The morning star is not a star at all, but our neighbor Venus. In ancient times, it was referred to as the “light-bringer,” which in Greek is Phosphoros, and in Latin is, interestingly, Lucifer. How did the name of one of the most beautiful celestial entities come to mean the devil? It goes back to ancient, pre-Christian mythology, and the fact that the morning star eclipses all other stars but never reaches the zenith of the sky. Canaanites viewed this as a story of a lesser god reaching for the throne of heaven and, failing, descending to rule the underworld.

Oliver, "Good Morning Starshine," 1969. Written by Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni & James Rado for the musical Hair, 1967.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to early June, 2025.

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