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The US Space Force released their official song, Semper Supra, on Tuesday, September 20, at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference 2022, which took place in Maryland. The song was unveiled during a speech by Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, the Chief of Space Operations.
The US Space Force is the newest military branch, and was established in 2019. The title of their song, Semper Supra, is a Latin phrase meaning "Always Above." Besides being the official song, this phrase has also been recognized as the branch's official motto.
According to their official website, the song captures the “spirit de corps” of the present and future Guardians. It also unites service members and gives them a sense of pride. Speaking about the song, Gen. John “Jay” Raymond said in a press release:
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to establish a Space Force song that will be part of our culture and heritage for years to come. Our traditions are part of the fabric that weave us all together as we execute our missions side by side.”
The lyrics of the official song goes as follows:
“We’re the mighty watchful eye/ Guardians beyond the blue/ The invisible front line/ Warfighters brave and true/ Boldly reaching into space/ There’s no limit to our sky/ Standing guard both night and day/ We’re the Space Force from on high.”
Despite the fanfare surrounding the song's release, netizens were left unimpressed. Many took to Twitter to opine about the same. One tweet read:
Netizens react to Space Force’s official song
Internet users were left disappointed with the agency’s official song. Many found it amateur and “Disney-like.” Some found the lyrics of the “mighty watchful eye” especially disturbing. Soon after its release, the song became the subject of mockery on Twitter.
Twitter user @dave_brown24 first uploaded the official song on the platform on September 20. It was quick to rake in over 20k views. The tweet went on to amass endless quote tweets with netizens trolling the organization relentlessly. A few tweets online read:
James Teachenor and Sean Nelson share their experience of creating the song
Semper Supra was composed and written by former service members James Teachenor and Sean Nelson, who were part of the Air Force Academy band and the US Coast Guard band respectively.
James Teachenor worked alongside Gen. John Raymond, the Chief of Space Operations. Speaking about the lyrics and melody, the singer-songwriter said:
“The song was a long work in progress because I wanted it to encompass all the capabilities that the Space Force offers and it’s vision.”
After the foundation of the song came into place, it was sent to several military bands to create a musical arrangement. 12 submissions from different bands were under review until Teachenor collaborated with chief musician Sean Nelson, a trombonist and a staff arranger.
Speaking about the creation, Nelson said:
“I received the melody and words from James, and he wanted me to help add the harmony and to orchestrate it. At first, it started with singing and the piano. I became familiar with the other branches’ songs, but I wanted this one to have its own modern spin to reflect what the Space Force is- modern, new and vert advanced.”
The song was recorded with the USCG band and after many revisions, Semper Supra came into being.
