Michael Collins:  “Everyone’s Gone to the Moon”

“In addition we carry a small hand-held tape recorder, besides a very complex one built into the spacecraft. The small one is used to record verbal notes during those times when we don’t want to take the time to plug ourselves into the big one.  In addition to recording it can play tapes, and someone has recorded music and other sound effects for us.  I told Neil and Buzz before the flight I didn’t care what kind of music they requested, it suited me fine, and the result is bland popular selections with “moon” in them wherever possible.  My favorite, which I’ve never heard before, is “Everyone’s Gone to the Moon,” or at least that’s the line the vocalist keeps repeating.  It’s very restful.”

Michael Collins 

The above quote was from Collins’ excellent autobiography Carrying the Fire.  I first came across it years before the internet and so I had no way of knowing what song the astronaut was referring to as the lyrics were unfamiliar to me.  But with a quick search on YouTube I was able to discover that it was Everyone’s Gone to the Moon by Jonathan King and I now understand why Mike liked it so much. 

Here’s a link so you can listen too:

Everyone’s Gone to the Moon