I Don't Want To Go To Mars

Album: As I Try Not to Fall Apart (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "I Don't Want To Go To Mars" is a space anthem that finds White Lies singer Charles Cave being taken away from Earth to live out a sanitized and mundane existence on a newly colonized Red Planet. He protests that he'd rather live out his days in the world he knows than in a sterile corporate-owned Mars colony.
  • The song questions the space ambitions of such tech entrepreneurs as Elon Musk. "I think technology ought to improve quality of life," Cave told The Sun. "And I can't see how rebuilding Dubai on a barren planet is going to be much of a vibe for any discerning human being. But, maybe I'm wrong. It feels like they're condemning Earth to ruin and moving on to the next orb to trash."
  • White Lies recorded "I Don't Want To Go To Mars" at Sleeper and Assault and Battery studios in west London, with long-term co-producer Ed Buller (Pulp, Suede).
  • White Lies released "Mars" as the second single from As I Try Not to Fall Apart. The band wrote and recorded the album during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a fatalistic mood running through the record. "The last two years have caused us all to ruminate too much on disappointments and failings," said Cave. "But it's healthy to explore that through music."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.