The Space Race Is Over

Billy Bragg

When I was young I told my mum

I'm going to walk on the Moon someday

Armstrong and Aldrin spoke to me

From Houston and Cape Kennedy

And I watched the Eagle landing

On a night when the Moon was full

And as it tugged at the tides, I knew deep inside

I too could feel its pull



I lay in my bed and dreamed I walked

On the Sea of Tranquillity

I knew that someday soon we'd all sail to the moon

On the high tide of technology

But the dreams have all been taken

And the window seats taken too

And 2001 has almost come and gone

What am I supposed to do?



Now that the space race is over

It's been and it's gone and I'll never get to the moon

Because the space race is over

And I can't help but feel we've all grown up too soon



Now my dreams have all been shattered

And my wings are tattered too

And I can still fly but not half as high

As once I wanted to



Now that the space race is over

It's been and it's gone and I'll never get to the moon

Because the space race is over

And I can't help but feel we've all grown up too soon



My son and I stand beneath the great night sky

And gaze up in wonder

I tell him the tale of Apollo And he says

"Why did they ever go?"

It may look like some empty gesture

To go all that way just to come back

But don't offer me a place out in cyberspace

Cos where in the hell's that at?



Now that the space race is over

It's been and it's gone and I'll never get out of my room

Because the space race is over

And I can't help but feel we're all just going nowhere