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Laika

from Lamentations by Half Pagan

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about

For many years our families and friends have launched off rockets and told stories in City Park to celebrate space exploration for Yuri’s Night on April 12th. It celebrates the first human in space, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. While Editor B is more of a cat person, Dr. Homan is a giant fan of dogs. But the incredible story of Laika has always fascinated us both, and made us upset that humans historically have done some pretty messed up things to animals, often in the name of “science.” (See those quotation marks there?) There’s a couple of Russian lines in the chorus. The first is “Poyekhali!” That means “Let’s go!” and it’s what Yuri said right before he launched into space. The second is “khoroshaya sobaka” and that is Russian for “good dog.” It’s ironic that if Laika had been a bad dog, she wouldn’t have burned up in space so distant from the humans she wanted to please.

lyrics

LAIKA

(dope space noises)
Laika, she was a happy dog.
With her tongue hanging out she would jog along.
Wagging ---her tail and barkin’ bow wow wow wow wow!
Running all along the streets of Moscow.

Then scientists put her in a cage,
And taught her to be disengaged,
They forced the spunk from out her will,
So she could fly in Sputnik’s sequel.

Laika never said “Poyekhali!” (Russian for “Let’s go!”).
When men in lab coats launched her into space.
She just ---wanted to be a good dog,
And not to leave the earth without a trace.

Man’s best friend got a rotten deal,
For fidelity and a gelatin meal.
And I’m so sorry Laika!
Khoroshaya sobaka (Russian for “good dog”).

Now on the fate of Laika the scientists lied.
Cuz they said that after six days she was euthanized.
But that’s not ---not what really happened,
When to the top of a rocket this dog was strapped in.

The first orbit sailed over seas,
The next one raised 100 degrees.
The capsule’s temperature increased,
And by the 4th orbit all her vitals had ceased.

Laika’s corpse haunted space for months,
She made 2570 orbits.
But the dog and her capsule disappeared,
On the fiery reentry to earth’s atmosphere.

Laika never shouted “Poyekhali!”
When men in lab coats launched her into space.
She just ---wanted to be a good dog,
and not to leave the earth without a trace.
Man’s best friend got a rotten deal,
For fidelity and a weightless meal.
And I’m so sorry Laika!
Khoroshaya sobaka
Khoroshaya sobaka
(dope space noises)

credits

from Lamentations, released March 20, 2018

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Half Pagan New Orleans, Louisiana

We're a rock band based in Bulbancha. You might call it New Orleans. Sometimes we do songs about cemetery picnics or the mythology of ancient Babylon. We're Half Pagan.

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