Bowie was an absolute legend. Incredible musician, and, amazing songwriter. Plus, he once broke into a mental hospital, with Dennis Hopper, to smuggle drugs to Iggy Pop. How's that for Rock 'N' Roll?

He is Major Tom, in a spaceship, going to the moon. He's talking to ground control. Think about when this song came out. The space race was ON big time.

@nim4464

Жыл бұрын

the song was released 9 days before we landed on the moon. Space Oddity :7/11/1969 Apollo 11 lands on the moon: 7/20/1969

@Rcprobot

Жыл бұрын

I’m pretty sure he was hired to make this for the moon landing like a promotional thing or something like that

@matthewdrake4385

Жыл бұрын

The re-issue about three years later would become his first big hit here in the US. That video shows him in more his Ziggy Stardust look with the red hairdo and makeup.

@amymeyers8090

Жыл бұрын

Rcprobot. I sure don’t believe that! What happens in the end of song; he is lost in space; they loose Major Tom. Not a great promotion for the moon walk.

@Muckylittleme

Жыл бұрын

Yes but Major Tom was a junky remember? It is a metaphorical trip to new heights as well as doubling as rocket launch.

I saw Bowie in Toronto in 1974. For this song all the lights were off. Then the opening guitar strumming. On a lift high up in the air with the spotlight on him was Bowie. He had bright orange hair with white makeup caked on his face and a blue lightening bolt across his face from ear to ear. It was great!!

In David Bowie's song "Ashes To Ashes", which is considered to be a sequel to "Space Oddity", Bowie says "Ashes to ashes and funk to funky We know Major Tom's a junkie Strung out in heaven's high Hitting an all-time low"

@CBGB_1977

Жыл бұрын

Then on “Black Star” is the end of Major Tom’s story and sadly the the end of Bowie’s life. I miss him in the music world every day still… 😢 His passing was like losing colors.

"The Stars Look Very Different Today" ...R.I.P. David🙏❤️

He’s a better frontman than my favorite bands by far. His presence is that powerful in musical essence-he heavily inspired Trent Reznor (nine inch nails) and helped Trent with drug recovery and collaborated on a single, even a tour.This is art.

Mick Ronson is one of the most criminaly underrated guitarists ever .......his "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" album is a banger.

@alonzocoyethea6148

Жыл бұрын

Note how Mick broke a string right in the middle of his take-out solo...And it didn't throw him off a bit..Now that's a guitar player

Bowie is in his own category. Sheer genius. What a rabbit hole you're in now.

50 years ago! Dang I'm old....but that's ok, because I grew up with the best damn music!

This is one of those moments where the artist's first hit is often regarded as their greatest works, and yet still managed to pump out many hits afterwards that can easily rival it! This was from Bowie's 2nd self-titled studio album in 1969, later renamed to Space Oddity after this song, and it was released after a colossally failed debut album that was more corny juvenile Folk Pop songs. No one was expecting this song to do any better, that is until it was released on July 11th, just 5 days before the Apollo 11 Moon Launch on July 16th. Combining it with that legendary moment in history, the song was reached to people all across the earth in association and Bowie was an international star from that point on.

@josephferreira4917

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the refreshing history that is David Bowie .

The song tells the story of an astronaut/spaceman, Major Tom being trapped/shipwrecked in outer space, hence the line at the end of the last verse, "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..."

Ziggy Stardust next for Bowie! Bowie was an icon and totally unique.

@matthewdrake4385

Жыл бұрын

That whole album is great

@tiffanymae8

Жыл бұрын

Named my wolfdog right after him lol

Seen Bowie many times. He was an artistic genius and a kind soul. Saw Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks several times too. Was at a Tom Petty after show party, and his guitarist Mike Campbell was buying me a shot for every cig of mine he smoked. I got a tad drunk and got the hiccups. A tap an my shoulder and a woman saying “I can get rid of those for you”. Turned around and it was Stevie and Petty.

Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut, performed this tune on the international space station. His performance was excellent. Visuals were amazing. The record company tried to have it removed from youtube but David intervened and prevented them from taking it down. It's still available.

@sirdavidoftor3413

Жыл бұрын

I was going to make a similar comment. I love Chris Hadfield’s version! It has over 52 million views!

Damn. Mick Ronson killing it here on guitar and backing vox.

Bowie never "landed" anywhere, he was lost in space. He went outside the capsule and was 'floating' in the most peculiar way. -And was drifting away.

