 Space Oddity (1969) [ larger cover art ] |
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Musicbrainz DBGround control to Major Tom
Ground control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground control to Major Tom (10, 9, 8, 7)
Commencing countdown, engines on (6, 5, 4, 3)
Check ignition, and may God's love be with you (2, 1, 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 100,000 miles
I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my 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
| Mozart (Salzburg) | Posted: May 15, 2013 - 21:39 I prefer the ISS astronaut version... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo&feature=player_embedded |
| fuppy69 (jamestown NC) | Posted: Apr 14, 2013 - 14:28 This song takes me back in time, great song! |
| 4merdj (donde el viento se devuelve) | Posted: Mar 01, 2013 - 14:03 Most excellent, Sir!  |
| ncollingridge (Knebworth, UK) | Posted: Jan 29, 2013 - 06:23 cmarcan wrote: CAN WE SAY OVER RATED! 8.6 from the RP listeners says not, I'm afraid. It's just you. |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Dec 13, 2012 - 11:13 Toke wrote: OOOOOOOOooooo Bill that was right below the belt.. A blatent Foul... was in the bath and couldn't get to the ''OFF'' button.. British Tabloid headline: UK football fan found black and blue in his bathtub. Apparently he was beaten up by a streaming music DJ working in California. |
| MassivRuss (Massachusetts) | Posted: Dec 13, 2012 - 11:11 Overrated, maybe, but .... 1969! This is NOT what anyone else was doing in 1969. |
| southcoastsounds (East Sussex, UK) | Posted: Dec 13, 2012 - 11:10 I knew David when he lived near Beckenham, South London (I'm talking about before he became famous). He and some mates used to run an open-mike night at the Three Tuns pub and I used to go along with my guitar (hey, David Bowie heard me sing!). One night he brought along the just-recorded version of Space Oddity. We never saw him again after that week! |
| cmarcan (Nanaimo, BC) | Posted: Nov 27, 2012 - 13:10 CAN WE SAY OVER RATED! |
| orquidea (BaquerÃa) | Posted: Nov 12, 2012 - 02:20 Rediscovering Bowie is great!!! |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Nov 08, 2012 - 17:17 I would rewrite the percussion bits....
Otherwise, can it get more iconic? |
| socalhol (Seattle) | Posted: Sep 25, 2012 - 17:10 WonderLizard wrote: Years ago when Bowie was going through his "thin white duke" guise, he was on Cavett. The interview was a disaster with Bowie walking off in a huff. The next guest was some esteemed British actor, whose name I forget. He sits down and says to Cavett, "Remarkable young man. I didn't know whether to shake his hand or feed him a cube of sugar." You made me look!! Found (the Bowie interview at least, not the comments from the actor — though I didn't see Bowie storm off in a huff. Was there another interview w/Cavett?) on YouTube in 2 parts here and here. What a blast.... |
| JustineFromWyoming (Teetering on the edge of Avenue D) | Posted: Sep 25, 2012 - 16:59  |
| mcdonna (Corvallis, Oregon) | Posted: Aug 09, 2012 - 16:58 WonderLizard wrote: Years ago when Bowie was going through his "thin white duke" guise, he was on Cavett. The interview was a disaster with Bowie walking off in a huff. The next guest was some esteemed British actor, whose name I forget. He sits down and says to Cavett, "Remarkable young man. I didn't know whether to shake his hand or feed him a cube of sugar." That is really funny. And really mean. I honestly never noticed the teeth until I read these comments. Really ... who cares? |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Aug 06, 2012 - 07:06 kaybee wrote: I agree that the song is about all these things: addiction, celebrity etc. But I think he is alsp referencing the Soyuz 1 and 11 disasters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_%28spacecraft%29 I love this piece for many reasons but also for the element of pathos in it. The Soyuz 11 tragedy occurred a couple of years after this song was written and released, but I agree that there is pathos in this tune. |
| Lenora | Posted: Aug 06, 2012 - 07:03 One of my all-time faves. Have to turn the volume up whenever it's on. |
