Are We Stuck in the 50s & 60s or 70s & 80s?

We may prefer music that we experienced in our young adulthood (mostly '50s & '60s into 70s for silent and boomer generations, maybe '80s & '90s for Gen X), but now that we have younger relatives and friends, it makes sense to hone in on their musical interests.

Yet....we have to connect with the music in some way so we don't go starkraving mad!

When I heard that a young friend of mine chose to dress up as an astronaut for Halloween, I looked into astronaut songs and found "Astronaut in the Ocean," originated by Masked Wolf in 2019. Harry Michael, known professionally as Masked Wolf, is a 31-year old Australian rapper from Sydney, New South Wales. Over two million folks currently subscribe to his YouTube music videos.

After listening to his song a few times, I realized it is an EARWORM (tunes that run over and over in your brain), perfect for creating an activity that opens the minds of youngsters on up through elders. Following are a few of the many versions of his song. Which version/s do you prefer and why?

Samples of the song sung for all ages and around the world:

• WOW the Minions Sing Astronaut in the Ocean, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS01rffUGHI

• KIDZ BOP for Kids - Astronaut in the Ocean, Official Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF73fHbmS0I

• KIDZ BOP Kids - Astronaut in the Ocean (Seated Dance Along, with words), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87LlXaYHg6Q

• YouTubers Sings Astronaut in The Ocean, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0v7yKW7fKI

• Astronaut in the Ocean Guitar Cover, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H6dfHxf3KY

• Masked Wolf_ Astronaut in The Ocean Cover by Aish (Indian) Erika (Taiwan), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYOk6RLJUqU

• *FULL* Indian Astronaut in the Ocean! (Parody) - Music Video Version, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l04-CM3ffD0

• Kelly Clarkson sings Astronaut in the Ocean, https://www.nbc.com/the-kelly-clarkson-show/video/kelly-clarkson-covers-astronaut-in-the-ocean-by-masked-wolf-kellyoke/ACCN642821796

Piano (to listen to and to learn to play on the piano):

• “Astronaut in the Ocean” but it’s a piano ballad, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0A0BTCl6U0

• 4 Levels of Astronaut in the Ocean Easy to EXPERT (Piano) , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgNY0A0foZg

Astronaut in the Ocean Vitamin String Quartet, https://soundcloud.com/vitamin-string-quartet/astronaut-in-the-ocean?in=vitamin-string-quartet/sets/vsq-performs-the-hits-of-2021

Warning: The song includes one or more slang words, mostly unrecognizable in versions of the song directed to children.

Endorsement: Barack Obama’s newest Playlist features Masked Wolf’s “Astronaut in the Ocean," https://www.coolaccidents.com/news/barack-obama-masked-wolf-ds.

Things To Think About:

• How do you think the songwriter came up with the following lyrics to the song: "What you know about rollin' down in the deep?

• How do you think he came up with the following lyrics: "When your brain goes numb, you can call that mental freeze?"

• Would you refer this song to someone who is experiencing sad feelings? brain fog?

• Would you refer this song to someone who is trying to get off drugs or alcohol or other addictions?

• The songwriter says that the song nods to his struggles finding his place within music and coming up in the industry later in life. Have you had any similar experiences in your work/life? If so, tell your story to others.

Even if we prefer certain genres and periods of music, we can listen to other kinds of music to understand the preferences of others.

If you're still locked in music of your generation, here are "17 iconic pop songs you didn't know were directly inspired by classical music" https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/pop-songs-sample-based-on-classical-music/ .