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One day, billions of miles from Cape Canaveral, aliens might come across a peculiar-looking spacecraft. If they’re curious – and the vessel wasn’t destroyed on impact – they’ll go inside and discover a gold record album.
Unless the digital music revolution had prompted these intergalactic beings to discard their old record players, they’ll hear a compilation of sounds and songs from a strange place called Earth.
Thirty years ago, with the Voyager program, we launched an elaborate greatest hits album into the universe. As The New York Times reported in 1977, “The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record – a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University.” (Read a great recap by Timothy Ferris here.)
Before I tell you what songs made the cut, let me pose a question. If you were playing the Carl Sagan DJ role today, what would you include on the record? You can choose one song, one speech, one movie and one YouTube video (You can put the link to the video in the comments if you omit the ‘www.’ I think. I’ll post some of the best videos tomorrow.)
Here’s the track listing:
- Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F
- Java, court gamelan, “Kinds of Flowers”
- Senegal, percussion, recorded by Charles Duvelle
- Zaire, Pygmy girls’ initiation song, recorded by Colin Turnbull
- Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes
- Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México
- “Johnny B. Goode,” written and performed by Chuck Berry
- New Guinea, men’s house song, recorded by Robert MacLennan
- Japan, shakuhachi, “Tsuru No Sugomori” (”Crane’s Nest,”) performed by Goro Yamaguchi
- Bach, “Gavotte en rondeaux” from the Partita No. 3 in E major for Violin
- Mozart, The Magic Flute, Queen of the Night aria, no. 14. Edda Moser, soprano. Bavarian State Opera, Munich
- Georgian S.S.R., chorus, “Tchakrulo,” collected by Radio Moscow
- Peru, panpipes and drum, collected by Casa de la Cultura, Lima
- “Melancholy Blues,” performed by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven
- Azerbaijan S.S.R., bagpipes
- Stravinsky, Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance, Columbia Symphony Orchestra
- Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C, No.1
- Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra
- Bulgaria, “Izlel je Delyo Hagdutin,” sung by Valya Balkanska
- Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes
- Holborne, Paueans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, “The Fairie Round”
- Solomon Islands, panpipes, collected by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service
- Peru, wedding song, recorded by John Cohen
- China, ch’in, “Flowing Streams,” performed by Kuan P’ing-hu
- India, raga, “Jaat Kahan Ho,” sung by Surshri Kesar Bai Kerkar
- “Dark Was the Night,” written and performed by Blind Willie Johnson
- Beethoven, String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Opus 130, Cavatina, performed by Budapest String Quartet
Comments (22)
Comment
one song - Pachelbel - Canon in D
one speech - MLK - “I have a dream”
one movie - “It’s a Wonderful Life”
one YouTube video - The Light saber guys
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 9-13-2007 at 11:16 am
No way! “It’s a Wonderful Life” Sucks! The aliens would surely want to invade us then!
Try some other movie like Shirley Temple in “Heidi” or “The Good Ship Lollipop.” JUST KIDDING!
Who is to say that Aliens would know how to play a record? Hmmmm…..
posted by Paco on 9-13-2007 at 11:30 am
I chose the film because I figured it would fool the Aliens into believing that most humans actually care about eachother and that good wins of bad.
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 9-13-2007 at 11:58 am
Song - It’s not easy being green - Ray Charles version
Speech - Ghettysburg address or Winston Churchill’s address to the people of England during the Blitz. MLK is tought to beat though.
Movie - Star Wars of course. If not, then an Imax film showing the geography of the World.
Youtube - It’s blocked at work where I do the bulk of surfing (still have dialup at home, I’m cheap and I work on a computer all day at work) but when i do use it at a friend’s house (or on my Wii using my neighbor’s wireless, shhhh) I have a fondness for soccer videos and recordings of Japanese game shows. My vote would be for MXC.
posted by Dusty on 9-13-2007 at 11:59 am
If the purpose is to disuade aliens from invading:
SONG: “Mmmbop”
SPEECH: Any Academy Award speech
MOVIE: Independence Day (a warning!)
