Thursday, October 04, 2007

Sputnik Sweetheart


October 4, 1957: successful launch and orbit of Sputnik I by the Soviet Union, initiating the space race and, after the 1960 election, JFK's "ten years to the Moon" speech. Before long, Belka and Strelka became the world's first (dog) cosmonauts, and pseudo-secretaries Fiddle and Faddle became friends with JFK in the White House. Crazy times -- just like today, only different. For more, check out Paul Dickson's Sputnik: The Shock of the Century (2001). The word beatnik was derived from Sputnik in 1958. In all, there were more than forty Sputniks launched, right into the 1960s. Fifty years.

Sputnik (Satellite Girl) -- Jerry Engler and the Four Ekkos (1957)

Well, I say the fun has just begun
We're on Sputnik Number One
A'flyin' through Outer Space
At a rockin' rollin' pace
Oh! We're gonna get our kicks
On a little ole thing called a Sputnik
I said spoo-spoo-spoot-a-nick-a-chick
I said spoo-spoo-spoot-a-nick-a-chick
I said spoo-spoo-spoot-a-nick-a-chick
Isaid spoo-spoo-spoot-a-nick-a-chick
Flyin' all around the world
With my crazy satellite girl

Well ever since the satellite’s birth
We've been circlin' 'round the Earth
A-just-a-my baby and me
And that spoot-a-nik makes three
Flyin' at a fantastic height
On a little ole thing called a satellite
I said, sa-sa-sat-a-lat-a-lite
I said, sa-sa-sat-s-lat-a-lite
I said, sa-sa-sat-a-lat-a-lite
I said, sa-sa-sat-a-lat-a-lite
Flyin' all around the world with my crazy satellite girl!


Haruki Murakami, Spūtoniku no koibito (1999) / Sputnik Sweetheart (2001). Sputnik, beatniks, the whole shabang. 23 skidoo and pitch some woo . . . . .

Today's Rune: Breakthrough.

3 comments:

Luma Rosa said...

Half of a century is still very little time in the history of the Universe, but to look at stops backwards, for the time of the launching of the Sputnik-1, in makes them to come back to a period that was completely different.

*It did not see selinho that I gave to it?
Beijus

Erik Donald France said...

Luma, thanks for the Silver. Very sweet of you! I'll try this in translation on your blog . . .

Charles Gramlich said...

I didn't know beatnik came from Sputnik. Cool.