These Are The Days

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These Are The Days
lyrics © 2000 by Dr. H. Paul Shuch
Sung to the tune of Those Were The Days, © 1962 by Gene Raskin

Once upon a time we went a-hunting
With a project called HRMS.
Government provided ample funding;
SETI was respectable, I guess.

Then a man called Bryan from Nevada
Killed the program, shutting SETI's eyes,
Saved a paltry nickel each, per annum.
Now the search for life is privatized.

Chorus:

Those were the days, my friend
Of searching without end.
We scanned the skies for one year and a day.
But then came budget cuts
That drove the Congress nuts,
And NASA SETI had to go away.

Project Phoenix rose up from the ashes,
Buying time at Parkes in 'ninety five.
Then at Green Bank, now at Arecibo,
Anywhere to keep the search alive.

Private individuals abundant
With the time and telescopes to spare
Showed that NASA funding is redundant.
Now The SETI League looks everywhere.

Final Chorus:

These are the days, my friend.
We hope they'll never end.
See how the SETI enterprise has grown!
We private SETIzens
Continue without end
Until we've shown that We Are Not Alone.

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