First Time Hearing - Space Oddity by David Bowie

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[@mumbles215]

This dude has as uncanny ability to break a song down and get to what the artist meant. No other reactor comes even close

[@hays9008]

Or the meaning has been written about for 40 years....the influence was 2001 a Space Oddity drugs came in part 2 Ashes to Ashes.

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

@@hays9008 That was just the title I think. No references to the film in the lyrics was it?

[@coleintheville117]

@@hays9008 he's obviously not aware of ashes to ashes

[@glass2467]

An interesting thing about the Major Tom storyline - he shows up at 4 different times throughout Bowie's catalog. Notably in Ashes to Ashes (a must), and on Bowie's last album, released 2 days before his death - Blackstar. The imagery on the video for that song shows a skeleton inside a spacesuit having been marooned on a planet, laying in a sand dune - apparently that's what happened to Major Tom.

[@themadcow71]

Stay in space with his classic song LIFE ON MARS

[@ronbock8291]

…then crash land on earth with his sequel to Space Oddity, Ashes to Ashes.

[@annakermode6646]

Cocaine. Never heroin. Bowie is unique in so many ways. The day he died I saw a message in a shop window saying “The stars look very different today” and it hit me like a ton of bricks. He seemed immortal somehow.

[@martinmorris5997]

One of my faves from Bowie. Look at the date 1969, and hardly no one knew him, and wasn’t famous. It sold poorly for months, but after an appearance on TOTP’s the single climbed to No 5 in October. He didn’t have another single hit for 3 years. The drugs thing is just an interpretation in your mind, as it was more about alienation, and was inspired by the 1968 film 2001 A Space Oddity.

[@jaycmacg]

Agreed on all counts. No one knew who we was when it came out, it was the year of the moon landing, and he captured the story of an a lost astronaut and the imagination of folks at that time. Incredible liftoff to an unparalleled career!

[@jean-pierreyot5871]

Correction : Space Odyssey !

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

According to Ashes to Ashes it's about drugs, so maybe it's both.

[@debrabeck9630]

Loved David Bowie from the first time I heard him. He was a true musical genius, and I don’t say that lightly. Interestingly, he included Space Oddity in his Ziggy Stardust tour in 1973, or at least he did when I saw him. Talk about mind blowing…..

[@tonybennett4159]

I think it makes this song so much better if you are familiar with 2001 A Space Odyssey. The two astronauts in the film are almost without emotion, so somewhat alienated and it could be that it provided an impetus for Bowie's imagination. I'm old enough to have seen both when they were first released and the connection to me was very strong.

[@ericanderson8886]

"Ashes to Ashes" and "Blackstar" also tell the story of Major Tom.

[@simonpoole2333]

I find it remarkable how little music you've heard from the 60s/70s/80s, especially for one with such a good ear, as well as a clear and obvious passion for music in general

[@In_COG_nlto]

i love Syed's reactions but yeah, i doubt all of the reviews are "stone-cold", there is no way a music fan in his 20's has avoided all of the classic tunes that are on this channel. it doesnt matter to me if it isn't first time hearing but i would hope that would be mentioned

[@ijustneedmyself]

@@In_COG_nlto I was in my 20s when I first heard a lot of this stuff. Not sure why it's so unbelievable. Maybe his parents weren't into rock music. I heard some Beatles growing up and some one offs from other bands, but that's about it.

[@In_COG_nlto]

@@ijustneedmyself fair enough...everyone's experience is different

[@ijustneedmyself]

@@In_COG_nlto It is. My older brothers barely listened to rock either and when they *rarely* did it was 90s grunge. I had to discover what I know on my own which was actually really fun 😁

[@donfette5301]

How much 40s and 50s music did you really know during your early 20s?

[@StrongStyleFiction]

Moonage Daydream is my personal favorite by him. Five Years off the same album being my second.

[@SantamanitaClauscaria]

A Ziggy Stardust album reaction would be great.

[@sabralocke4904]

Mine too!

[@renlessard]

Space was a big topic at the time. Did not have to have a double meaning

[@the_judge_8262]

Oh wow, it's Bowie time! This is going to be fun :)

[@jco207]

My friend, if this was Bowie's only hit he'd be known for one of the best novelty songs. I'm jealous of the journey you have ahead of you. I suggest "Ashes to Ashes" next, which is a sort of sequel to this song.

[@triscat]

And “Black Star” being the last chapter of the Major Tom adventure?

