If a tepidly well-received (and Academy Award-winning) biopic in addition to appearances in The Simpsons, Futurama, and Star Trek: The Next Generation wasn’t proof enough that Stephen Hawking is pretty cool, he’s now dropped a hot new single to which people can jam out. Hawking’s jam is a bit from Monty Python’s live show, where, when performing the “Galaxy Song” from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, the Pythons would be interrupted by British physicist/dreamboat Brian Cox who would go on to correct all of the scientific inaccuracies of the song. This would then lead to a rogue Stephen Hawking running over Cox before launching into space while singing his own rendition of the British troupe’s classic nihilistic ode to insignificance.
The Python sketcheteers have now released the video of Hawking’s performance as well as the song on iTunes for download. Additionally, the song will be released as limited-edition 7-inch on Record Store Day (April 18).
In the video, below, the renowned physicist’s journey into the interstellar unknown is intercut with scenes from Monty Python’s live show performing some of their greatest hits from their TV show and films, which can be a bit of a surreal juxtaposition watching the majesty of the stars before an exploding Terry Gilliam shows up onscreen. And now the gauntlet is thrown for Neil Degrasse Tyson to perform David Bowie’s “Life On Mars?” accompanied by the cast of SCTV.
And here’s the original version sung by Eric Idle from the film: