Who was Major Tom in the David Bowie song “Space Oddity”?

But some have gone on to analyze the song further. The lyrics describe the fictional Major Tom who blasts off into space, but then loses connection with ground control, and gets lost. Bowie was a known drug user at the time, so many have speculated that the song could be metaphor for a drug overdose. read more

Back in 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield performed a cover of one of Bowie's most famous songs, "Space Oddity," from aboard the International Space Station. The ISS was a fitting venue for a performance of the space-themed song, but there's a lot more behind "Space Oddity" than most people know. read more

Major Tom in Bowie's work. In "Space Oddity", from the album David Bowie (1969, later retitled Space Oddity), Major Tom's departure from Earth is successful and everything goes according to plan. read more

Bowie would later revisit his Major Tom character in the songs "Ashes to Ashes", "Hallo Spaceboy" and possibly the music video for "Blackstar". "Space Oddity" was David Bowie's first single to chart in the UK. It reached the top five on its initial release and received the 1970 Ivor Novello Special Award for Originality. read more