Shooting Star

Michael Longcor

Shooting Star

Music and Lyric Copyright © 2003 by Michael Longcor
Lyric posted by permission of the author

We were twelve minutes out from landing when the sensors twitched and died
And shrieking, tearing metal let the Hell that was out inside
No screams, no fear, just blast and heat and noise of torn machine
And a half-life¡s glimpse of blazing space with nothing in between

I don¡t want to leave my children, and the cool, green hills still call
But I¡ve flown so fast and high and free, it¡s worth the final fall
I could die anywhere, any time, on Earth. It was worth going out so far
To end my life above the sky and die like a shooting star

I could have been most anything. My choice was astronaut
I remembered there was danger after all of you forgot
I¡ve floated free in micro-G and danced to a weightless tune
I¡ve looked down on Fujiyama, and out across the Moon

I don¡t want to leave my family, and the cool, green hills still call
But the things I¡ve seen and the things we¡ve learned are worth the final brawl
It¡s always a fight to reach the height, and fights always leave a scar
So I¡ll end my life above the sky and die like a shooting star

I¡m not the first, won¡t be the last to fly out past the edge
With shining heroes lining up to leap out from the ledge
I¡ve got a date with Christa, with Gus, and Valentin
To raise a glass with Icarus and see what¡s past the rim

I don¡t want to leave the living, but the cool, green hills draw near
Too fast for pain, too fast for grief, too fast for doubt or fear
A voyage ends, and one begins. It was worth going out so far
To end my life above the sky and die like a shooting star

I¡ve lived my life above the sky and I¡ll die like a shooting star