Falling Astronaut

Filling up my suitcase,
Putting on my hat, tying my shoelace
Why does it feel like I’m headed to outer space?
I’m the one walking out the door
But honey, we both know you left long before

I hope you find it
I hope you find it
Hope you find what you’re looking for

I swear, a broken heart never felt so calm
Always the one to run and sound the alarm
Whether it’s my fight or my flight, I’m causing harm
But your love is like sun rays
I could be a million miles through space
I’d still feel you on my face
So I’m blasting off through the cosmos
Putting up some flags and making the most

I hope I find it
I’ll let ya know if I find it
I wonder if I’ll ever find what I’m looking for

And when I see you
It’s like I’m falling back to Earth
System failure takes me home
But the landing hurts
Past and present collide, and here we are
Without a clue what the answer is for us

But I hope we find it
I hope we find it
Hope we find what we’re looking for out there
Hope we find it
I hope we find it
‘Cause you’re the best thing I ever let go

“A superb tune to get lost into.”
- EntertainMuse Media

“Plucking the song from the cosmos we’re introduced by way of flowing, swelling harmony before being anchored by piano and strings… as waypoints of reflective songwriting keep us following the soaring message through a darkness. This single, however, is a painfully honest reflection of a real journey to find one’s self.”
- Nanobot Rock Reviews

For years I lived with a partner, we had a cat, and I played in a duo band with my bestie. All of a sudden, in what felt like one fell swoop, we broke up, our cat died, and my friend ended the band. I lost the things that filled my life each day. So I took my heartache and ventured from my hometown for the first time to start a new life, ungrounded yet excited like a space explorer. I moved off-grid to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, with no cell service or internet… Just me and my guitar for one year. What I found was a deeper connection with myself through making music. What helped my healing the most was writing “Falling Astronaut” to honor the experience of losing my love and leaving it all. I’ve learned that the more we lose, the more room is freed up to create something new.

Huge thanks to the friends and community who crowdfunded the mixing, mastering, copyrighting and distribution of this song! Thank you Dave Abercrombie, Adam Coon, Dread Pirate Ry, Sky Bennett, Eva Asher, Gabriel Keene, Miguel Serrano, Christopher Brown, All That Zazz, Talia Cooper, Ethan Gentry, Fe Esquerda, Matthew Cascardi, Renée Milligan, Daniel Langmaid, Maia Wiitala, Em Smith and Pitbull Jones! You made this song come to life <3

Written by Jesse Strickman

Musicians
Jesse Strickman - vocals & acoustic guitar
McKay Garner - drums, percussion, intro piano & intro electric guitar
Joshua Michael - grand piano
Kevin Goldberg - electric bass
Lewis Patzner - cello
Rocio Marron - violin & viola

Cello arrangement by Lewis Patzner and Jesse Strickman
Violin and viola arrangement by McKay Garner and Rocio Marron
Harmony arrangement by Jesse Strickman, Joshua Michael, and McKay Garner

Engineers
Recorded by McKay Garner at McKay Mix, Maryam Qudus and Jacob Winik at Tiny Telephone San Francisco, and Jesse Strickman at Dolphin House and 360 Studio
Mixing by McKay Garner
Mastering by McKay Garner
Immersive mixing by McKay Garner
Immersive Mastering by Michael Romanowski at Coast Mastering in Berkeley, CA

Producers
Jesse Strickman
McKay Garner

Guitar Chords:

Capo 4th fret

Intro
F
C F C F
G F
Am F
G C F
C F Am F
G C F
F
C C/G

Verse 1
Am C | G Em | F C | G
C Am | G Em

Chorus 1
F | C/G | F | G

Verse 2
Am C | G Em | F C | G
C Am | G Em | F C | G
C Am | G Em

Chorus 2
F | C/G | F | G

Bridge
G | Am F | G Em | F Am
Dm G | C C/B Am | Em G

C/B: x 2 0 0 1 0

Chorus 3
F | C/G | F | C/G G
F | C/G | F | G

Outro
F
C F Am F
G F
Am F
G C F
C F Am F
G C F
F
C C/G

How to Play on Guitar:

Capo 4th fret

Intro:
F C F C F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
G F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo oo oo oo
G C F C F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
G C F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
C C/G

Verse1:
Am C
Filling up my suitcase,
G Em F
Putting on my hat, tying my shoelace
C G
Why does it feel like I’m headed to outer space?
C Am
I’m the one walking out the door
G Em
But honey, we both know you left long before

Chorus1:
F
I hope you find it
C/G
I hope you find it
F G
Hope you find what you’re looking for

G F C F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
G C F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
C C/G

Verse2:
Am C
I swear, a broken heart never felt so calm
G Em F
Always the one to run and sound the alarm
C G
Whether it’s my fight or my flight I’m causing harm
C Am
But your love is like sun rays
G Em F
I could be a million miles through space
C G
I’d still feel you on my face
C Am
So I’m blasting off through the cosmos
G Em
Putting up some flags and making the most

Chorus2:
F
I hope I find it
C/G
I’ll let ya know if I find it
F G
I wonder if I’ll ever find what I’m looking for

G F C F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
G C F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
G
000

Bridge:
And when I see you
Am F
It’s like I’m falling back to Earth
G Em F
System failure takes me home
Am
But the landing hurts
Dm G C C/B Am
Past and present collide and here we are
Em G
Without a clue what the answer is for us

Chorus3:
F
But I hope we find it
C/G
I hope we find it
F C/G G
Hope we find what we’re looking for out there
F
Hope we find it
C/G
I hope we find it
F G
‘Cause you’re the best thing I ever let go

Outro:
G F C F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
G F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo oo oo oo
G C F C F Am F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
G C F
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
G C F…
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000

Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooooo

Learn “Falling Astronaut” at Ultimate Guitar

How to Play on Piano:

Intro:
A E A E A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
B A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo oo oo oo
B E A E A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
B E A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
E E/B

Verse1:
C#m E
Filling up my suitcase,
B G#m A
Putting on my hat, tying my shoelace
E B
Why does it feel like I’m headed to outer space?
E C#m
I’m the one walking out the door
B G#m
But honey, we both know you left long before

Chorus1:
A
I hope you find it
E
I hope you find it
A B
Hope you find what you’re looking for

B A E A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
B E A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
E E/B

Verse2:
C#m E
I swear, a broken heart never felt so calm
B G#m A
Always the one to run and sound the alarm
E B
Whether it’s my fight or my flight I’m causing harm
E C#m
But your love is like sun rays
B G#m A
I could be a million miles through space
E B
I’d still feel you on my face
E C#m
So I’m blasting off through the cosmos
B G#m
Putting up some flags and making the most

Chorus2:
A
I hope I find it
E
I’ll let ya know if I find it
A B
I wonder if I’ll ever find what I’m looking for

B A E A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
B E A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
B
000

Bridge:
And when I see you
C#m A
It’s like I’m falling back to Earth
B G#m A
System failure takes me home
C#m
But the landing hurts
F#m B E E/D# C#m
Past and present collide and here we are
G#m B
Without a clue what the answer is for us

Chorus3:
A
But I hope we find it
E
I hope we find it
A E B
Hope we find what we’re looking for out there
A
Hope we find it
E
I hope we find it
A B
‘Cause you’re the best thing I ever let go

Outro:
B A E A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
B A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo oo oo oo
B E A E A C#m A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000
B E A
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo
B E A…
Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo 000 000 000 000

Ooo ooo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo oo ooooo