YOUTUBE: “Leave Britney Alone”
If the purpose is to best represent our culture:
SONG: Hips Don’t Lie (not my fave, but clearly representative, with a nice international vibe)
SPEECH: “I Have A Dream” (really, is there any other contender?)
MOVIE: Anything with Meg Ryan
YOUTUBE: Actually, “Leave Britney Alone” is representative of our over-obsessiveness with pop culture
posted by Ken on 9-13-2007 at 12:03 pm
SONG: Imagine/Give Peace a Chance
SPEECH: MLK I Have a Dream
MOVIE: Dr. Zhivago
posted by JaneM on 9-13-2007 at 12:33 pm
Movie- Baraka- i mean come on, guys, this is the definitive movie representing human life, culture, music, and scenery
if you haven’t heard of it, check it out. beware, there’s no plot, or not a conventional one, and no dialog whatsoever
Song- Reach for the Sun (hahahah)
Youtube vid- the one where Mike Gravel throws a rock in the water
Speech…. no question… MLK
posted by Tim on 9-13-2007 at 2:02 pm
I need to amend my movie choice. I now choose The Gods Must Be Crazy. This movie would be very apropos if either of the Voyagers make it to another life form.
posted by Dusty on 9-13-2007 at 2:05 pm
Song: Let’s Get it On - Marvin Gaye
Speech: Opening scene from “Patton”
Movie: Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”
YouTube: Hasselhoff’s “Get in my Car”
posted by Bill T. on 9-13-2007 at 2:16 pm
Wait, am I the first one to think of this?
Movie: EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY
posted by Mygaera on 9-13-2007 at 2:16 pm
one song - the song from that one Coke commercial..you know, the “I’d Like to Buy the world a coke?” except, isn’t there a version that’s not about Coke? Yeah, I’d choose the one not about Coke. …oh wait, I was just informed by one of my fellow interns that the original song was i’d like to buy the world a toke…and I don’t want to send out the “We love drugs” message to aliens. …Oh wait again, just googled it, and it’s ‘I’d Like to teach the world to sing.” Ok, it’s alright - I choose that song.
one speech - I would string together a bunch of things that Jim Halpert has said, and send that, because Jim Halpert is a true inspiration.
one movie - The Sound of Music, because that is one great movie.
one YouTube video - the one where the Diet Coke and mentos guys choreograph the fountain-like displays.
posted by Lindsay D on 9-13-2007 at 2:24 pm
one song - Beethoven’s 5th, just because it’s cool.
one speech - Nelson Mandela’s “An ideal for which I am prepared to die” statement he made from the dock at the opening of his trial on charges of sabotage in 1964.
one movie - Citizen Kane. I’d like to hear the reaction to this movie of someone who doesn’t actually know Rosebud is a sled.
one YouTube video - Bit of a cheat here, but the Winston Churchill “Iron Curtain” speech is at youtube.com/watch?v=P8_wQ-5uxV4
posted by Anita on 9-13-2007 at 3:12 pm
Another good speech to send would be:
“Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ‘97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.”
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 9-13-2007 at 4:09 pm
Song: Bohemian Rhapsody. Come on, it has all the genres of music into one song of random lyrics! Good times.
Speech: Either “Is There An Artificial God?” from Douglas Adams (though that’s really a lecture, but a damn good one) or I Have A Dream. What can I say, it’s a good speech.
Movie: The Godfather (part II). A) Great film B) Sends message of: Don’t invade us or we will kill you. Violently.
YouTube: Free Hugs by Juan Mann (youtube.com/watch?v=bPPKSWSPP1E). Because it just makes everyone feel good. Unless the aliens view hugging as a sign of violence. In which case, Juan Mann will appear to be our leader. Crazy.