@ceevio_art

Жыл бұрын

Major Tom's a junkie. Strung out in heavens. High. My momma said "To get things done, you better not mess with Major Tom."

I've never seen this live video! Oh I loved it so! Thanks guys, you are 2 of a kind. ❤️🎶🎵

Almost no single artist has been as influential as Bowie. The Chameleon himself morphed in and out of so many genres in his 50 years of making music its mind boggling…and he pretty much nailed them all. Jonathan stands (as do soooo many others) in the shadow of this man.

You want to React to a Space Aged Song check out Moonage Daydream. The Guitarist in this Video is Mick Ronson who Absolutely Crushes the Guitar Solo in Moonage Daydream, who influenced so Many Guitarists who talk about Moonage Daydream influencing them Randy Rhoads Phil Collen Steve Stevens Billy Duffy Jay Jay French to name a few

The world really took a nose dive when he died for real

Golden Years still my favorite funky jam by Bowie.

Wow. I've never seen this video performance. Epic Bowie look. Love it. Masterpiece song.

David Bowie is another of my favorite Artists. His ability to change and morphe with the times is unsurpassed. I have nearly his entire catalog including Black Star his final Album released just days before he died. Heathen and Next Day are also later works which are Amazing. I was fortunate enough to see his last tour. The Reality Tour. Again, Amazing Show. His Coolness never wavered. Bowie gets my vote, hands down.

He disables his communication link and sets himself adrift in space...That's why he asks ground control to tell his wife he loves her...

When Bowie "explains" something it is usually a smoke screen. Such is the case with the "drug" explanation. This song was written for the film "Love you til Tuesday" when David was in a mixed media trio called Feathers. He was in love with Hermione Farthingale (the girl in the group) who was breaking up with him at the time. The song is about the breakup, how he feels like an astronaut adrift in space, never able to get back to a home which is now Blue. It took a long time to get over her. He wrote at least 3 other songs about her. Letter to Hermione, An Occasional Dream and Life on Mars? The first 2 are straight forward, the last is also allegorical where he compares her leaving him (with his ambitions to tackle ALL the art forms) for a Dancer she met to a girl who goes and sees the same cliche movies over and over again. How boring! But after that 4th "tell off" he was able to move on.

@MrUlfdub

Жыл бұрын

You can see the strained relationship between them in this video from the Love You Til Tuesday Film. kzread.info/dash/bejne/g5t9w5qOpNu-ZMo.html

“Heroes” has always been my favorite Bowie song …..it doesn’t sound like anything else I’ve heard 🖤🥶we still miss you Mr. Bowie

This was actually during David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust days.

Another MUST HEAR Classic,, Billy Thorpe "Children Of The Sun" (Exclusive Video)

I have never seen this version of this classic song!!!! Rarely do I prefer live over studio versions...but this is perfection!!!! I love that it is slower!!! Great job guys!!!

Wow! I’m sitting here listening to this amazing song and realizing it’s coming up 40yrs ago this August that I had the privilege of seeing Bowie in concert. A beautiful hot Canadian summer night in an open air stadium. Doesn’t get better than that.

Its about Heroin addiction. The song "Ashes to Ashes" pegs Maj. Tom as a junkie.

I love Bowie ❤❤❤

This makes me so happy I hope you do more Bowie in the future like maby you could react to some songs of black star

And you guys could definitely be right in one of those, I always took it as he’s screwed in space, shit went sideways. He stranded and gonna die up there. By the mid to later lyrics.

@ceevio_art

Жыл бұрын

Major Tom's a junkie. Strung out in heavens. High. My momma said: "To get things done, you better not mess with Major Tom."

Major Tom is an astronaut from earth going up in a rocket and he's communicating to Ground Control. The launch is successful and he's an international hero to the people of earth. Unfortunately, the rocket's connections break and they can't communicate with each other. Major Tom, however, doesn't mind as he would rather stay in space. Through their last bit of connection, he says goodbye to his wife and the earth before disappearing into space. The story continues in the song Ashes To Ashes which came about a decade later.

Bowie has my vote in the competition.

Love the Blondie T shirt. Bowie was one of the best. Please do one on the band Starz, the song I Pulled the Plug. It will blow you away.. My brother was on life support until he died, and this song kept coming into my head the whole time. Let's not forget Mick Ronson on guitar and vocals who sounded like Bowie on vocals as well. Rest his soul. And a great musician in his on rite.

The first time I heard this song was back in the mid-90s, and I was on 🍄 at a Christmas party at a mansion.

