Neil Armstrong - One Giant Leap for Mankind Playlist

"The important achievement of Apollo was demonstrating that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go rather further than that and our opportunities are unlimited."
- Neil Armstrong

One of my favorite historical figures is perhaps most famous for being the first man to set foot on the moon.  In order to show my respect and admiration for this astounding human being, I dedicate my Playlist to Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5, 1930).  Neil is a former American astronaut, test pilot, university professor, and United States Naval Aviator. His first spaceflight was aboard Gemini 8 in 1966, for which he was the command pilot.  The topic of this playlist, Armstrong's second and last spaceflight was as mission commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission on July 20, 1969. On this mission, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface and spent 2.5 hours exploring while Michael Collins remained in orbit in the Command Module.  The intent of this Playlist is to transmit through music some of the physical and emotional experiences that Neil encountered up to and during the Apollo 11 mission.

The Playlist begins with a nostalgic tribute to Neil's Alma Mater, Purdue University, then continues on with the motivational Theme Song from Rocky which symbolizes the superior intellectual and physical endurance required of astronauts before a mission.  The start of the mission is attached to the song "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones because its strong instrumentation and vocals both emphasizes the incredible power of the rocket and the psychological and physical pressure experienced during liftoff.  The following two songs, "The World I Know" and "Rocket Man" reflect the loneliness and melancholy that astronauts feel because of the vast black emptiness of space and the realization that it will be a long time before they touch down on earth or see their families again.  The Theme Song from the 1968 blockbuster, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was chosen to capture the Apollo 11 mission's climactic landing on the lunar service and then the cinematic and larger than life feel that was experienced by Neil and TV viewers alike as he became the first man to set foot on the moon. Through its eerie sound effects and surreal lyrics, Juno Reactor and The Creatures song, "I'm Here (Another Planet), reflects the regal, yet perhaps scary experience of walking around the the lunar surface.  Moreover, the songs lyrics allude to the unthinking way the astronauts completed their practiced 2.5 hour routine on the moon.  For the return trip to earth, David Bowie's "Space Oddity" reveals some common emotions that cosmonauts feel such as isolation from others and spaces' captivating beauty.  Through its powerful instrumentation, loud vocals, and appropriate lyrics, AC DC's hit, "Shook Me All Night Long" embodies the excitement of the astronauts to see their wives again and the shaking of the rocket as it heads back to earth.  The gloomy lyrics, dreary tone, and monotonous melody of "In the Year 2525" by Zager and Evans, reflects society's anxiety that astronauts would bring back "space germs" so they are sent to a quarantine facility called the Lunar Receiving Lab in Houston for tedious weeks of tests for exotic infections.  The final song of the Playlist, "Fanfare for the Common Man," contains no lyrics or vocals, only celebratory instrumentation, so as to allow us to have our own thoughts about and remember the immense success of Neil, Buzz, Michael and the NASA team.

In 1947, Armstrong began studying aerospace engineering at Purdue University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering. He was also a member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. Consequently, his alma maters Fight Song, which he certainly performed countless times, applies to Neil since Purdue University, in effect, was his home for several years.  The triumphant instrumentation of this song embodies the pride Neil surely feels for representing his University.  The song also reflects the respect Neil has for his university. Ultimately, Purdue  played a fundamental role in his development from a young man to, among other things, a world-famous astronaut - something Neil is certainly grateful for.  Moreover, this song is appropriate because of the nostalgia Neil experienced in space. 

Lyrics are
displayed in video

Rocky Theme Song

Almost all of the astronauts chosen were from military backgrounds
and initially, most were serving officers in the flying branches of
the armed forces. To be eligible for selection, a candidate had to
be between 25 and 35 years old, weigh no more than 180 pounds and be
no taller than 5ft 11ins, hold a degree in engineering or physical
science and have logged a minimum of 2,000 hours flying time in high
performance jets with test pilot experience. The selection procedure
winnowed out the best by physical and psychological tests.
Qualifying candidates were subjected to a full medical examination.
The selected astronauts were just your average super achievers. 
Thus, this classic song is particularly fitting because its high tempo and inspirational tone transmit a message that with hard work anything can be achieved - even being the first man to step on the moon.

"Start Me Up" exemplifies how exhilarated and excited Neil must have felt during the liftoff of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Mission as the 363 ft. tall space vehicle is launched from Kennedy Space Center at 9:37 a.m.  The energetic rock n' roll beat and heavy instrumentation by the guitars and drums reflect the rumble of the space ship firing on all cylinders as it tries to break out of the earths atmosphere.  The explosions generated from the craft in the video parallel the smoke and flames from the five engines of the Saturn V rocket which generate 7.5 million pounds of thrust. The fast tempo reflects the speed of the rocket after liftoff.  It only takes twelve minutes for the astronauts to reach an orbital altitude of 120 miles above the Earth and reach 17,400 mph, then begin their four day journey to the Moon, nearly a quarter of a million miles away - the amount of force required to escape the Earth's atmosphere is enough to make a grown man cry.  The lyrics themselves - "Start Me Up" are appropriate for the take-off because in one sense they suggest starting up the space ship.  Moreover, the lyrics suggest that there is no turning back once the mission has begun.

Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start it up
Kick on the starter give it all you got, you got, you got
...
My eyes dilate, my lips go green
My hands are greasy
Shes a mean, mean machine
Start it up
Give it all you got
You got to never, never, never stop
Never, never
...
Ride like the wind at double speed
Ill take you places that youve never, never seen
Start it up

This melancholy song is appropriate because Neil may have experienced a time of uncertainty, not knowing whether he would ever return to the world he knows.  The sounds by the orchestral movement in this song are somber, however, the lyrics and video are inspirational.  "The World I Know" music video depicts how easily a person, whether they are a business man or an astronaut, can become disillusioned with life, but in the end it shows how one must come to the realization that life is a precious gift and that things of this world should not be treated as life and death. Ultimately, as this chart topping song by Collective Soul emphasizes through its somber instrumentation and meaningful lyrics, you can never give up hope, and Neil never does.

So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below.
And I laugh at myself
While the tears roll down.
'Cause it's the world I know.
It's the world I know.

Elton John - Rocket Man

She packed my bags last
night pre-flight
Zero hour nine a.m.
And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It’s lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight


And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
Till touch down brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

This surreal song underscores how freaky and unreal it would be to walk around on the lunar surface in gravity only one-sixth as powerful as Earth's.  The songs fast paced rhythm and alarm sound effects reflect the sense of urgency, tension, and, perhaps fear, Neil experienced while trying to accomplish everything he needed to in the just two and a half hour time-slot he had on the moon.  Moreover, the song alludes to the planned and practiced routine that the astronauts completed in an unthinking manner.  For instance, Neil and Buzz proceeded to complete scientific experiments including a seismograph for detecting lunar quakes and a laser reflector to bounce back beams from Earth to calculate the exact distance to the moon.  The instrumentation is loud forcing us to focus more on it than on the vocals, however, if you pay close attention you will find that they really add an extra dimension to the piece that relates directly to Neil's out of this world experience.  Additionally, the songs title, "I'm Here (Another Planet)," is appropriate as well for Neil's arrival to the moon.

I'm here
On another planet
How's it with you
On your planet


All was surreal
On this planet
I felt so regal
It was so romantic

David Bowie's debut single, "Space Oddity," became a huge hit in the year 1969, being released at the time that American astronauts first landed on the moon. The song, the story of an astronaut named Major Tom who goes into space and is entranced by the beauty of seeing Earth from such a great distance and consequently lets himself float off into space, never again to return, was chosen by the BBC as the theme song for the television coverage of the moon landing.  The instrumentation and Bowie's tone during this song reveal how the vast black emptiness can make one melancholy and simply want to drift out into space.  The slow tempo mimics the sensations of weightlessness and of time standing still. This eerie song also gets into the psyche of many astronauts who report that they either long for home or want to keep exploring with no hopes of returning.

This is major tom to ground control
Im stepping through the door
And Im floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today


For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet earth is blue
And theres nothing I can do

AC/DC's signature song "Shook Me All Night Long" is an appropriate track for this playlist because after so many hours working on the moon and travelling in space, the astronauts would be pumped up to get home and see their wives after being 'shook up' from their mission.  The heavy rock instrumentation and lines from the lyrics (such as "the walls start shaking" and "my mind was aching") mimic the rumble of the space ship as it is on course back to earth.  Moreover, the instrumentation is loud and the vocals are shouted which reflects the power of the rocket and Neil's excitement to get back home.

She was a fast machine
She kept her motor clean
She was the best damn woman I had ever seen
She had the sightless eyes
Telling me no lies
Knockin' me out with those American thighs
Taking more than her share
Had me fighting for air
She told me to come but I was already there


'Cause the walls start shaking
The earth was quaking
My mind was aching
And we were making it and you -


Shook me all night long

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find


In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, or say
Is in the pill you took today

The United States acknowledged the immense success of Apollo 11 with a national day of celebration on Monday, July 21, 1969. All but emergency and essential employees were allowed a paid day off from work.  The Hero Astronauts went on to make a world tour of 25 countries in 35 days. The Apollo program had fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's wish to land a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s - and did it just five months and ten days before the end of the decade.  "Fanfare for the Common Man" suits the celebration because its instrumentation is up-beat and celebratory.  It makes you feel like man can accomplish anything.  The fact that their are no lyrics or vocals is also important because it lets us reflect and remember the great feat that Neil, Buzz, Michael and the rest of the team at NASA accomplished.