Astronomy

Sandy Pearlman, in an interview with Kerrang magazine (September 1988) says, "Basically, it's an interpretation of history - an explanation for the onset of World War I, or a revelation of the occult origins of it. Imaginos is the main character, and is what I call 'an actor in history'. He plays different roles in history and was born as a modified child, modified by an alien influence, and his mission is to present the human race with the challenge of evil. The aliens are playing with our history as if it's a game, and he motivates the game and presents the choices to the human race. They react as they will."
Sandy Pearlman also says that the story explains what the "Blue Oyster Cult" is. "They are aliens. When Imaginos is dying on a beach (in the song 'Blue Oyster Cult'), they announce their presence to him and give him a choice - side with them or die as a human. He chooses the former and realizes he was one of them after all. In 'Astronomy' he realizes he is descended from the stars."

Moondrops are a reference to an ancient belief that dew came from the moon at night. This song is not nonsense, it is a story, one that uses charecter names and themes that run throughout BOC's music.

John got a lot of it correct. I was surprised that you caught the dog and Sirius reference. The four winds bar refers to a compass rose on a map, the one that Carrie reads, specifically, because it is ancient and contains directions to a dark mirror hidden on another continent. Desdinova was born to a world in turmoil, trained at the hands of madmen and turned loose on the world to realize Imaginos, the beginning and the end. In this story cycle, it all comes to fruition in WWII, which is not mentioned in this song, of course. Astronomy is the story of Desdinova getting his bearings and starting a long journey with his friends to find this "dark mirror." Sandy Pearlman had this song and many others in the Imaginos cycle running through his head since the early 60's. He wrote it out, and BOC used it on their third album, as well as Subhuman, which is another part of the cycle. It appears as the song "Blue Oyster Cult" on Imaginos. The Imaginos album of the 80's was worked on for years and years by Albert Boucherd and Sandy Pearlman, who were going to release it under a different band name with other musicians, but Columbia insisted that BOC do it and it be released under the BOC moniker. The entire album is about Desdinova and his adventures in Imaginos. As deep as people seem to think it is, it really is simple as that. But when it comes down to it, Imaginos is what BOC had been trying to definitively state for years and years, given that you count Pearlman as part of the band, which I do. Listen to Imaginos. Althought the songs are out of order on the album, it will start to make more sense. The story they give you in the liner notes states that Imaginos is a "random access myth." They did that because the songs were put on the album out of order, at Columbia's insistence because they thought the album worked better that way. Listened to from start to finish, the time line of the album is out of whack. Since it is out of print, it will set you back over $50 to get a copy. I have three. ha ha ha

There are some good and not so good guesses here… but that clown one was real creative… :) But as it’s been said, this was an early part of the Imaginos project.

From Wikipedia; “In "Astronomy", the character of Imaginos comes to realize his heritage and his role as the altered human. References are made to celestial objects throughout the song-- "The light that never warms" being the moon, "The Queenly flux" the constellation Cassiopeia, "My dog, fixed and consequent" being Sirius, the dog star. The "Four Winds Bar" may be a reference to the Tropic of Cancer. All in all, it has Imaginos explaining his position as part of Les Invisibles.”

As for the Metallica cover, I found the original pretty even with it… but by far the best version is the newest from BOC’s latest live album, A Long Day’s Night. They used to do a good job of it live, but what makes this live version triumph is Buck’s guitar solo… It is quite fantastic, especially that riff in the middle. I can’t say for sure, but I almost think Buck Dharma made the incredible solo to put their version on top… Either way, if you still question which is better, check out that track. It might take a couple listens, but the new live version is by far the best. As for the Metallica cover, I think that they detected a song with much more potential than it was originally played with (they were right too), but I don’t think they were well suited to cover it (cover it to fill in it's gaps anyway). But all this flat out "you're a clueless !@#$@#!" stuff is not going to get anyone anywhere...

this is really supposed to be a place to discuss the MEANING of the song, not a place to talk about how cool it is. anyway, nobody seems to know the meaning, which surprises me. it's about how, during the Holocaust, Jews used the stars to navigate to hiding. the end.

I've been thinking of other meanings for the song that tells a story which I think generally refers to a philisophical thinking young man who's grown up in the rural northeastern USA. I can't figure out what "silver scrapes in May" means. But, if you think of October, the colors of some of the wilting leaves could refer to the scratching at your fascination, the beauty of the green foliage in the north eastern part of America.
I think the song refers to a couple of women the guy knew from a small town, and especially the bar. He was probably attracted to one of them, who got with someone else. Humm.... "Hellish glare and inference" could refer to the dirty looks you sometimes get from others, for reasons you can't figure out. Or, it could be your own fears about your own thoughts and where they really come from. Queenly flux = majestic flow of eternal light. We know it's there, but our eyes are usually closed. Which is why it "never warms". Then these women are sitting together, but alone (what happened to that husband of yours, Susie?) and they are drinking their confusion into submission. As the man views the women, after he's had a few drinks, he comes to a realization. Desdenova = Desde, in spanish means since or from the beginning, and nova = ever brightening light. Since the light, and now it's eternal. "These gravely digs of mine" = hazardous home, stomping grounds, apartment, etc., though I wonder about the "ly". And we are always interested in danger, ie., "prove a sight". "And don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent" = Sirius, the brightest star in the winter skies of the eastern USA, used for navigation. It's fixed to us over the generations, and thereby, sensible, intelligent. And finally, "Astronomy". Since he says he's from the beginning of the light. It appears to be his conclusion, that after one, or many nights in the bar with his friends, in some small town in the northeast, and after so much inward thinking and wonder about the forces that create our reality, he's from the stars. We're from the stars..........Hell, we don't know diddly-squat! Now take it people, this is only my interpretation of the song. But it's one on my favorite songs ever..:)

"Like lesser birds on the four winds Like silver scrapes in May" these are the birds who are always around scavenging especially in May when the park is just opening. The silver scrapes are the big grey winged seagulls that snatch your ice cream."

• I dunno 'bout that. "Silver scrapes in May" & "gravely digs" to me are associated. Interesting, you're thinking of a scavenger bird, and I'm thinking of scavengers with metal detectors. Scrapes being little old trinkets in the sand, or under the accumulation of sand and mud from years ago. This song was written when aluminum was not that popular, there were metal cans. You would go through a mess of rusty metal and if you were lucky you may find some old coins. Silver scrapes are what are mostly dug early in the summer, and is virtually all gone (near the top) once the summer begins reaching its end. , May being the month when a lot of those in cold climates finally come back from their summer property. Silver scapes in May to me means something which is first plentiful, and then vanishes, so by the end of summer your metal detector no longer finds anything. The scavengers with the metal detectors have taken all the loot. Scrapes is a word that I think of implying material in which one seeks lost treasure that is virtually unfindable because it has gone. Now the sands become a crust, and most of you have gone away (to warmer climate zones). The secluded beach is a poignant metaphor for where mystical and occult seekers come.

desdinovas point makes perfect sense.....and so does another great boc song. the talk of the hellish glare, the doors, and "the nexus of the crisis" are really clever. great to know boc is artistic enough to use music and poetic reference to help us remember a horrible tragedy.

Actually, this song is part of a concept album written by BOC that was released in the 80's called "Imaginos". I'm not sure why they decided to put just this song on the "Secret Treaties" album and leave of the rest of the connected story.

I agree with desdinova. Also, the Metallica version sucks donkey balls compared to this.