1. |
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There's 5 seconds left, 'till we rocket toward tomorrow.
4 seconds left and this bird is set to soar
3 seconds left, the runway's clear before us.
2 seconds, 1 second, hear those engines' roar.
I'm sitin' in the left hand seat, with a punk kid in the right,
Who's never seen a good man die when a rocket fails in flight.
He thinks he is the hottest thing, that's ever learned to fly,
But I remember when I rode a missile through the sky.
But I guess I can not fault him, or heap on too much scorn.
We started flying rocket-planes before he was born.
And there's 5...
We go over the checklist, and the damn kid gets it right.
I'm feeling mighty generous, so I let him hit Ignite.
The folks on orbit need all of the supplies we provide,
But we pause for several seconds, 'till I ram those throttles wide.
We’ve little time for speeches... or traditions anymore,
But the 5 second countdown - honors those who went before.
We Count 5...
Bring her down from orbit, line her up and land her clean.
Just another space flight and everything's routine.
Taxi to the fuel farm; fill 'er up with JP-8.
Then re-fill the LOX tanks, check the oil while you wait.
Grab a cup of coffee, and sandwich while you can.
We've only got an hour, till we fly to space again.
When there'll be 5...
Well it isn't how it used to be, back in the days of old,
When space was an adventure, and a wonder to behold.
We've given up the romance. We did it by design.
The corporation's main concern must be bottom line.
The benefits are lousy; we don't make what we're worth.
But still I've got the greatest job, on or off, the Earth
Cause there's 5...
Yes there's 5...
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2. |
When Eagles Fall
03:06
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Columbia has fallen, from a brilliant azure sky
And left a wake of smoke and flame, thirty-eight miles high,
And seven of our very best, are gone forevermore,
Flesh and steel paid the supreme price to explore
Chorus:
--Once again we'll turn away from that brilliant, starry road,
--Cast our eyes down from the sky to our earth and mud abode,
--Once again clip eaglet's wings, silence rockets roar,
--Yet in all my Earthbound years, I've never seen a weasel soar.
It happened many years ago, back when Challenger was lost.
And seven other astronauts paid that final cost.
And certainly we stumbled, perhaps we even fell,
For more than lives were lost that day, some dreams were lost as well.
Repeat chorus:
In each of man's endeavors, there's some risk and some reward
And those who've strived have often died, as our history records
And the high frontier is calling, but we all remember when
It took us two whole years before we'd rise to try again.
Final Chorus:
--Do not turn away again from that brilliant, starry road,
--Or cast your eyes down from the sky to this earth and mud abode,
--Do not clip the eaglet's wings, or silence rockets roar,
--for in all your Earthbound years, you'll never see a weasel soar.
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3. |
Space Ship One
03:04
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Chorus:
-Did you hear they're building spaceships, in the California sun?
-Reliable, and cheap to build, the race is all but won.
-The doubters they can stay behind, their day is all but done,
-The rest of us are going to the stars.
They built her as a secret, but I know they built her well,
And have laid up carbon fiber in a strong epoxy shell.
Aluminum and fiberglass make her light enough to sail,
And she rides a hybrid rocket with no turbo-pumps to fail.
Oh she's built by Scaled Composites, and good old Burt Rutan,
And if anyone can do it, I know that those folks can.
And they built her under budget, with no taxpayer funds.
The first truly private spacecraft, so they call her Space Ship One.
Rpt Chorus-
High above the desert, at Edwards AFB,
The X-15 broke through the sky, the black of space to see.
And 40 odd years later, in those self-same very skies,
A rocket-powered ship will roar, as through the sky she flies.
Bridge:
---A hundred years since Kitty Hawk,
---And Will and Orville Wright.
---She's the greatest aviation jewel,
---In a century of Flight.
Well I know she won't make orbit, but she's over half way there.
And once you are in orbit, you're halfway to anywhere.
Give them another decade; they'll build cities on the moon.
The future starts tomorrow. Make way for Space Ship Two!
Rpt Chorus-
Pack your bags; we're going to the stars.
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4. |
Spaceflight in Mojave
03:19
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When I was young I used to watch a black-and -white TV,
And dream about the future and of mankind's destiny.
The stories that I read foretold,
Of a future brave and bold
Time to watch that dream unfold,
---Spaceflight in Mojave
-Hopes enflame, space to tame,
-Man embraces distant places
-Dreams reclaim, thunder and flame,
---Spaceflight in Mojave
In California desert, where the hawks and eagles fly,
Lies a spaceport, newly made, a gateway to the sky.