Or The Evolution of Dance. (youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg)
posted by Catherine on 9-13-2007 at 4:15 pm
If I were to advocate a song, it would be the Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. Or the Ave Maria by Franz Biebel- If you don’t know it, PLEASE look it up! I doubt very much that you will ever hear anything so beautiful in your life.
Movie:… hmm. I’d probably agree with “the gods must be crazy”.
Speech: I’m with Baz all the way.
YouTube: James plays peekaboo @ 7 mos. Its a REALLY cute game of peekaboo with a baby- to show our capacity for humanity.
posted by Ashley Daily on 9-13-2007 at 5:03 pm
Ever since I saw Koyaanisqatsi, I thought it should have gone onto V-ger. It’s like a very comprehensive postcard that aliens would learn from and understand what Earthlings are all about.
This is my favorite portion. youtube.com/watch?v=t29fgA5M7VA
probably not what you’re fishing for, but a nerve was struck.
posted by Johnny Cat on 9-13-2007 at 5:39 pm
Song: Beethoven’s Ninth, 4th movement
Speech: Shakespeare’s St. Crispen’s Day Speech
Movie: The Shawshank Redemption
You tube: History of Dance, because it is music and history all in one.
posted by Annie on 9-13-2007 at 7:51 pm
Strange noone has suggested one of the speeches Al Pacino makes in each of his movies. It’s like he’s contractually obligated to make at least one. I like the one from “Any Given Sunday” (”Inches”, I think it’s called).
posted by eduo on 9-14-2007 at 4:19 am
Movie Scarface - The American Dream
Book King Lear or anything written by Shakespeare - then they will understand the human Psychology
posted by Daniel on 9-14-2007 at 2:40 pm
What if the aliens just say “Cool! Gold!” and take it home and melt it down for some wacky alien jewelry?
I mean, it’s all kind of based on the premise that they want to meet us or know about us. What if they couldn’t care less?
Not that we shouldn’t include it, but I think it’s interesting that we think they would want to know about us.
I won’t even mention that the whole “Star Trek” prime directive thing…
posted by Ed Hands on 9-14-2007 at 4:11 pm
Okay..now that I’m off my soapbox:
Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life
Song: Tainted Love by Soft Cell (C’mon, admit it…it’s going through your head now, isn’t it…)
Speech: General George Patton’s “Blood and Guts” speech.
You Tube Video: youtube.com/watch?v=mjAef7DXVbI (warning: adult language…)
posted by Ed Hands on 9-14-2007 at 4:24 pm
One thing that seems important to me to consider in this sort of thing is the fact that aliens probably won’t be able to speak anything resembling Earth language, so I’d want to pick things that don’t require knowledge of any Earth language to be understood.
I’m not going to be picking a speech, because in my idea of these sort of things, it’d be pointless to aliens.
Song: Maybe it’s a cheat, but I’d send out Holst’s entire “Planets” symphony. It’s approrpriately space-related, but it also conveys such a broad range of emotions throughout the music that I feel it paints a picture of the range of humanity without saying much. The stern anger of Mars… the soaring joy of Jupiter… The meloncholy of Saturn. If I didn’t know what it was supposed to be metaphorical of, I would probably guess that it was about “feelings.”
If an entire symphony is too much, I would send the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s version of Carol of the Bells. It represents both humanity’s past (it’s a traditional carol) and its future (it’s done up in a modern fashion). It also represents that one time of year in lateish yearish in which we humans are actually pretty nice to one another–or at least ideally.
Movie: It’s hard to pick a movie that can be easily understood without language, especially since all my favorite movies are character-driven, but I’d probably send along Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Not only does it represent what we humans are capable of doing with drawings and animation, but the story can be pretty easily discerned without hearing the speech. It also showcases one ideal that I’d like to get across to the aliens–that, hopefully, we humans can learn to love and care about things even if they appear to us to be monsters.
YouTube video: Something involving Google Earth, probably. There’s a couple out there and on Google Video, so I’m not sure which one to pick.
posted by Freezair on 9-15-2007 at 9:30 pm