Music that makes me feel big feelings about being small

June 11, 2014 1:37 PM

I love thinking about the vastness of space, the long arc of the cosmic time scale, the complexity of connections in various systems. I find thinking about these big ideas creates a pleasurable feeling in my body, and putting them to music is even more moving. Examples of favorites include Peter Mulvey's "Vlad the Astrophysicist" and Symphony of Science's "We Are All Connected". What other songs combine music and big scientific ideas about how small and insignificant humans are?
posted by spindrifter to Media & Arts (13 answers total)

The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?
posted by telegraph at 1:38 PM on June 11, 2014 [2 favorites]

They Might Be Giants - Particle Man
posted by Asparagus at 1:39 PM on June 11, 2014 [1 favorite]

The Galaxy Song by Eric Idle
posted by mefireader at 1:45 PM on June 11, 2014 [2 favorites]

different kind of song, but your question reminded me of this song by Kimya Dawson .
posted by monologish at 2:24 PM on June 11, 2014

Yakko's Universe from Animaniacs. "It's a big universe and we're not!"
posted by immlass at 2:28 PM on June 11, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: This is also one of my passions/interest, although the songs that reflect this to me may not be the same for you OP, but nonetheless, here are some of my favorites besides the Symphony of Science, which you already listed:

-Symphony of Science's Monsters of the Cosmos (about black holes)

-Major Tom, by either Peter Schilling

-Chris Hadfied singing from the ISS

-Feynman lectures to music, such as curiosity - if you like this, see the rest of the series . There is also a Sagan series, too. (Previously)
posted by Wolfster at 2:29 PM on June 11, 2014

The Barenaked Ladies theme song to the show Big Bang Theory.

They Might be Giants- Why Does the Sun Shine?
posted by slateyness at 2:48 PM on June 11, 2014

The Polyphonic Spree - "Light & Day/Reach for the Sun"

Moby - "We Are All Made of Stars"
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 2:50 PM on June 11, 2014

Also: Camper van Beethoven's "She Divines Water"

Talking Heads: "And She Was"
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 3:01 PM on June 11, 2014

I *think* I get that feeling you're describing from Björk's "Oceania."
posted by vetala at 5:29 PM on June 11, 2014

Best answer: Implicit because it's an instrumental track, but Murray Gold's The Impossible Planet from the Doctor Who episode of the same name gives me precisely this same feeling.
posted by bettafish at 8:08 PM on June 11, 2014

"Space is Deep" and about a hundred other early Hawkwind songs.
posted by ElectricGoat at 11:02 PM on June 11, 2014

Best answer: Low Little Argument With Myself
Pond My Dog Is An Astronaut, Though
Pixies Motorway to Roswell
posted by otolith at 8:15 AM on June 12, 2014