About Saw the Flight
Palms West Comes
In 1978 a comet creased the sky over Palm Springs, California. It came from the Northwest to Southeast, a light that railled the night-time sky. The open desert under clusters of stars, brightly lit, still, all in one place. My brother Blue and I were camping, laying beneath the starts that night. Road weary and tired, our boots and lips dry as rock in a firepit that's been burned out and kicked around, our blue jeans and tan canvas shirts dusty from the desert sand blowing in our pockets. We sipped the cool mountain spring water we canteened earlier that day. We lay back on our sleeping bags and said a few words about the stars.
It was quiet. I was watching a certain star formation to my left. My head pointed northwest, my eyes glassy from the stars above.
I concentrated on one particular star. As I watched it, it moved. At least I thought it did. Before I could shout for my brother Blue the light was over our heads. The mountains glowed deep red with the passing light. It was a spectacular sight, a once-in-a-lifetime show of intense beauty and speed. A comet fast as a flash of light. Colors and trails, a great ball of fire and ice - shooting across the nighttime sky - splitting into four fragments - leaving our sight and traveling into a distant galaxy beyond.What I saw that night was not the star moving but a light coming into view from behind the star.
As quickly as my mind could conceive, the unbelievable scene occured. It was here and gone - the comet breaking up into four immense boulders, each the size of the capitol dome, fiery trails dominating the black desert sky. Glazing the heavens, the celestial fireworks were the best Fourth of July we had ever seen.
Concept for A Song
As some years went by I had written a song about the comet. Although I started it that night, I didn't finish writing the song until 1985, one day on a beach in the Adirondacks near my Grandmother's summer house. One bright sunny day I decided to try and finish what I was feeling and what we saw of the comet. I didn't know at the time that it was going to be a song as it turned out to be - but maybe a short story or poem. I am a guitar player and had my share of good times and hardships in the music scene.
I was recording and working on an album - some time passed. About a year later a good friend of mine, Holly Thorpe, gave me a copy of National Geographic magazine knowing how much I loved the photography. It was the Titanic issue. As I slowly flipped through the pages I came to a picture that blew my mind!
There was an article on Halley's Comet that included a photograph of a boy who was completely painted in the colors of the sea and the setting nighttime sky - with comets painted across his face and T-shirt. The caption identified him as 'Comet Boy'. The photo grabbed me in right away. I thought I would like to see the boy's picture on the cover for the recording of 'Saw The Flight'.
I called National Geographic the next day to try and get an address of the creator of this picture. It turned out to be Tony Gregory, who had painted his son Siliris with the elaborate colors and their friend Bob Sasha was the photographer. Tony Gregory is a full-time artist and the proprietor of Art Attack in Key West Florida. He was glad to work with my request and was delighted to have the picture serve as a cover for my song. I was pleased to have linked up with such a talented artist. Although the work was done through the mail. I have written to and spoken with Tony and hope to meet him in person someday. I finished recording the single 'Saw The Flight' is 1992.
Tony Gregory designed the artwork for the recording - the space odyssey surrounding the comet boy's picture and adding my name and the song title.
Saw the Flight lyrics
We were lying beneath the stars in Palm Springs, California. Desert sky miles long full of stars, We were on time, we saw the flight. Still all one place nothing moved, No creatures no old serpent tunes, Six thousand years passing by we could still lie ‘longside time
- we saw the flight. Wide - Beauty dreams mountains wide stars open up the sky
- ships sail in trust of their light
- we could still lie alongside time
- there were things I've never seen before
- old ships sinking past particulars
- no front row seats you could buy
- we were on time
- we saw the flight
- Watching high stars formation to my left
- eyes closely tighten up on my breath
- in a split shout to my brother
- to a star I watched standing still
- it was over our heads right above us
- we were on time
- the light shined on us
- More glory of God we have seen
- so lucky to be on the sidelines
- Not in the past with good old history.
Chorus
- when the stars came shooting by
- When the stars came shooting by
- across our eyes in the sky
- the light was so bright could've been the fourth of July
- When the stars came shooting by
- our eyes
- We were on time
- We saw the flight
- the light.
When the stars came shooting by.
When the stars came shooting by.
Repeat Chorus
We were on time
We saw the flight
the light
When the stars came shooting by.
Words and Music by Garrick Ruggiero ©
Garrick Ruggiero: Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals, Harmonica
Marcus Ruggiero: Arrangements, Bass Flute, Vibes, Bassoon,
all drum sequences, back-up vocals
Catherine Ruggiero: Vocals
Don Baxter: 15ft Cracking Whip
Mark Luce: Special effects, shooting comet, Engineered and mixed down
Recorded at: Cotton Hill Studio Inc., Albany New York
©2022 Garrick Ruggiero. All rights reserved.