Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the transient life of a spacefarer, where the vast emptiness of space is contrasted with the warm, familiar embrace of a bar. The narrator finds solace not in a fixed dwelling, but in the communal, albeit rough-and-tumble, atmosphere of various watering holes across different celestial bodies. These establishments serve as temporary havens, offering a sense of belonging amidst constant movement and the inherent loneliness of interstellar travel. The repeated refrain, "But for now the bar's the spacer's home so far away from home," underscores this central theme of finding a makeshift sanctuary in the most unlikely of places. The dominant tension arises from the juxtaposition of the "long, dark and empty" expanse of space and the intimate, often boisterous, environments of spaceport bars. While the journey is characterized by isolation and the uncertainty of finding connection, the bars offer immediate camaraderie and a respite from the cold void. The lyrics suggest that for those who "roam," these commonplaces, filled with "common men" of varied dispositions, become essential anchors. They are places where one can "have another round" and momentarily forget the vast distances separating them from any true, permanent home. The craft of the lyrics shines in its detailed cataloging of these diverse bar settings, each with its own unique character and potential dangers. From the "Winking Lizard" on Mars, where rum "incinerates your brain," to "Finke's Weight" on "Heaven's Rim" offering a safe corner to sleep off drinks, these specific locales ground the abstract concept of a "spacer's home." The names themselves – "Ballast Three," "Lone Star," "Unicorn" – evoke a sense of frontier spirit and the eclectic nature of these outposts. This detailed world-building, combined with the recurring promise of a drink and a temporary reprieve, makes the narrator's longing for stability feel palpable. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their honest portrayal of a specific kind of rootlessness. The bars are not idealized paradises, but functional, often gritty, spaces that provide a necessary human connection for those living outside conventional societal structures. The repeated promise of a drink and a temporary sense of belonging, coupled with the underlying wistfulness of "one day I'm gonna settle down," resonates because it captures a universal desire for comfort and community, even when found in the most transient and unexpected corners of the universe.

Vic Tyler & Ernie Mansfield & Mike Pondsmith & Duane Elms & Heather Alexander - Country, Filk

Spacer’s Home

0 Plays

View Album

Space is long and dark and empty, quite a ways 'tween friend and friend And you never know nobody when your journey's at an end So the place you're gonna find me, 'tween the times I have to roam Is in the bar around the corner where they make you feel at home Belly up to the bar, friend, have another round! It's long, cold, and lonely 'tween the times we hit the ground One day I'm gonna settle down, nevermore to roam But for now the bar's the spacer's home so far away from home Spaceport bars is commonplaces, here you'll find the common men Some as rough as three-day whiskey, some as bright as hidden sin Soome as deadly as an adder, some is dumber than a stone And when they're not chasing starlets they make spaceport bars their home Out on Mars, the Winking Lizard lies just left, beyond the gate Lady Stella does the pouring and you never have to wait For the rum that burns your gizzard and incinerates your brain And you hear the tales of Mars before the city-slickers came Belly up to the bar, friend, have another round! It's long, cold, and lonely 'tween the times we hit the ground One day I'm gonna settle down, nevermore to roam But for now the bar's the spacer's home so far away from home You know Ballast Three ain't nothing, but the Jammer's worth the trip Though you better not cross Charlie or you'll get a busted lip But the folks there like their singing and their joking and their brew And you'll think you've gone to glory 'for the evening's halfway through You've a friend at Finke's Weight when you drop on Heaven's Rim Where they free-pour Irish whiskey and they let you tell them when That's where Angel watches over you, and when you've had enough There's a space back in the corner where he'll let you sleep it off Belly up to the bar, friend, have another round! It's long, cold, and lonely 'tween the times we hit the ground One day I'm gonna settle down, nevermore to roam But for now the bar's the spacer's home so far away from home There's the Lone Star on New Texas where the chilli's piping hot And the Unicorn on Eros where the brandy hits the spot And there's Duck's on Alta Seven and there's Donna's on New Rome And there's not one man among us who's afraid to call them home Space is long and dark and empty, quite a ways 'tween friend and friend And you never know nobody when your journey's at an end So the place you're gonna find me, 'tween the times I have to roam Is in the bar around the corner where they make you feel at home Belly up to the bar, friend, have another round! It's long, cold, and lonely 'tween the times we hit the ground One day I'm gonna settle down, nevermore to roam But for now the bar's the spacer's home so far away from home But for now the bar's the spacer's home so far away from home

Credits

Writers: Duane Elms

Spacer’s Home

Spacer’s Home

Lyrics

Rate this song

Credits