The Black Hole Song

Black Hole Song - written by James Webb and Daniel Joe Webb / Arranged: James Webb & Keith Morrison / Produced: Keith Morrison / Lead vocal: James Webb / Guitars: James Webb / Steel Guitar: Dana Keller / Background vocals: Thomas Barnello /

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The answer to the Question: "What is the scientific inaccuracy in the Black Hole Song?"

The Black Hole Song (D. Webb and J. Webb) According to the laws of physics as we know them, and our current technological abilities, no one can travel fast enough to get past even the nearest star, Proxima cenaturi at 4.3 light years. This means, that even if you could survive for extended periods in space, even at amazing speeds like 100 miles a second, it would still take you thousands of years to reach even the nearest star (besides the Sun of course). However, in the verse, our lost travelor passes galaxies and quasars too! Quasars are among the most distant protogalaxies we have ever observed, and they are billions of light years away. So even going at the speed of light, which is impossible, it would take you a billion year to pass it! However, in literature and poetry, one can take a small amout of creative license to make the song sound good. To find out more about galaxies and quasars, click on their names below.

Quasars

Galaxies

Lyrics

I left here from Russia on a secret rocket shot, back in ‘73

I’ve been in space a long, long time, I’ve damn near forgot, Do you think they’ve forgotten about me?

chorus

Ole Breznev he did say that it would go alright, even though it is the first flight of its type

Well I’ve just passed the Moon, the Stars and the Sun, and I’m heading for Black hole number one

I’ve lost communication and my ship has gone off course, I passed galaxies and quasars too

If I don’t get my ship together I don’t know just what I’ll do, here comes black hole number two

chorus

Ole Breznev he did say that it would go alright, even though it is the first flight of its type

Just when I started to like the view, here comes black hole number two

I missed black hole number one by about a light year, and veered right past black hole number two

You might think that I’m lucky but this is the end of me, cause I’m heading straight for black hole number three

This is the last of me this universe will see, the ergosphere is right in front of me, I feel the tidal forces… streeching…..me….