A place where dreams are taking flight,
Soaring unto far-flung heights,
Where the stars are shinning bright.
---Spaceflight in Mojave
Chorus-
On June the 21st we watched Mike Melville win the race.
And slip the surly bonds of Earth, to rocket into space.
Scrabbling for the first foothold
Of spaceborn hopes and dreams untold
History's page is written Bold.
---Spaceflight in Mojave
Chorus-
The longest journey starts with but a single step though small,
As tiny acorns will beget the oaks that grow so tall,
Sow the seeds of dreams lifelong
Following the siren song,
To the stars where we belong,
---Spaceflight in Mojave
Chorus-
Final Chorus:
-To aspire, ever higher,
-Man embraces distant places,
-Dreams inspire, thunder and fire
---Spaceflight in Mojave
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5. |
The Right Question
02:55
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Raise your glass to the Engineer who made composites fly,
And raise a toast to the white winged ships that soar above the sky.
And sing of inspiration with a voice that's raised on high
--And praise to the man who questioned "How?", instead of asking "Why?"
Raise your glass to the Financier, the Engineer's Ally.
'Cause for those who'd innovate, money's in short supply.
He's made a grand investment; there's none that can deny.
--So here's to a man who questioned "How?", instead of asking "Why?"
Raise your glass to the test Pilots, who weren't afraid to die
For when you fly an unknown craft, so much can go awry.
But they grabbed the future boldly, and they flew beyond the sky.
--Yes here's to the men who questioned "How?", instead of asking "Why?"
Raise a toast to the Rocketeers, their thunder filled the sky.
Though laughing gas and rubber seems a funny way to fly.
Still, they built a hybrid engine that’s the safest you can buy.
--So here's to the men who questioned "How?", instead of asking "Why?"
Raise your glass to the proud builders, who laid-up carbon ply,
And baked her in an autoclave till she was strong and dry.
They built a ship of elegance, on which you can rely,
--Yes here's to the men who questioned "How?", instead of asking "Why?"
So, raise your glass to the Engineer who made composites fly.
And raise a toast to all the men who weren't afraid to try.
Why you can glimpse the future when you look 'em in the eye.
--Yes, here's to the men who questioned "How?", instead of asking "Why?"
--Oh, the future's made by asking "How?" Not by asking "Why?"
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6. |
Path of Sorrows
03:38
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The Universe is random, and has no plan nor plot.
Science is immutable, there is no guiding thought
Of all the souls I've ever touched, I miss her more each day
How can I forgive a god, who's taken her away?
--There is a purpose to our lives, there is a master plan.
--Order shapes the universe as time and space we span.
--Each thread within the pattern, is according to design,
--Each life, each love, each passing day, is carefully assigned.
Chaos rules the universe, which cannot hear one pray.
There is nothing beyond death, despite the games we play.
What purpose could be in her death, for she did not deserve to die.
Her loss leaves me always with, the unanswered question "Why?"
--Your soul is far to beautiful, to be consumed by hate.
--My death was not an Evil done, but a gentle act of fate.
--As I told you I would do, a message I did send.
--Now I wait beyond the gate, a beginning not an end.
Instrumental break
Repeat 1st Verse
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7. |
Rocket Song
05:31
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Chorus:
I can hear the rockets singing in the early desert dawn.
They whisper on the morning breeze, “It’s time for movin’ on.”
“A new frontier is calling, and it’s just beyond the sky.
So let’s Fly,
Let’s Fly,
Let’s Fly,
Let’s Fly!”
Can you hear the rockets singing in the dawn?
We've waited 50 years to hear the rocket song again.
A siren call assured to stir the heart of mortal men.
"Fly up and out and higher yet until you're falling free."
"New worlds and new adventures, that's where you're meant to be."
I hear a voice that whispers in the dawn.
If you've ever seen the desert dawn it’s desolate and still.
But there's beauty in the bleakness once the sunlight crests the hills.
And the morning breeze so gentle, stirs the creatures with its hand.
Then a thunder comes from heaven, and a new light lights this land.
And I hear a voice that's speaking in the dawn.
Oh it started in Mojave, but it's spread the world around.
And the spacecraft reach for heaven with a joy that knows no bound.
They're haulin' men and cargo, flyin' higher every day.
And there's a signpost in the heavens, reading "Future that a Way"
And I hear a voice that's shouting in the dawn.
I hear the voices calling and they're louder every day,
They say who needs this mundane world and planet anyway.