@lindakessler8768

Жыл бұрын

🤩

Hey guys! Great lyrical analysis! ( I really like the one about his career,I thought the same thing!)And a great song! RIP Bowie!🎸

Another amazing song on this topic is "Rocket Man" by Elton John, worth to check it out.

"Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know Major Tom's a junkie"

enjoyed that so much. top sonic material. Heard this song a couple days ago and I fell in love 😵

This is basically a conversation between ground control and an astronaut. And of course always to mention that Mick Ronson is the shit….Always been in my top 10. Trevor Bolder on bass killing it and Woody Woodmansey on drums making history….This band was always one of the very best live shows you could go to in your life. Incredible memories for me I saw them often.

I've loved Bowie since the 70s. LOVE this song! My take? Major Tom is heading into space on a mission, keeping in touch with ground control. They tell M. Tom he has really made the grade and the "papers" want to know who's shirts he wears. (An fame in which to cash in on the sucess) All is great..... he is floating in his tin can, far above the world. Things go bad, "Tell my wife I love her very much", etc. They lose contact with M. Tom, who is now floating far above the moon. There is no way back. Out there he floats..... to the unknown. 🚀

@ceevio_art

Жыл бұрын

Major Tom's a junkie. Strung out in heavens. High. My momma said "To get things done, you better not mess with Major Tom."

This is when he was Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars

You should also check out David Bowie featuring Trent reznor on the song Afraid of Americans

@pamelahinchee8012

Жыл бұрын

That's a Great song. Saw him perform it on the Reality tour.

@DonnaCPunk

Жыл бұрын

Yes! That’s tied with “Heart’s Filthy Lesson” as my favorite Bowie song. The video for it is great too.

Smoky, you need to dive into David Bowie's different personas / characters. "The Thin White Duke" was my Favorite.

I am obsessed with Korn, but in good faith, I have to pick him

Ok, I talk too much, but I’ve always thought it was failure of his spaceship…he can’t get back. But you guys put it in a perspective I never thought about in 50 years! TY

DAVID BOWIE!!!What a GREAT LEGEND!!😍😘

Nice shirts you two. The 70's still cool af

There is an interview with David Bowie that talks about this song. You should see it. It explains A LOT. He had an idea that was rejected by movie producers and then came out later as Capricorn One. Watch the movie.

There Is An Official Music Video For The Studio Version.

If you guys wanna hear a song that'll blow your minds, check out XZibit singing with the symphonic metal band Within Temptation - the song is called "And We Run".

This man is a leyend!!!!!!!! live forever

You may want to check out Peter Schilling's - Major Tom (Coming Home). I think Peter wrote this to finish the story with a happy ending, actually getting him on his way back to earth.

@Matt-ob3it

Жыл бұрын

It's a spiritual sequel, but I don't think he ever went so far as to say he was finishing Bowie's story. I think it was more of an homage.

Don't know if you will see this since it is the proverbial day late and dollar short, but here goes: Major Tom is the guy in the space craft, not the guy in mission control. And some history, when the US started the space program it was all Cape Canaveral in Florida. When Lyndon Johnson became president he moved the operations from Florida to Houston (Johnson is a Texan.). The launches still come from Florida but the operation is run from Houston.

Ho I brividi, questa canzone è meravigliosa ❤️, baci dall' Italia 🇮🇹😘

I named my wolfdog Ziggy Stardust after him!

Makes me want to watch Mr. Deeds now!

I think Bowie is talking about expanding into a new psychic persona; leaving his old self behind to explore new artistic realms.

With Taking All Around Absolutely Everything Into Account,, 1st Place Male:: Robert Plant..Short Term Career 1st Place Female:: Janis Joplin..Full Career 1st Place Female:: It's A Tie,, Christine McVie & Stevie Nicks.

For me, this is one of these songs on my playlist for...you know, a nice chilled evening. 😉 Wether alone or with a nice lady, you can't go wrong with some oldschool Bowie 😉

They launch from Florida, but Mission Control is in Houston, Major Thom is the astronaut in the capsule in space, and the mission is ending in disaster, as he loses touch with "Ground Control" and the capsule drifts and tumbles out of its orbit.

**No contest** Liked before the video even played 👍

Bowie has so many great songs. He got my vote. Still love Korn though.

He is incomparable.

Launch control is Florida, ground control/overall, once the mission starts, after successful launch is Houston. Major Tom is the mission commmandersp, Houston/Maj Tom will be the main ones to communicate in most major things, or at least both parties being part of it.

