B-side "Do, Do, Do" Format 7" single12" single | Released 1978 Recorded 1978 | |
Length 3:424:19 (long version) | ||
"I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper", sometimes cited as "(I Lost My Heart to A) Starship Trooper", is a 1978 single written by Jeff Calvert and Geraint Hughes of Typically Tropical and performed by Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip. It is notable as the debut of the then 18-year-old Brightman as a singer, and reached number six in the UK Singles Chart.
The song is a lightweight space disco track that cashed in on the media hype surrounding the original Star Wars film: the lyrics include the lines "And evil Darth Vader he's been banished to Mars" and "Or are you like a droid, devoid of emotion", and the titular "starship trooper" could refer to Luke Skywalker. The song also samples music from Star Wars, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (from 2001: A Space Odyssey), and the "spaceship communication" melody from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Many of the lyrics contain sexual innuendo; for example, "Take me, make me feel the force". Other science fiction references include: "I lost my heart to a starship trooper", "Flash Gordon's left me, he's gone to the stars", "What my body needs is close encounter three", "Static on the comm – it's Starfleet Command" and "Fighting for the Federation" (which could refer to Star Trek, Blake's 7 or Starship Troopers).
The song was performed on The Kenny Everett Video Show by its regular dance troupe Hot Gossip. Its lead, Sarah Brightman, was dressed in a silver catsuit and platform shoes.