Luke Francis – “Michael Collins”
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Luke Francis’ song “Michael Collins” from his forthcoming album Saguaro, which is slated for release on May 24. All songs on Saguaro were written and co-produced by Luke Francis with co-production, engineering, mixing, and backing vocals by Jordan Cunningham, and mastering by Ed Brooks.
Musicians on “Michael Collins” are Luke on vocals and guitar; Michael Campbell-Danas on drums and percussion; Jon Bayless on bass; Harrison Whitford on electric guitar; Abby Gundersen on violin and viola; Lilly Miller on backing vocals; Matt Teske on pedal steel; and Cami Celestia on organ and piano.
Sometimes we need our rose colored glasses, and Michael Collins landing on the moon but never actually setting foot in it is a poignant, almost impossible to believe example of times when we don’t exactly get the glamorous version of what we hope for, but we get something else instead. Such is the touching story Luke Francis tells us ever-so-poignantly over piano and then with the rest of the instruments in an atmosphere around the story.
Don’t you let em catch us cryin
I could stick around maybe a star’s aligning
But the signals tell me I’ll be leaving soon
It’s a rough world, will forget you when you’ve come so very far
You know Michael Collins almost touched the moon
So hand me my rose-colored glasses
I started writing “Michael Collins” the song after reading about the death of Michael Collins the astronaut. He was the third person onboard Apollo 11, tasked with staying on the ship while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin got out and walked around on the Moon. He made the entire journey with the other guys, and came within feet of the Moon but never actually got to get out and touch it himself, and while they went on to become household names he was lost to history.
I found that to be a really beautiful and poignant metaphor for so many things in life that could have been, that almost were. In the context of the song it’s a relationship that’s ending. There’s obviously sadness, but there’s also a kind of dignity: you took the flight together. – Luke Francis
Find the music on BandCamp, here: https://lukefrancis.bandcamp.com/
