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The Sputnik's Tale (1957 A​.​D​.​)

from Evolution by Tommy Smith

/

lyrics

The Sputnik's Tale (1957 A.D.)

One day, as I was idling above the earth,
an unexpected glint caught my eye,
whizzing silver, a perky sphere with prongs.
I knew it was time for such things to appear
but this was the first: man-made, well-made,
artificial but a satellite for all that:
a who-goes-there for the universe!
I came closer: the gleaming aluminium
sparkled, hummed, vibrated, its four
spidery antennas had the spring of the newly created.
It seemed a merry creature, even cocky.
It had a voice. I said hello to it.

'Can't stop,' it cried. 'I am in orbit.
Join me if you want to talk. Beep.
Travel with me, be the sputnik's sputnik.'
I flew alongside. 'What have you seen?' I asked.
'Wall of China, useless object that.
Continents. Tankers. Deltas like pony-tails.
Collective beep farms everywhere. Oh and
the earth like a ball, mustn't forget that,
proof positive. And a blue glow
all round it if you like such beep things.'

'You haven't always been bound in a bit of metal?
I asked. 'Damn sure I beep haven't,' he replied,
colour chasing colour across his surface.
'I was a bard in the barbarous times,
Widsith the far-traveller. The world was my mead-hall.
Goths gave me gold. I blossomed in Burgundy.
I watched Picts prick beep patterns on themselves.
I sang to Saracens for a sweet supper.
I shared the floor with a shaman in Finland.
Good is the giver who helps the harper!'

'I have nothing to give you,' I said,
'but truth. You have three months to live
in this orbit, and then you are a cinder.'
He darkened. 'You may well be right.'
But remembering Widsith h flushed into tremulous light.
'We'll see. Beep. We'll see. Beep. We'll see.'

Edwin Morgan

credits

from Evolution, released February 25, 2021
Tommy Smith - Tenor Saxophone
Joe Lovano - Tenor Saxophone
John Scofield - Guitar
John Taylor - Piano
John Patitucci - Acoustic Bass
Bill Stewart - Drums

Music by Tommy Smith published by Smythe Music, PRS
Poetry by Edwin Morgan commissioned by Tommy Smith
Recorded April 2003 Avatar Studios, New York City
Engineer: James Farber
Mastering from Analogue Tape: Ben Turner, Fine Splice
Photography: Paul Thorburn
Cover photo of Smith: Robert Burns

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Tommy Smith Edinburgh, UK

Born in 1967, Edinburgh. In 1983 Chick Corea recommended Tommy Smith to Gary Burton; he joined his group. Recording over 30 solo albums for Blue Note, Linn, ECM, Spartacus Records, touring 50+ countries, performing with Arild Andersen, Edwin Morgan, John Scofield, Jaco Pastorius, Trilok Gurtu, Dizzy Gillespie. In 2019, he was awarded an OBE for services to jazz from HRH Queen Elizabeth II. ... more

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