DJ Selects Music To Help You Get Ready for the Solar Eclipse

by Lesley Misko

Medical office waiting rooms, supermarkets, car radios—  everywhere I went I was suddenly hearing it. Maybe you have been hearing it too. 

“It” is the 1983 hit song by Bonnie Tyler: “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Feeling a little embarrassed that it took some time for me to figure it out, I finally realized that America’s excitement for the upcoming April 8 eclipse is the reason for this old song’s resurging popularity.

While its title makes “Total Eclipse of the Heart” the #1 best song for an eclipse playlist, I knew there had to be some others that should make the list as well. So, I set out to find a music authority who could puzzle over it and make a few suggestions. I found local  celebrity DJ Duke Jefferies.  Also known as David Fisherowski, retired Boyertown Area School District Earth Science teacher,  DJ Duke Jefferies was the voice of WJKB 560 AM from 1966-70. 

Within mere minutes, I had seven additional songs to complete the list.  Here they are. Hopefully listening to them will add to the anticipation of your eclipse viewing experience. Thanks to Duke Jefferies for his help with this project!  

DJ Duke Jefferies, aka retired BASD science teacher, Mr. David Fisherowski.

[Just a reminder that these songs are linked from Youtube.com and the site sometimes requires you to watch a brief commercial first.]

#1      "Total Eclipse of the Heart"       Bonnie Tyler    1983  

#2      "Black Hole Sun"              Soundgarden      1994

#3      "Blinded By The Light"      Manfred Mann's Earth Band   1973        (Duke Jefferies includes an admonishment for eclipse viewers to wear appropriate glasses to prevent damage to their eyes.) 

#4       "You're So Vain"                 Carly Simon     1972        (DJ Duke Jefferies tripped me up on this one; the connection is in the lyrics!)        

#5        "Eclipse"                      from Pink Floyd's album, "Far Side of the Moon"   1973

#6        "Ring of Fire"              Johnny Cash        1963

#7         "Moonshadow"             Cat Stevens      1971

And lastly the song that DJ  Duke says, "is the theme song of Astronomy fans everywhere."

#8         "The Sound of Silence"    Simon and Garfunkel       1965  

[ Editor's note: If you missed it, you can read Peter Detterlinle's article about viewing the eclipse in the Boyertown area by clicking here.]

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