Michael Collins was the NASA astronaut, not the Irish revolutionary!
The song is essentially about going to great effort, but failing to achive fulfillment, or about being forced to merely observe important events (personal, historical, whatever), without being able to act.
Michael Collins was the third member of the Apollo 11 crew; whilst Armstrong and Aldrin went down to the moon's surface for the first moon landing in 1969, Collins remained in the orbiting command module - all that way, but not quite.... Quite sad, in a way. I think that was the aspect Ian was drawing upon in writing a song of wider significances to his own experiences, Jeffrey's, indeed, anyone's.
'L.E.M' refers to the lunar lander, the 'Lunar Excursion Module'.
Michael Collins was the NASA astronaut, not the Irish revolutionary!
The song is essentially about going to great effort, but failing to achive fulfillment, or about being forced to merely observe important events (personal, historical, whatever), without being able to act.
Michael Collins was the third member of the Apollo 11 crew; whilst Armstrong and Aldrin went down to the moon's surface for the first moon landing in 1969, Collins remained in the orbiting command module - all that way, but not quite.... Quite sad, in a way. I think that was the aspect Ian was drawing upon in writing a song of wider significances to his own experiences, Jeffrey's, indeed, anyone's.
'L.E.M' refers to the lunar lander, the 'Lunar Excursion Module'.
@Ministry Thank you for the LEM explanation.
@Ministry Thank you for the LEM explanation.
@Ministry Bingo! Great explanation.
@Ministry Bingo! Great explanation.