Spaceship
by k-os

Album: Can't Fly Without Gravity (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A single from k-os' sixth album, Can't Fly Without Gravity, "Spaceship" finds the Toronto MC reflecting on youthful wonder, and remembering this time before things got complicated. He calls the song "a short biography of my rap life," and says it takes him back to the time of his second album, Joyful Rebellion, before he had to worry about protecting an image.
  • K-os had this song written for his 2013 album Black On Blonde, but he says he was afraid to release it, as he was still coming to grips with the song. Over time, it started to make sense to him. In our interview with k-os, he said, "It's a very childlike song. I think what has changed is my attitude towards it. Sometimes as an artist you create something and you're just a little bit shocked that you've created it. And whatever that creation is, it could be a happy song, a sad song, a weird song, sometimes you don't really expect that to come out of you at a certain time.

    So for me, the song has sort of changed in meaning over the last three or four years, because it's become something that's to be looked upon as a beautiful thing in the sense of the childlike aspects we all have when we start making music."
  • K-os is a creative type with a tendency to get lost in his head, which as a kid could frustrate his parents and teachers. When he raps, "My mom used to say, Get your head out the sky," he's reflecting on how as a kid, adults want you to stay grounded, which can be constricting. At some point, most of us give up our dreams of getting in the spaceship and flying away.
  • The line, "Mr. Salley, where's my demo?" is a reference to John Salley, a former NBA player who heard k-os when he was playing for the Toronto Raptors. Salley became k-os manager and helped kickstart his career.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.