Go grab that stick and throttle, fly 'til you're past the air
'Cause once you get to orbit you can go damn anywhere.
I hear a voice that thunders in the Dawn!
Fin: They're singing ever louder,… in the dawn.
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8. |
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Why, I'd eat a bug to make a sale
No worries, 'cause I'm out on bail.
So come see me and my dog Spot
--At Honest Al's Used Rocket Lot
Well have I got a deal for you
This rocket here is almost new.
I swear it hardly ever flew.
In fact it's only had one crew.
Yes sure indeed it's what you seek,
We've patched up that reactor leak.
Kick the gear and take a peek.
It's the best deal we've had all week.
Yeah, I'd eat a bug to make a sale
No worries, 'cause I'm out on bail.
So come see me and my dog Spot
--At Honest Al's Used Rocket Lot
Come on down; let's make a deal.
I'll let this one go for a steal.
It's full of charm, it's got appeal
It holds air since we fixed that seal.
She's hardly used; yeah she'll sell soon,
She's only once been past the moon
We only got her in this June.
I want her off this lot by noon.
Yeah, I'd eat a bug to make a sale
No worries, 'cause I'm out on bail.
So come see me and my dog Spot
--At Honest Al's Used Rocket Lot
So bring your cash and come on by,
And off this lot my ships will fly.
Forget credit, I'd rather die.
Only take cash, now don’t ask why.
Yeah, I'd eat a bug to make a sale
No worries, 'cause I'm out on bail.
So come see me and my dog Spot
At Honest Al's Used Rocket Lot.
--Shop Honest Al's Used Rocket Lot…
--That's Honest Al's Used Rocket Lot
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9. |
Don't Need a Home
01:58
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My ship is my home, and I'm roamin' round
Get supplies each quarter when I head on into town
Livin' out a dream where the asteroids soar
And I don’t need a home on a world anymore.
The work is hard but honest, minin' in the endless night
But I'm richer by the day, and I've got a goal in sight
I've, got me a rock, rich with gold and platinum ore
And I don’t need a home on a world anymore.
Now Mars is rough and tumble, like a frontier world should be
But I've met a gal in Marsport that's the prettiest I ever seen,
And I've built a better life than I ever had before,
So I don’t need a home on a world anymore.
We took a flying mountain and we build a home within
She's pressure tight, with room inside, with gravity from spin
Where folk can raise a family, and children can explore
And we don’t need a home on a world anymore.
So you can keep the Earth and her cities dark and grey
'Cause we're building a new future with each dawning of the day
And I'm finely flyin' free, and well, who could ask for more?
So I don't need a home on a world anymore.
No I don't need a home on a world anymore.
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10. |
Guideposts in the Sky
04:30
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From before history was written, to the future's distant shore,
The yearnings stay unsated, to learn and to explore.
The stars above stand silent watch, as time goes passing by.
Eternal in the ageless night -- Guideposts in the sky.
With little more than courage, and a club of bison bone,
We'd travel over hill and vale and through the woods we'd roam
Pursuing where the game would lead in the age of hand worked stone,
Relying on the stars above, -- to guide us back to home.
Chorus:
The stars burn bright to guide us, as we journey far away,
As they've stood fast to guide us, for all our yesterdays,
Through the ages span, since the dawn of man,
The stars keep burning bright.
--In the deepest night, we seek the sight,
--Of the star shine's guiding light.
We learned precision steering In the age of sail and wood
With sextant and with compass on the wooden decks we stood.
With nothing but the tall proud ships, and the stars to guide them by,
We conquered seas and continents, -- before we learned to fly.
In time, on cloth and metal wings, we learned to rule the sky,
With wooden prop or turbojet across the world we'd fly
And when it grew to dark to see the landscape down below,
We'd look up to the stars above, -- to point us where to go
-Chorus-
We have caught the photons cast out from our very own home sun
And tacked along the stellar wind on the Terra-Martian run.
No boom, no waves, no crashing surf, just round spinnaker sail
No clouds to block the beacon guides, -- that burn on without fail.
Now we ride the fusion fire, of our own bright captive star,
And set our course of travel on a journey light-years far,
The stars are all around us as, the ship begins to race.
We'll journey by our beacon guides, -- and meet them face to face.
-Chorus-
In the deepest night look to the sight the stars are shining bright!
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11. |
Modern Myths
03:16
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The moon landing's a fairy tale; I've heard some people say.
Why, if we had ever reached the moon, we surely would have stayed.
