Great Star-Gazing Songs

To round-off my list of songs for different occasions, I now present the best songs to have playing while you lie on your back on the ground or in a car at night while watching the stars. These songs are evocative and soothing, perfect for the contemplative art of star-watching. The descriptions will be very short, if there is any description at all. All you need to know is that these songs are incredibly beautiful and should be put on a mix and played on summer nights.


"Th Silvery Light of the Drean (part II)" by Apples in Stereo. This song has a dream-like quality about it, and the catchy progression coupled with Robert Schneider's mellow voice create a song that sets off the night perfectly.

"I Don't Know" by the Beastie Boys. In a surprisingly soulful and mellow turn, the Boys craft a sensitive, catchy and warming song that displays some fine classical guitar work. This is a gem.


"Across the Universe" by the Beatles. This is one of, if not the best song the Beatles ever wrote.

"Butterfly Net" by Bishop Allen. The vocals on this song coupled with the bare-bones instrumentation could melt butter.

"Let's Go Bowling" by Camera Obscura. Similar to the above description.

"The Wind" by Cat Stevens. Used beautifully in Rushmore, another short and sweet song.

"One Fell Swoop" by Chris Knox. This one might be hard to find, but if you manage to find a copy, you will be blown away by the pipes on this Australian jangle-pop star.

"Beautiful World" by Colin Hay

"I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab For Cutie. Great lyrics, nice and mellow.

"Make a Deal With the City" by East River Pipe

"Mad World" by Gary Jules. Immortalized in Donnie Darko, this cover tune is the epitome of mellow acoustic star-gazing music.

"Attics of My Life" and "Sage and Spirit" by Grateful Dead. If the harmonies in Attics don't send a chill down your spine, then you are probably in a coma, and if Sage doesn't remind you of summers in your childhood, then you had a sucky childhood.

(actually, while on the subject of the Dead, they have a few more amazing star-gazers: "Black Throated Wind," "Black Peter," "Terrapin Station" and "Bird Song")

"Eep Hour" by Jerry Garcia. This trippy instrumental is hypnotizing.

"A Burial at Sea" by The Ladybug Transistor.

"Everywhere" by Lo Fine

"Micon the Icon" by Mark Mulcahy. This is a great example of why Thom Yorke calls Mulcahy the greatest vocalist he has ever head. He sings with emotion and power, and this acoustic ditty is certainly powerful and evocative.

"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star. Perhaps the most beautiful song of the 1990's.

"Porcelain" by Moby

"Starlight" by Muse

"After the Goldrush" by Neil Young. Described by a one Joey Kuhn as "the most beautiful song ever written"

"Pink Moon" by Nick Drake. This is THE song. Remember that VW commercial with those kids driving around at night? this is the song that was playing as they drove the desolate highways on a summer night, staring up at the stars. A PERFECT song if there ever was one.


"Don't Know Why" by Nora Jones

"No Distance Left to Run" by Blur

"Heaven is a Truck" by Pavement. This is in my running for the most poignant and beautiful song ever written.

(on a Pavement note, also try "The Hexx" another gem)

"Chalice" by Phil Keaggy


"Dirt" by Phish. Finally writing some good lyrics, Phish displays this obvious maturity in song writing.


"Ivy Boy" by Polaris

"Night Swimming" by REM

"Karma Police" by Radiohead. This is the song that made me stop hating Radiohead.

"Bombs Away" by Ratdog

"Mystified" by Rocco DeLuca and the Burden

"Friends" by Ryan Adams

"Nellie Jean" and "Untitled" by the Slip. Absolutely gorgeous songs.

"Take Five" by String Cheese Incident

"Slow Motion" by Third Eye Blind. The instrumental version is what i recommend, not the one with lyrics about shooting people.


Well, that rounds off this list and the "Songs" theme of my blog, at least for a while, or until I run out of ideas. I honestly encourage you to find these songs if you don't own them already, and put them on a mix. Life goes by so fast, enjoy your summer nights while you can.

Peace Love and Understanding.