Remember the fifties, those fat complacent days
When the future seemed a century away?
Then up went Sputnik, gave the world a butt-kick,
And made it clear tomorrow starts today.

Beep beep, boop boop, hello there!
Sputnik sails, giggling, through the skies
Red flags, red faces, jump in the race
As the space age begins with a surprise

You generals once thought Von Braun a waste of cash,
And Goddard needed treatment really bad.
Then that global shotput gave you the hotfoot
And — beep beep — you’re blasted off the pad

Beep beep, boop boop, hello there!
Sputnik sails, giggling, through the skies
Red flags, red faces, jump in the race
As the space age begins with a surprise

Done for a threat, propaganda or prestige —
The point is, the thing was in the sky
It made the generals frown and put their money down,
And meet that bet or know the reason why

Beep beep, boop boop, hello there!
Sputnik sails, giggling, through the skies
Red flags, red faces, jump in the race
As the space age begins with a surprise

That’s how it started, all those years ago,
The push that got us climbing into space
Cynic beginnings, greed for big winnings
But look at all we’ve gotten from that race!

Beep beep, boop boop, hello there!
Sputnik sails, giggling, through the skies
Red flags, red faces, jump in the race
As the space age begins with a surprise

Sputnik wore out, and spiraled back to Earth;
On re-entry it burned up very soon
Hail and goodbye to that upstart in the sky —
And in twelve more years a man walked on the Moon!

Beep beep, boop boop, hello there!
Sputnik sails, giggling, through the skies
Red flags, red faces, jump in the race
As the space age begins with a surprise