I’ve been enjoying the new Iron Maiden album, in particular the closing epic “Empire of the Clouds” about the R101 airship disaster – and thanks to @almost-simon for the link to the Talk Is Jericho interview with Dickinson, which discussed the track at length.
It brought to mind the books that I inherited as a child from my father’s boyhood library; hardbacks with those extravagantly colour-saturated front covers and shiny plates of b&w photos of the mechanical and engineering triumphs of the age, and a Readers’ Digest children’s anthology that contained tales of Shackleton’s ill-fated Trans-Antarctic expedition and Dick Grace, a 1920’s stunt pilot famed for crashing his plane into buildings. Even in the stories of tragedy there was a sense of pride in the endeavours, an aspiration to push man and technology to see what could be achieved. I suppose ‘Boys’ Own’ is not a bad description of what I mean.
Public Service Broadcasting’s “Spitfire” evokes this spirit well, as does another Maiden number of “Aces High”, about the Battle of Britain. Another is Marillion’s “Out of this World”, about Donald Campbell’s fatal water speed record attempt (in fact it was the song that led to Campbell and Bluebird being recovered from the depths of Coniston).
This is not a request for “songs about people dying in vehicles” nor a comprehensive list of songs that mention mode of transport’x’, but for other songs that evoke this sense of adventure and mechanical engineering in a bygone age.
moseleymoles says
Not sure about genuinely retro, but here’s a sense of adventure and mechanical engineeering from a bygone future age in which the ‘Motor Law’ forbids the driving of red Italian sports cars around the country at high speeeds.
moseleymoles says
Actually the car in the song is an antique in the era the lyrics are set, so I’m thinking it’s OK.
Kaisfatdad says
Great question, Baldy! Does this fit the bill?
Kid Dynamite says
and if one song by the TMTWNBBFN about Victorian engineers wasn’t enough, here’s another…
BaldySlaphead says
Enjoyed both of those!
Vulpes Vulpes says
How about women and machines?
https://youtu.be/gltxhjyFkaU
BaldySlaphead says
Lovely – and apologies for the sexism!
Kaisfatdad says
As a citizen of Bristol, Kid, I’d be upset if you didn’t post another song by The Men ……
Black Celebration says
I am desperately thinking of some really significant piece of music that celebrates such heroics but my brain can’t go past “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines”.
http://i.imgur.com/OeuCe1y.jpg
BaldySlaphead says
It’s a great song but I think it’s stretching the definition!
BaldySlaphead says
This was supposed to be a response to Red Barchetta!
Rigid Digit says
A true feat of Engineering excellence – the first man In Space
Public Service Broadcasting – Gagarin
Campo says
“I dreamed of 747s
Over geometric farms
Dreams Amelia
Dreams & false alarms”
Malc says
Talking of WW2 fighters, here’s Blue Oyster Cult’s ode to the ME262:
Rec Room says
“Hard, cast in iron, that engineer
God bless Isambard!”
Here’s my favorite song about Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the English titan of civil engineering.
Where would the Age of Steam be without him?
Rec Room says
Also…
Iron Maiden-
Tail Gunner, The Trooper, well… they have a lot actually. Most of their lyrics are boy’s own historical tales.
Jethro Tull-
Queen and Country
The Third Hoorah
Ian Anderson-
Pax Britanica
Kinks-
Last of the Steam Powered Trains
Mr Churchill Said
Sniffity says
Telstar – no lyrics, but you can feel the white heat of technology in every note.
The Space Age was here – and it was tapping its feet.
BaldySlaphead says
The post rock band I Like Trains (or iLiKETRAiNS as they were then) have a couple: “No Military Parade” is about Roald Amundsen, while “The Deception” is about Donald Crowhurst.