A Traveller’s Guide to Lost and Later Songs #13

For those who may appreciate some background detail, I offer below my workings.

#13 Starlight International
16/10/18 @ 7.39 am

This song arrived, more or less fully formed, in a dream. https://on.soundcloud.com/w5p6A

On waking, rather than rolling over, perchance to dream once more, I had the wherewithal to grab my guitar and record it into my phone. There’s something about the state between sleep and waking that makes for fertile ground for the imagination. The mind is no longer on its best behaviour. Notions such as sensible, adult behaviour become a laughing stock. Ha ha ha ha. Fuck that. Chaos creeps in, many-fingered and dancing to the beat of a different drum.
We were in the middle of our Dark Carnival incarnation at the time and I found myself singing “Baby you’re a supernatural” at the chorus so this became the initial working title. Later on, I thought the word “international” scanned a bit better and could also make for our signature tune. Then “Starlight International” suggested itself. It all sounded rather glam and, inspired by Bowie’s starman/spaceboy fantasies, I thought “Of course! A space ballad”.
The band as cosmonauts, into the Great Unknown, to infirmity and beyond. If I wasn’t afraid of heights, I wouldn’t mind signing up for the space game. As long as I didn’t have to wake up too early and as long as I was home in time for tea or at least, last orders.

Photo Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI