Song of the Day: Andrew Osenga

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A couple of weeks ago at a Square Peg Alliance house show here in Nashville, Andy Osenga asked the following question:

“Would you guys rather hear an old song about spaceships or a new song about spaceships?” People laughed. Andy added, “No really. That’s a serious question.”

The new song about spaceships won. And it was awesome.

Today’s song of the day is the old one, “Anna And The Aliens” (unless he’s got another that I don’t know about.) The Rabbit Room is proud to be the one stop source for all your Science-Fiction Folk-Rock needs.

Pete Peterson is the author of the Revolutionary War adventure The Fiddler’s Gun and its sequel Fiddler’s Green. Among the many strange things he’s been in life are the following: U.S Marine air traffic controller, television editor, art teacher and boatwright at the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, and progenitor of the mysterious Budge-Nuzzard. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Jennifer, where he's the Executive Director of the Rabbit Room and Managing Editor of Rabbit Room Press.


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10 Comments

  1. Peter B

    Heh… I still don’t completely understand this song, though I’m proud to say I own this album after last year’s BTLOG in Cleburne.

  2. Breann

    I bought this CD after a house show in Kansas City this weekend and have been listening repeatedly. The one-two punch of “Good Things Always Are” and “Let Us Know You” knocks me out every time.

  3. Dan Foster

    I love this song (well, the whole album, really).

    I always think, “what if John Cougar Mellencamp were on the Sci-Fi channel?”

    Andy O, you’ve provided the answer.

  4. thad

    Andy was in town recently and played this as part of his set. His explanation, roughly…

    The Letters to the Editors projects were based on a concept that involved having fans write in with song ideas. This one was the intersection of a few suggestions. Someone wrote in about their daughter named Anna and asked if he could write a song using her name. Someone else wrote and suggested he should write a Springsteen-esque song. Someone else knew he was a sci-fan fan and suggested he write a song about aliens.

    Anna and the Aliens is the result.

  5. Peter B

    Yeah, I understand the origin story (more or less); I guess I just get bogged down in the details of trying to make sense of the whole thing.

    Come to think of it, that’s probably not such a good idea.

  6. DrewSmusic

    I can’t help thinking of Doctor Who on the last ooos. I know it’s not quite it, but I hear the Doctor everywhere. I’ve been listening for the Doctor Who theme ever since I heard Pink Floyd quote it in their live album 20 years ago.

  7. Tony Heringer

    A great tune and I agree with Dan; its Mellencamp meets LOST. Another fun song on Volume II is Canada. At a Caedmon’s show here in Suwanee, GA a few years ago he asked for requests and I shouted that one out. But this would have been my first request if it had been as easy to shout out as “Canada!” 🙂

  9. Andrew Osenga

    Peter B, shouldn’t be too difficult. I’ll break it down in numerical steps.

    1. Boy meets girl
    2. Boy and girl fall in love
    3. Boy and girl sneak out of town and head to New York
    4. Boy and girl park on a hill and make out on the hood of the car
    5. A spaceship crash-lands near them
    6. Boy checks it out
    7. Boy expects a fight
    8. Another spaceship comes to clean up the mess of the crash
    9. Boy and girl board the new spaceship and fly away
    10. Best song ever

    And Matthew, I can not give you any information at this time, as it regards a work-in-progress and I don’t want to let it out of the bag too early. Right now, the main things keeping you from the information you seek are: A) time and B) money. (Note: Item B would take care of item A.) (Note: Anybody got some of that item B laying around and want to let me use it to build a spaceship?)

  10. Peter B

    Thanks, AO; I think somehow i missed the part about the second spaceship and the ensuing voyage to the stars. Probably too much for my earthbound brain to hold.

    I’ll keep you posted on that Item B and subsequent tricked-out ride.

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