| kaybee (Lost in the Wilds of Toronto) | Posted: Jun 07, 2012 - 15:58 djengs wrote: Pretty sure you got it right. For a time being an astronaut trumped anything else you could possibly be, celebrity-wise, and then as now the press/fans/etc. wanted whatever inane info possible from the idols du jour. Perfect fodder for the dreams of a junkie heading for an all-time low... I agree that the song is about all these things: addiction, celebrity etc. But I think he is alsp referencing the Soyuz 1 and 11 disasters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_%28spacecraft%29 I love this piece for many reasons but also for the element of pathos in it. |
| Toke (Bournemouth UK) | Posted: May 22, 2012 - 12:34 OOOOOOOOooooo Bill that was right below the belt.. A blatent Foul... was in the bath and couldn't get to the ''OFF'' button.. |
| valeriogonzalez (Quito, Ecuador) | Posted: May 06, 2012 - 19:10 I don't know why this song doesn't have a round ten. |
| djengs | Posted: Apr 20, 2012 - 19:12 RParadise wrote: I always thought it was a reference to celebrity endorsements, as if being an astronaut has anything to do with recommending clothing. But, when you're famous, everyone wants to know, apparently. Pretty sure you got it right. For a time being an astronaut trumped anything else you could possibly be, celebrity-wise, and then as now the press/fans/etc. wanted whatever inane info possible from the idols du jour. Perfect fodder for the dreams of a junkie heading for an all-time low... |
| vaughn | Posted: Apr 01, 2012 - 14:22 I read it as a description of drug addiction. Makes it a powerful peice for me. |
| sirdroseph (Yes) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 08:29 I perfectly understand those that never want to hear this again, for some reason it does not bother me though. |
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 08:24 Ground control to Major RP, this is one of those famous, popular and more-or-less universally beloved tunes — that I never found very engaging and anyway has been so drastically overplayed that if I never heard it again I would not miss in the least. Better for its wry title and its connection to Bowie's very intriguing turn as The Man Who Fell to Earth than as music. |
| Decoy (Milliway's, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 08:17 I actually heard this on the car ride into work today. Re-listening with a great pair of headsets really does make a difference with this song. Mind= blown. |
| Papernapkin (Mountain View, CA) | Posted: Feb 17, 2012 - 08:16 photolew wrote: Ditto's that. Never quite got the draw to this tune. Fingers on a chalkboard to me personally....buy hey to each his own Such a schmaltzy song. Why is still on the air? |
| DaveInVA (In a hovel in effluent Damnville, VA) | Posted: Feb 01, 2012 - 17:28 Clear vinyl... |
| pinto (west meade) | Posted: Dec 28, 2011 - 11:24 Stratocaster wrote: Oh, so lovely. The sound of an era. Help me dear RP listeners. Is this a cover of his Ziggy Stardust version of this song that was recorded in the 1970s? Or is this the exact same recording that was repackaged and issued later? Bill's notes at the top of this page say that this was released in 1990 |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Dec 28, 2011 - 11:22 your circuit's dead, there's something wrong, can you hear me Major Tom. now classic that took a few years and further fame in England to catch on with the populous |
| Stratocaster (Bermuda) | Posted: Dec 07, 2011 - 13:43 Oh, so lovely. The sound of an era. |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Nov 30, 2011 - 05:04 craigh wrote: You think after all that fame and money he'd fix those god-awful teeth. Years ago when Bowie was going through his "thin white duke" guise, he was on Cavett. The interview was a disaster with Bowie walking off in a huff. The next guest was some esteemed British actor, whose name I forget. He sits down and says to Cavett, "Remarkable young man. I didn't know whether to shake his hand or feed him a cube of sugar." |
| Tamster (Thousand Islands Canada) | Posted: Nov 26, 2011 - 17:46 craigh wrote: You think after all that fame and money he'd fix those god-awful teeth. Can you say superficial ? You are kidding, right ? Please tell me your'e kidding............. I'm betting you are still single. If I had that talent I could look like, hmmmmmmmmm, let me think..........feckin' fuggly. And be happy with it. |
| jberko (Franklin, TN) | Posted: Nov 26, 2011 - 17:40 Proclivities wrote: He didn't have a whole bunch of fame and money at the time that photo was taken. Teeth like that were very British. |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Oct 13, 2011 - 15:21 craigh wrote: You think after all that fame and money he'd fix those god-awful teeth. He didn't have a whole bunch of fame and money at the time that photo was taken. |
| bluecshells (EARTH) | Posted: Oct 13, 2011 - 15:20 calypsus_1 wrote: Natalie Merchant - David Bowie's Space oddity, Live: |
| bluecshells (EARTH) | Posted: Oct 13, 2011 - 15:17  |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Oct 03, 2011 - 22:21 Natalie Merchant - David Bowie's Space oddity, Live |
| ozzie1313 | Posted: Sep 24, 2011 - 10:58 Overload! (4) 9's in a row, next you'll play Beatles - "number nine, number nine" |
| Toke (Bournemouth UK) | Posted: Aug 27, 2011 - 11:54 Bill What you doing to me, just got in and turned RP on and had to hit the OFF Button immediately, we all can't be Strangulated Hernia fans and I'm one of em, damn near caused me a heart attack reaching for the button in high speed. |
| GuiltyFeat (Ra'anana) | Posted: Aug 24, 2011 - 01:51 Ground-breaking, original, sonically adventurous and rather dull. |
| apd (Toronto, On) | Posted: Jul 23, 2011 - 17:08 craigh wrote: You think after all that fame and money he'd fix those god-awful teeth. actually, he did. Around the time his music got really uninteresting. |
| craigh | Posted: Jul 11, 2011 - 09:22 You think after all that fame and money he'd fix those god-awful teeth. |
| lshinkawa (Berkeley, CA) | Posted: Jun 25, 2011 - 14:38 lkovathana wrote: What is this song really about? Taking risks, fame, the UK's space exploration inadequacies? The juxtaposition of a sappy sweet lyric and death in the void? Or was Bowie just on acid ... all of the above |
| lkovathana | Posted: Jun 22, 2011 - 03:39 What is this song really about? Taking risks, fame, the UK's space exploration inadequacies? The juxtaposition of a sappy sweet lyric and death in the void? Or was Bowie just on acid ... |
| flapser | Posted: Jun 22, 2011 - 03:34 Love this song |
| photolew | Posted: Apr 23, 2011 - 09:55 EssexTex wrote: Boy, this gets no better with time.....like bamboo up the fingernails Ditto's that. Never quite got the draw to this tune. Fingers on a chalkboard to me personally....buy hey to each his own |
| RParadise (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY) | Posted: Feb 03, 2011 - 16:38 Hannio wrote: That is a reference to when jousting knights would wear the shirt or scarf of their lady under their armor. I guess kids don't grow up reading Ivanhoe or Hereward the Wake anymore. I always thought it was a reference to celebrity endorsements, as if being an astronaut has anything to do with recommending clothing. But, when you're famous, everyone wants to know, apparently. |
| Hannio (Austin, TX) | Posted: Jan 03, 2011 - 09:09 Geecheeboy wrote: I always loved that line, "and the papers want to know who's shirts you wear...." It's so random yet somehow makes sense. That is a reference to when jousting knights would wear the shirt or scarf of their lady under their armor. I guess kids don't grow up reading Ivanhoe or Hereward the Wake anymore. |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Jan 03, 2011 - 09:05 WonderLizard wrote: Is that M'shell Ndegeocello on bass? One of my heroines. Phat lines. NO - All bald black women do not look alike. That was undoubtedly the wonderfully talented Gail Ann Dorsey |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Jan 03, 2011 - 09:03 EssexTex wrote: Boy, this gets no better with time.....like bamboo up the fingernails Tex - you crack me up. And speaking of which - stay off the pipe. |
| EssexTex (Gitche Gumee) | Posted: Dec 15, 2010 - 08:45 Boy, this gets no better with time.....like bamboo up the fingernails |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Dec 02, 2010 - 18:43 calypsus_1 wrote: B+W:BOWIE:4 by ~alboreto Andrew Wiggins ©2004-2010 ~alboreto I submitted many of my photos from this show back in November, but I discovered that I had missed some good ones and I think they look great in black & white. NEC, Birmingham - 20:11:2003 Is that M'shell Ndegeocello on bass? One of my heroines. Phat lines. |
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