And when I look into the heavens, with its wonderment and awe
It's hard to say with confidence, that argument is flawed.
--You can light the torch of knowledge
--you can rail against the dark
--you can watch in abject horror
--as it gutters... to a spark.
My father still remembers, on a trip through Germany
The year was 1969, Sunday July 20.
The radio announced the news; a cheer rose through the bus.
And in wonder of the triumph, the whole world stood with us.
--'cause the future's still the future
--and the past is still the past
--and men once walked upon the moon
--but the memory's.... fading fast
--You can light the torch of knowledge
--you can rail against the dark
--you can watch in abject horror
--as it gutters... to a spark.
And we can tell our children stories, of the things that came before
But when we tell them of Apollo, They don't believe us anymore.
Apollo's not a space program,, He's the Greek god of the sun
And those worthless facts and figures, They just aren't any fun.
--You can light the torch of knowledge
--You can rail against the dark
--You can watch in abject horror
--As it gutters... to a spark.
And the lights in our great cities, Hide the wonder of the skies
Some children even grow up thinking that, the stars themselves are lies.
But the thought that keeps me yearning, and the thought that keeps me sane,
Is: what man has once accomplished, he may strive to do again.
--And I will raise the torch of knowledge
--Like a Beacon in the Dark
--Keep the promise of the future
--Breathe life into that spark.
--'cause the future's still unwritten
--and I recall the past
--and men once walked upon the moon
--and that feat can be surpassed
And Prometheus may break his chains at last.
Yes Prometheus may break those chains at last...
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12. |
Cannon of the LORD
02:48
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Men fly by rocket
And fire in the sk
But goods have a better
And cheaper way to fly
The bell for the laser ships has struck her final toll.
So Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
We are Low Orbit
Region Delivery
And we'll ship your cargo
Via artillery
Low cost to orbit and on time is our goal
So Load. Prime, When Ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
All day - through the night.
Hear the cannon Roar
Shield your eyes; look on high.
And watch the cargo soar
Ballistic transfer's the virtue we extol
So Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
Here comes the future,
A price you can afford
Trust all your cargo to,
The cannon of the LORD.
We deliver past the sky and it won't cost your soul
So Load Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
--Load. Prime. When ready, yell "fire in the Hole."
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13. |
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Well we saw the comet coming, and it filled the sky
And when the Hammer struck a billion people died.
Then the Earth rose up to smite the folk the comet had spared
As faults broke loose killing all but the lucky and prepared,
And that was just a prelude to all that lay in store
Forth rode the ancient horsemen: --- Famine, Plague and War.
Chorus:
Oh we've got to save the lightning,
For you and for me,
So we can build a future
That used to be.
Keep the power flowin',
So we can stay free.
We've got to save the lightning,
For our posterity
The dust kicked up for months completely hid the sky.
Without the sun a season's crops all withered and died.
And some folks ate each other just to stay alive,
And now we have to fight them so we can survive.
A crazy preacher leads them spewing death and hate,
And we have to stop the cannibals before it is too late.
Bridge:
They have us all outnumbered. They have us all outgunned.
But we've got a Wizard's power, and we don’t intend to run
We've weapons built in secret, to strike a mighty blow
Poison gas and Thermite, with which to meet the foe.
-Rpt Chorus-
I've learned all sorts of things that I thought I'd never know,
I've even fished for goldfish – above downtown Fresno,
I fought a deadly battle with a cannibal horde,
No, survival ain't been easy; but I shure haven't been board.
Now we won the final battle, though our wizard died,
But we saved the power plant and all the tools and men inside.
Fin chorus:
Oh we fought to save the lightning,
For you and for me,
We can rebuild that future
That used to be.
We kept the power flowin',
And we fought to stay free.
We fought to save the lightning,
And our children's legacy.
And the Children of the Lightning
Will be forever free.
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14. |
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Twenty years ago you sent me to this barren airless land
and we've built a thriving colony from Lunar rock and sand
I helped to build a city grand, beneath this glass-steel dome
and now you say my work is done, its time for going home
Chorus:
--The Earth is home no more
--No your Earth is my home no more
Here's where I raised a family, and where my friends are near
A man learns what's important when he lives on the frontier
We may not have your luxuries, or many fancy things
But I've seen my children flying free on human powered wings
You've never seen the stars above, a river made of light
Nor seen the shadows down below, pure black on brilliant white
And thought the Earth is beautiful, I must again repeat,
I'd rather see it in my sky than just beneath my feet.
