the house adoring Michael Stipe a little more than is healthy, I also love what lies behind the story of the song.

Mikey Stipey, as he has become affectionately known in our house (even my 86 year old Dad knows who we're talking about when we mention Mikey) said this about recording the song for the 7th day wake up message to crew of the last space shuttle mission "I recorded 'Man on The Moon' for NASA in Venice, Italy, where Galileo first presented to the Venetian government his eight-power telescope, and in 1610 wrote 'The Starry Messenger' (Sidereus Nuncius), an account of his early astronomical discoveries that altered forever our view of our place in the universe."

The song isn't just relevant for it's appropriate lyrics as a wake up call to people in space (especially given the 35th anniversary of the first ever moon landing is tomorrow!) it's greatness comes in that it is also a song inspired by the people who had the insight and desire to discover what lay beyond our reaches here on earth, and even human comprehension out there in space over 400 years ago. Galileo and his early sky watching pals would have been absolutely in awe of our accomplishments of getting men into space and on the moon and I find these things totally fascinating. What an absolute dude (both Galileo and Stipey, obviously). This brought a tear to my eye, enjoy.