Sleeping Satellite

Song written by Tasmin Archer, John Beck and John Hughes and originally recorded by Tasmin Archer.

Tasmin Archer version

Released as a single in 1992, the song reached number 1 in the UK singles chart and also became an international hit.

Kim Wilde version

Kim Wilde performed this song during the Come Out and Play Tour in February and March 2011. She performed it together with her brother (acoustic guitar) and her niece Scarlett (backing vocals) as an acoustic song. In August 2011 the song was released as a studio recording on Kim’s album Snapshots – and also as the lead single of the album.

Versions

There are three versions of ‘Sleeping Satellite’: the album version, the ‘mix but not mastered’ version from the promotional cd of ‘Snapshots’ and the radio edit.

Formats

‘Sleeping satellite’ was released on cd-single as a double A-side with It’s Alright.
See this page for more information.

Music video

A music video was filmed to promote the single.
See this page for more information.

Live performances

‘Sleeping satellite’ was performed live during the Come Out and Play Tour in 2011 and the Snapshots & Greatest Hits Tour in 2012.

Highest chart positions

Germany: 98 (1 week)

Kim about ‘Sleeping Satellite’

‘Sleeping Satellite’ was a huge hit for Tasmin Archer in 1992 and I absolutely loved the song. And it was a huge hit in America as well. Everyone loved the song. There was quite a serious theme to the song, I felt, talking very much about the environment and the damage and of how mankind is in search of adventure instead of taking care of what’s going on in its own backyard, i.e. our planet. So I thought it spoke really poetically about the ecological and environmental problems that we have on the planet and sometimes pop music’s a really good way of getting that message across. (1)

Credits

Drums: Paul Kaiser
Guitars: Heiko Fischer
Additional vocals: Kim Wilde
Drums recorded by Manfred Faust @ Hookwerk Studio, Fohr
Produced by Alex Rethwisch
Vocal production by Ricky Wilde

Interview source

(1) Track by track commentary, Sony Music, 2011.


Lyrics

I blame you for the moonlit sky
And the dream that died with the Eagle’s flight
I blame you for the moonlit nights
When I wonder why are the seas still dry?
Don’t blame this sleeping satellite

Did we fly to the moon too soon?
Did we squander the chance?
In the rush of the race the reason we chase is lost in romance
And still we try to justify the waste
For a taste of man’s greatest adventure

I blame you for the moonlit sky
And the dream that died with the Eagle’s flight
I blame you for the moonlit nights
When I wonder why are the seas still dry?
Don’t blame this sleeping satellite

Have we got what it takes to advance?
Did we peak too soon?
If the world is so green then why does it scream under a blue moon?
We wonder why the earth’s sacrificed
For the price of its greatest treasure

I blame you for the moonlit sky
And the dream that died with the Eagle’s flight
I blame you for the moonlit nights
When I wonder why are the seas still dry?
Don’t blame this sleeping satellite

And when we shoot for the stars
What a giant step
Have we got what it takes to carry the weight of this concept?
Or pass it by like a shot in the dark
Miss the mark with a sense of adventure

I blame you for the moonlit sky
And the dream that died with the Eagle’s flight
I blame you for the moonlit nights
When I wonder why are the seas still dry?
Don’t blame this sleeping satellite