I've buried several good friends here, for the moon is harsh and cold
And now you claim it's time to go, now that I'm growing old.
That new worlds call for younger hands, to serve your bottom line,
Well, I might be slower than I was but my skills are sharp and fine
The rockets leave the landing pad for earth each week or so,
But I won't be on the manifest you can not make me go.
My skills are valued on the Moon; I'm a damn fine engineer,
I'm staying put. I won’t relent. I know my home is here.
It is the risk explores take, when they build a world anew
And in every generation there exist a hardy few
Who've learned to love the land they built, so as in years before
My home I built on lunar soil. The Earth is home no more.
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15. |
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Chorus:
--The Midnight Sun is rising over, purple fractal trees
--And the moons are coursing thought the sky, not one, not two, but three
--A planet full of wonder, I know you will agree,
--This world that orbits A Centauri b
--The world beneath the purple fractal trees
When they left the Earth for foreign skies, they knew not what they'd find
But with hopes and dreams of better lives, they left the Earth behind.
They took the dark untraveled road, to find a new frontier.
And that is how our families wound up here.
My grandpa's shown me pictures of the planet of his youth
And he swears that's how the old world was; he swears that it's the truth
They only had a single moon, one yellow sun up in the sky
He even said you'd need machines to fly
And the trees were green and lost their leaves each year.
-Repeat Chorus-
Now I've never walked the earth beneath another distant star,
But I have a piece of earth right here, my grandfather's guitar
It's made of wood the like of which I've never seen before
And he bought it in a light years distant store.
But it's strung with strings whose steel was made out of the new world's ore
making music in two star systems, an instrumental metaphor
And I thank the men who built this world with their blood and sweat and pain,
And I know they'd gladly do it all again.
And if they asked I'd gladly volunteer
-Repeat Chorus-
The folks who built this colony, and their kids are getting old
But their grandkids play among the fields of purple, green, and gold
And soar among the birds and bats on human powered wings,
And I swear to you I wouldn't change a thing
So as landing day rolls round each year, we pause to celebrate,
Gather in the harvest, let the children stay up late
As the second sun chases the dark from the brilliant starry dome
We thank the Gods for the world we call our home
and that we have our friends and family near.
-Repeat Chorus-
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16. |
||||
|
Chorus:
--Cast off your shackles down below, join us on orbit here.
--Where freedom's no illusion, it's just as it appears.
--No tax to pay, no laws to break, no governments to fear
--"Space and Freedom" is the cry of the "Kings of the High Frontier"
--Space and Freedom (Space and Freedom)
--Space and Freedom (Space and Freedom)
--"Space and Freedom" is the cry of the "Kings of the High Frontier"
At the dawn of space flight, the government took charge
and spent uncounted dollars, to promise us the stars
but after several decades , well we had to face the facts
it was really just a bureaucratic full employment act
They called us all delusional, they called us nuts and fools,
To try to build a space program with private funds and tools.
But we didn't use exotic parts, or lots of fancy stuff
Nor gold plate every part to death, just built them good enough.
--Chorus--
One man built a rocket plane, just like the X-15
only several meters longer to carry out his dream
and managed to reach orbit with a fuel reserve to spare.
and now they're building rocket ships, and spaceports everywhere
Another built a winged craft, that flies beyond the sky
with turbojets for when she's low and rockets when she's high,
but it's cheap enough to operate, the engines fire and flame.
For her jets burn good old JP-4, and her rockets burn the same.
--Chorus--
So travel up to orbit where man's dreams are bought and sold,
We've never had a central bank so our money's good as Gold.
Where you'll never fear the tax man's bite, will steal your labor's fruit,
we threw the last one out a lock, without a vacuum suit.
We own the highest orbits, from GEO to L5
We have the highest living wage of anyone alive
and no one dare attack us, for we have the highest ground.
that ever has existed, or ever could be found.
Final Chorus:
--Cast off your shackles down below, join us on orbit here.
--Where freedom's no illusion, it's just as it appears.
--No tax to pay, no laws to break, no governments to fear
--"Space and Freedom" is the cry of the "Kings of the High Frontier"
--Space and Freedom (Space and Freedom)
--Space and Freedom (Space and Freedom)
--"Space and Freedom" is the cry of the "Kings of the High Frontier"
--Space and Freedom (Space and Freedom)
--Space and Freedom (Space and Freedom)
--"Space and Freedom" is the cry of the "Kings of the High Frontier"
|
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Mark Horning Phoenix, Arizona
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