I Don't Want To Go To Mars

Album: As I Try Not to Fall Apart (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "I Don't Want To Go To Mars" is a space anthem that finds White Lies singer Charles Cave being taken away from Earth to live out a sanitized and mundane existence on a newly colonized Red Planet. He protests that he'd rather live out his days in the world he knows than in a sterile corporate-owned Mars colony.
  • The song questions the space ambitions of such tech entrepreneurs as Elon Musk. "I think technology ought to improve quality of life," Cave told The Sun. "And I can't see how rebuilding Dubai on a barren planet is going to be much of a vibe for any discerning human being. But, maybe I'm wrong. It feels like they're condemning Earth to ruin and moving on to the next orb to trash."
  • White Lies recorded "I Don't Want To Go To Mars" at Sleeper and Assault and Battery studios in west London, with long-term co-producer Ed Buller (Pulp, Suede).
  • White Lies released "Mars" as the second single from As I Try Not to Fall Apart. The band wrote and recorded the album during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a fatalistic mood running through the record. "The last two years have caused us all to ruminate too much on disappointments and failings," said Cave. "But it's healthy to explore that through music."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Graham Parker

Graham ParkerSongwriter Interviews

When Judd Apatow needed under-appreciated rockers for his Knocked Up sequel, he immediately thought of Parker, who just happened to be getting his band The Rumour back together.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Chris Frantz of Talking Heads

Chris Frantz of Talking HeadsSongwriter Interviews

Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz on where the term "new wave" originated, the story of "Naive Melody," and why they never recorded another cover song after "Take Me To The River."

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.