An astronaut from Canada sang and played guitar on the space station. This is the song he sang.

He Wants To Come Back,, But He Can't Because All Communications Have Failed & So He Is Left To Drift Around In Space Till He Dies.

He revisited this song in "ashes to ashes"

Y'all should watch the cover that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield made now. It was entirely filmed on the actual international space station and it's amazing.

I know it's so unrelated to David Bowie but you guys have ro check out the babymetal monochrome piano version on the first take Wow its emotion for sure it may just be me but I felt it.

I'm an old dodder now.......but I don't give a shit .....I was lucky enough to be around when the best music was around🤟🎸....saw Bowie on hihe was on a his Ziggy tour...........he was on a different level back then.👍

QUE GRANDE MÚSICA E CANTOR

It Is The Normal Communications Between Houston/Mission Control & The Astronaut/Major Tom..UNTIL,, Something Goes Horribly Wrong & Major Tom Is Lost Forever.

It’s about Bowie’s heroin addiction. True.

Love what you fellas do. Keep doing it.

"Ground control to Major Tom, your circuits Dead, there's something wrong, Can you hear me Major Tom?" "Here am I floating 'round my tin can, far above the moon, planet earth is blue, And there's Nothing I can do"

I realize that the competition is for best frontman/front woman, but I never really considered Bowie as that or a lead singer. I overall considered him more as just an overall performer who was a total chameleon with his musical tastes and styles of Fashion( great track btw). If your going to put solo artists into a best front man/front woman category, then you'd have to put people like Elton John in the list as well. If you want to explore more Bowie, most of his 70s and early 80's was his best work. Ashes to Ashes, Let's Dance, Fashion, Young Americans, Golden Years are just a small sample of his amazing talent.

@Zephyrmec

Жыл бұрын

Top frontman of all time: Cab Calloway. End of discussion

@matthewdrake4385

Жыл бұрын

Can't deny that Cab was an awesome band leader.

@Zephyrmec

Жыл бұрын

@@matthewdrake4385 and Cab wore the most gorgeous zoot suits ever! I’ve heard that at least one of them is in the Smithsonian

It's Definitely Time To BRING DA FUNK Up In Here With This MUST HEAR Classic,, The Average White Band "Cut The Cake" (Live On Soul Train Video)..TRUST ME!!!

great reaction to a great track live ,,different live versions out there as well,off topic you guys should be dong a reaction to ren hi ren track,go down the ren gill rabbit hole he will blow ya minds

Another extremely easy way to tell who is talking to who, US Government, whether civilian, or military radio communications. Always start by identifying the unit/entity, person, who they are trying to talk to. Followed by who they are, or should by the book. And how they usually work, at the lower level, is call sign based. So, “ground control, this Maj Tom” he is trying to reach/speaking to ground control, followed by his identity, “this is Maj Tom” with the response a little later, “Maj Tom, this is ground control” that’s been standard doctrine for the US and most others, honestly since radio was adopted.

You got Closer, BUT, read the Lyrics again! Ground Control said, "Your Circuit's Dead, Can you Hear me?" Something Malfunctioned and he got STUCK in Space, in his "Tin Can". He Realized he was gonna DIE there.

Ground Control is on the ground, Major Tom is the astronaut.

It is referred to some as Ground Control to Major Tom.

This is from The Midnight Spacial if I'm not wrong.

Ziggy Stardust, beautiful .

Front Man, David Bowie... 👍🤔🇺🇲✌️🖖

❤❤❤

i will give you a 5th option. its about an Astronaught who can't come back to earth because of malfuctions in his capsule so he is accepting his fate that he is going to die in space.

Also give Spaceman, by Harry Nillson a listen!

👌

I think Bowie made Glam popular..................... before it's time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IIRC, this song is a metaphor for losing yourself in drugs.

Zizzy Stardust please!

Major Tom was a representation of the aspirations of the British Space Program. Post WW2 UK was a shell of its former self, having lost most of its colonies and having been pummeled in 2 World Wars. “The Sun never sets on the British Empire” was a saying, but by the time of the Space Race, the British Empire was in the rearview. They were never able to match the resources of the USA and USSR. Major Tom became the symbol of the program, which ultimately failed.

@DOtherWhiteMeat

Жыл бұрын

BTW, I think that sentiment came from an interview with Bowie in like the 80s.

David is one of the best ever no doubt!

BOWIE IS MAJOR TOM ❤

Mick Ronson.....legend