Stephen Hawking knows a thing or two about stars and galaxies, and now his robotic voice has a starring role in a delightful cover version of the "Galaxy Song," Monty Python's whimsical take on mankind's insignificance in the vastness of the universe.
As British cultural legends, Hawking and Monty Python and are a natural pair. Hawking participated in Monty Python's 2014 live reunion shows, appearing in a filmed segment in which he knocks down fellow physicist Brian Cox and recites the lyrics of the “Galaxy Song” as he launches into space.
That version of the classic tune is now being released as a single to mark Record Store Day, The Guardian reported. This year the annual event, which celebrates independent record stores, falls on April 18.
Old-school music lovers can scramble to buy one of the 1,000 vinyl copies of the single, while Hawking fans who've joined the 21st Century can purchase their own version from the U.K. iTunes store.
The original lyrics sound even better when they're rendered in Hawking's electronic speech.
Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving
And revolving at 900 miles an hour
That's orbiting at 19 miles a second, so it's reckoned
A sun that is the source of all our power
This isn't Hawking's first venture into the music world. Pink Floyd sampled his voice in the band's 1994 album "The Division Bell" and again in 2014 on their last album, "The Endless River."
"Galaxy Song" was written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez for "The Meaning of Life," Monty Python's 1983 film. Compare Hawking's version to the original here:
Related
Before You Go
