What has become of Major Tom?

David Bowie is reported to have written Space Oddity inspired by Stanley Kubrik's movie 2001: A Space Odissey. Major Tom is an astronaut launched into space in a flurry of media attention. He will then cut off communication with earth, at least until the early 80s XD.




Ground control to Major Tom
Ground control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on

Ground control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God's love be with you

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
Four, three, two, one, liftoff

This is ground control to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare

This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do

Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles
I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell me wife I love her very much she knows

Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you....

Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the moon
Planet earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do.


Bowie will revisit this character in Ashes to Ashes, where he gets communication with Ground Control back, and claims to be perfectly happy. Ground Control no longer cares, hence the burial phrase 'Ashes to Ashes', and concludes that he's just a junkie.
Bowie was tackling his drug addiction problems at the time he wrote this song so he is believed to have mirrored himself in Major Tom.
The surreal video still remains one of my all-time favourites. It's an MTV classic indeed but, just in case you were wondering, MTV didn't exist when the video was first released.

david bowie ashes to ashes
Cargado por kareem93 - Videos de música, entrevistas a los artistas, conciertos y más.

DB: (If I fall, moondust will cover me, moondust will cover me...
If I fall, moondust will cover me
If I fall, moondust will cover me)
Spaceboy, you're sleepy now
Your silhouette is so stationary
You're released, but your custody calls
And I wanna be free
Don't you wanna be free?
Do you like girls or boys?
It's confusing these days
But moondust will cover you
Cover you
D+N: So bye bye love
Yeah, bye bye love
Hallo spaceboy
DB: This chaos is killing me
Hallo spaceboy
NT: (Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy
Hallo)
DB: (Moondust will cover me)
NT: Ground to Major, bye bye Tom
DB: This chaos is killing me
NT: Dead the circuit, countdown's wrong
DB: This chaos is killing me
NT: Planet Earth, is control on?
DB: So sleepy now
NT: Do you wanna be free?
Don't you wanna be free?
D+N: Do you like girls or boys?
It's confusing these days
DB: But moondust will cover you
Cover you
D+N: So bye bye love
Yeah, bye bye love
Hallo spaceboy
NT: (Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy, hallo)
D+N: Hallo spaceboy
DB: You're sleepy now
This chaos is killing me
This chaos is killing me
So
D+N: Bye bye love
DB: Yeah,
D+N: Bye bye love
NT: Do you wanna be free?
DB: Yes, I wanna be free
D+N: Hallo spaceboy
DB: You're sleepy now
Do you like girls or boys?
It's confusing these days
But moondust will cover you
Cover you
D+N: So bye bye love
Yeah, bye bye love
Hallo spaceboy
NT: (Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy, hallo)
D+N: Hallo spaceboy
NT: You're sleepy now
DB: Hallo spaceboy
NT: (Spaceboy, spaceboy, spaceboy, hallo)
D+N: Hallo, hallo
DB: (If I fall, moondust will cover me)