Video: "For The Planet Pluto" - The Music Tapes (Julian Koster)

There have been a number of kids music songs about Pluto -- I'm most partial to Rocknoceros' "Pluto", but the Nields' "Percy on Pluto" and They Might Be Giants' "How Many Planets?" (off their forthcoming Here Comes Science) are pretty good, too.

The Music Tapes, which is the brainchild of Julian Koster, who also played in Neutral Milk Hotel, doesn't have a kids music album to its credit. But this song, "For The Planet Pluto," features some kids, plus a singing song. As a standalone kids' song, it's only so-so, even with the singing saw. But as a video, nothing else I've seen (or heard) more eloquently demonstrates why people -- especially kids -- reacted so strongly to Pluto's dismissal from planetary status. (It's even better than TMBG's video, which is pretty darn good.)

If you like this, there's more on its way... stay tuned...

The Music Tapes - "For the Planet Pluto"

The Music Tapes - For the Planet Pluto from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Comments

[debinsf]

that "dididirumchumchumarum" is so perfect. and Pluto making friends with the giant metronome?! Awesome. Hope you'll keep that one on the list for the March Madness.

Neutral Milk Hotel. Yay. I forgot about them. Bonus for the day, thanks!

[Laurel Kornfeld]

Pluto is a planet. These kids are a lot smarter than a certain 424 members of the IAU.

Only four percent of the IAU voted on the controversial demotion, and most are not planetary scientists. Their decision was immediately opposed in a formal petition by hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto. One reason the IAU definition makes no sense is it says dwarf planets are not planets at all! That is like saying a grizzly bear is not a bear, and it is inconsistent with the use of the term “dwarf” in astronomy, where dwarf stars are still stars, and dwarf galaxies are still galaxies. Also, the IAU definition classifies objects solely by where they are while ignoring what they are. If Earth were in Pluto’s orbit, according to the IAU definition, it would not be a planet either. A definition that takes the same object and makes it a planet in one location and not a planet in another is essentially useless. Pluto is a planet because it is spherical, meaning it is large enough to be pulled into a round shape by its own gravity--a state known as hydrostatic equilibrium and characteristic of planets, not of shapeless asteroids held together by chemical bonds. These reasons are why many astronomers, lay people, and educators are either ignoring the demotion entirely or working to get it overturned.

[Tito]

I say we give Pluto honorary status as a planet. Just like we give doctorates to celebrities who aren't really doctors. Pluto is definitely a celebrity - even if the little punk can't clear his own orbit (the reason he kicked out of the club).