Rockstar DJ airs Sagan and Hawking

By James Dacey

I was listening to the dulcet tones of Jarvis Cocker hosting his radio show last night – incidentally, the perfect way to wind down after a busy weekend – when he surprised everyone with this choice.

The song, A Glorius Dawn, features Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking singing extracts from Sagan’s celebrated TV series Cosmos. It was produced by composer John Boswell who released the track back in November to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Sagan’s birth.

“I’m not very good at singing songs, but here’s a try…” says Sagan, before breaking into a beatbox intro.

You’ll still be laughing from the hilarious first verse when we reach the chorus:

“A still more glorious dawn awaits
Not a sunrise but a galaxy rise
A morning filled with 400 billion Suns
The rising of the Milky Way…”

Those of you familiar with Jarvis Cocker – who fronted the UK band Pulp before going solo in 2002 – will perhaps not be that surprised by his eclectic taste. Like Carl and Stephen, Jarvis is a fantastic communicator especially when it comes to the art of storytelling. His lyrics encompass everything from girls being into palaeontology to the rise of obeisity amongst children, and l remember him exploring his fascination with the cosmos on an early Pulp track Space, which featured the lyrics:

“Tonight … travelling at the speed of thought …
We’re going to escape into the stars…”

You can listen to a repeat of Jarvis Cocker’s Sunday Service here.