It Came Out of the Sky Lyrics
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn’t b’lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground and shook, fearin’ for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin’ it came out of the sky.
Spiro came and made a speech about raising the mars tax.
The vatican said, woe, the lord has come.
Hollywood rushed out an epic film.
And ronnie the popular said it was a communist plot.
Walter and eric said they’d put him on a network t.v. show.
The white house said, put the thing in the blue room.
The vatican said, no, it belongs to rome.
And jody said, it’s mine and you can have it for seventeen million.
Jody fell out of his tractor, couldn’t b’lieve what he seen.
Laid on the ground a shakin’, fearin’ for his life.
Then he ran all the way to town screamin’ it came out of the sky.
Oh!
Stephen King was inspired enough by this song to write a short story about it as one of the chapters in his "Creepshow" movie. The one where King stars as a simple farmer who finds a meteorite...and everything slowly but inexorably turns green...
More evidence - in Creepshow the character's name is Jordy. In the CCR song it's Jody. More than coincidence.
The Creepshow story is "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" starring Stephen King himself.
My favourite CCR song - it's a great Sci-Fi song etched in traditional Southern roots RNR! Love the Guitar work
I don't know if I'd call this a "Sci-fi" song. My impression was always that it is about the way that everyone pounces on an opportunity without really thinking and that each take is different because each party wants to make it into something else. Vatican of course says it's from God, etc. I think he's just saying any time something happens that we don't get we exploit it. Jody ends up trying to make hiimself rich with it.
I love this song, it's so much fun! I agree with Spastic Walrus' (what a name, BTW!) comment ~ I think it's about what WOULD happen if a UFO crashed in someone's yard - everybody would be trying to get a piece of the action, making money off it, etc. Ya, people generally try to exploit whatever they can...
This song is proof the world needs more county-rock science fiction songs.
Spiro - is VP Spiro Agnew - the Mars Tax was a real issue during the Space Race. Ronnie the Popular was none other that Ronald Reagan - then governor of California.
Jordy ain't no rube - you can have it for 17Million!
@bobcatclay Spiro Agnew chaired the Space Task Group. On July 16 1969 - the launch of Apollo 11- as part of a push to double NASAs budget he announced that NASA would send humans to Mars by the year 2000. This was derided in the press and ridiculed in the song.
@bobcatclay Spiro Agnew chaired the Space Task Group. On July 16 1969 - the launch of Apollo 11- as part of a push to double NASAs budget he announced that NASA would send humans to Mars by the year 2000. This was derided in the press and ridiculed in the song.
The lyric is not "a spirit came to make a speech" but rather "Spiro came and made a speech...". Spiro is Spiro T. Agnew, the vice president of the United States at the time.
Great song. I loved to listen when I was a young teen and still love it today. The genre of music is certainly rock and roll, but it also fits the definition of “filk” music which includes elements of sci-fi, horror, etc. The song also fits the gene of political protest. A lot going on in a seemingly simple song.