Little Spaceman

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: Undetermined

Goodnight, little spaceman, on your way,
Watch out for the shooting stars.
It’s a four-point-nine until takeoff time.
Away you go
With a blast off full to the gravity pull.
Away you go!

All the way up there in the stratosphere air, go sailing.
I can follow your flight by the rocketing light you’re trailing.

Watch out, little spaceman, check your course
On the calculate freefall run
Through the earthbound orb like a satellite sword
And dream and dream
Of a starlit ride with the universe guide
And dream and dream
Of a starlit ride with the universe guide,
And dream and dream.

Good night, little spaceman, off to bed.
(Whoop! Pardon that earthly phrase.)
I forgot your bed was a meteorite sled.
Away you go!
On your nightly trip in your interworld ship,
Away you go!

Keep your pentylene feed up to all of that speed of soaring
Like a fiery force in a solarly course, go roaring.

Watch out, little spaceman, once again
It’s a freefall, run back home.
How I wish that I were a part of your sky
Of thrill, I will
For perhaps someday in a magical way,
I will! I will!
For perhaps someday in a magical way,
I will! I will!

Our original copy of "Little Space Man" was a worn copy of a recording the Sons of the Pioneers made on March 26, 1955, for RCA Victor but never released. Where this old copy originated, we don't know but his grandson found it after Bob died.

In the 1950s, people of all ages were fascinated by rocket ships and the idea of space travel. In this delightful ‘good-night’ song for children, Bob Nolan sets free all his sense of fun.

I contacted a chemistry professor at the University of British Columbia to check on 'pentylene'. He said it was possible it had been considered as rocket fuel in the '50s—many different fuels were talked about in the newspapers of the time. My personal opinion is that Bob liked the sound of the word and it fit in with the rest of the lyrics. It’s just a fun song using a lot of different space-related words that a child who studied the comics and watched the movies might use. In between the lines we read Bob's wistful longing for the son he never had. We have found no sheet music or lead sheets.

Since the original copy was in such poor condition, we approached Dave Bourne to record it for us. He kindly sent us his lead sheet.

We do not have any sheet music for this song.