Fly Again II

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Fly Again II
lyrics © 2003 by Dr. H. Paul Shuch
sung to the tune of "The Mary Ellen Carter" by Stan Rogers

Click on the speaker icon to hear this melody

Filker's Note:Fly Again, my musical tribute to the crew of the shuttle Challenger, was published in the February 2003 issue of Xenofilkia. It's a sad irony that on the very day that issue appeared, our space program suffered another major setback, with the loss of the shuttle Columbia and her crew. This rewrite of my earlier lyric is dedicated to their memory.

When Columbia broke up, I was waiting at the Cape.
I felt shocked and hurt and helpless, and thought my heart would break.
Then the massive layoffs came, bringing anger, fear, and shame.
It was just like 'eighty-six, but worse than then.
Would the NASA probe report subcontractors did resort
To unscrupulous behavior so they would not come up short?
Did they pressure us to fly? Why did seven have to die?
Will we ever see the Shuttle fly again?

Chorus:

Fly again, fly again
To the memory of seven brave women and men.
We will make the Shuttle safe, we are going back to space
And I'll be here when the Shuttle flies again.

And I can't begin to guess how to save the ISS,
Without shuttles to transport supplies and crews and all the rest.
Once again we'll have to fix that high-flying pile of bricks,
With the Soyouz our salvation until then.
From Apollo's glory days, we are now enduring threats,
Finger pointing, accusations, and a pile of mounting debts.
But the engineers are strong, and it won't be very long
'Til we all can see the Shuttle fly again.

Chorus

We are going back to space, but in triumph, not a race.
We must somehow garner glory from a national disgrace.
And when that next mission flies, I'll be right there in my place,
Working Payload Tech Support as I did then.
It will take a new design; innovations, yours and mine,
If we hope to see the Shuttle flights resumed in record time.
And of course I have my fears. No use holding back my tears,
When I finally see the Shuttle fly again.

Chorus

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