Yes, there’s a new song about the eclipse. A former Millstadt resident wrote it and sings it.

They’re offering eclipse wines, an eclipse soda, eclipse playing cards, eclipse neckties and all sorts of eclipse-related merchandise. So it was only a matter of time before an eclipse song turned up, right?

Singer/songwriter Mike Baltz and musician Shadi Frick, both of Carbondale, have teamed up to record an original song about the upcoming solar eclipse. Aptly named “The Eclipse,” the song is 2 minutes, 40 seconds long, which is the estimated duration of total eclipse that will be experienced just south of Carbondale.

Baltz is formerly of Millstadt.

“The eclipse is a huge event for Southern Illinois and I wanted to write something for it,” Baltz said.

Baltz said he originally tried writing a promotional jingle, but a complete song quickly took shape.

“I was feeling a primitive vibe full of nature references. I also thought about how frightening eclipses have been to people in the past,” he said. “Then I realized how an eclipse can be a metaphor for the dark times in someone’s life. And how it’s important to remember that ‘this too shall pass.’ That added another cool layer of meaning to the song.”

Frick said that once he got the lyrics, the challenge was coming up with the melody.

“I asked myself, ‘What does an eclipse sound like?’ Mike’s lyrics had a lot of natural imagery, so I definitely wanted there to be a tribal feeling. But I added some ‘spacey’ effects, too. And as the producer, I did some interesting things with Mike’s voice to give it a futuristic sound,” Frick said.

He added, “We’re very proud of this song, and we are excited about the audience that we have the potential to reach because of Carbondale’s prominence during the upcoming eclipse.”

“The Eclipse” can be heard on SoundCloud. “The Eclipse” is also available for download through iTunes, CDBaby, and Amazon. Commemorative CDs will be available at various venues during the eclipse weekend.

So, what’s the verdict? Does it put you in the mood for an astronomical phenomenon? Or is this more your style?

And while you’re at it, check out this funny take on the Bonnie Tyler song, spoofed up just for the Aug. 21 eclipse:

This story was originally published August 5, 2017 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Yes, there’s a new song about the eclipse. A former Millstadt resident wrote it and sings it.."