[@ashlealabine6937]

@@triscat That would be a dream!

[@marymargaretmoore9034]

I don't think it's about drugs; don't think he did heroin but know that he had a coke problem for awhile later on. This song was early in his career.

[@cdronk]

There is a part two to this song where he revisits Major Tom later in his career. Song is called "Ashes to Ashes" from the Scary Monsters album. Definitely worth a listen. He revisits Major Tom again in his last album Darkstar which came out a day before his untimely death. In the video Major Tom is shown dead, an obvious reference to Bowie having just passed away.

[@gablen23]

Another must on this topic: Elton John: Rocket Man, stunning song.

[@L_O_V_E_L_A_I_N]

I recommend checking out the cover of this song by Chris Hadfield. He's an astronaut who recorded the music video for his version on the International Space Station, it's really great.

[@t0dd000]

Yes!

[@gary2kr1]

I think you were spot on with your interpretation. In another song of David's named 'ashes to ashes' he actually says "we know major Tom's a junkie." Definitely react to that song.

[@deejayturtle]

Wow @SyedRewinds, I never thought about looking at the lyrics as a tale of an addict. I'm a recovering addict 2 n a half yrs clean from a nasty street drug that made meth feel like decaf. I can totally see how you could look at the lyrics from that pov. As a lover of good story telling I know you loved this. Me too, also I love how Bowie experimented with sounds trying to get the song to sound just like it did in his head. I love space, it's a fascinating topic to me. Artemis Is orbiting around the moon as we speak . It's due to return 2 days after Christmas. I pray to Odd there are no issues and it returns safely. It would be a great gift for all of humanity, the whole world... every flat, square inch of it. (Waka, Waka. LoL)

[@SantamanitaClauscaria]

I HIGHLY recommend you check out Bowie's concept album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". He had created an entire alter ego named Ziggy Stardust and he WAS Ziggy for a couple of years while they toured the album.

[@debrabeck9630]

And, it was awesome! What a show!!

[@BalbazaktheGreat]

Bowie is a true artist. I say this despite not personally being a fan of a lot of his music. That's sort of irrelevant, though because every Bowie song is radically, radically different from every other song. The man is absolutely impossible to put into any sort of genre, box or category. I will say, of the songs of his I like, I REALLY REALLY like them. This is probably my favorite. Edit: a few things to check out: David Bowie + Queen = Pressure. David Bowie + Trent Reznor = I'm Afraid of Americans. Iconic Bowie = Heroes. Also, check out "The Man Who Sold the World" and then check out the Nirvana's unplugged cover of the same. Brilliant.

[@RadCenter]

A nice companion to this song would be Elton John's "Rocket Man." You can't appreciate how space-obsessed everyone was in the 1960s. Astronauts were the hottest celebrity heroes, which is why shirt companies would want them to wear their shirts!

[@Alewifes_Husband]

The use of Mellotron in this song is brilliant -- I mean, it was pretty current in 1969 but it just gives the feel and atmosphere exactly as should be in this song. And that was the "buzzing" thing you heard early on. In the rest of the songs it's the keyboard/strings sound that carries the chords along with the acoustic guitar.

[@MrDiddyDee]

A Mellotron was used on the album version along with a real string section, but the tinny buzzing part is played on a Stylophone, a small handheld instrument which had a printed circuit board played by a touch stylus, allowing you to slide from note to note. It went into commercial production in 1967, primarily marketed at children, and was a still a cheap novelty when Bowie recorded 'Space oddity'. On Bowie's original simple demo it was the only other instrument apart from his acoustic guitar. It may have been that Bowie hadn't intended to use the Stylophone on the final studio recording, but his friend Mark Bolan encouraged him to use it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylophone#/media/File:Stylophone.jpg

[@briandraper2051]

That was Rick Wakeman of Yes fame on mellotron

[@gernblanston5697]

Very good read on the song. If you want to see how right you are, then check out the sequel which came out 11 years later - Ashes to Ashes. The Bowie rabbithole is very, very deep.

[@williameckert1623]

This song features the great Rick Wakeman on Mellotron.

[@loadedorygun]

That countdown in the verse just seems so obvious now but what genius, really. The timing and interspersing with the lyric just sets up the “launch” perfectly.

[@ronjm945]

R.I.P. David Bowie you are missed…

[@geoffn54]

Great study of this Bowie classic Syed. I'm jealous... you're getting to hear all this stuff for the first time. At the time I don't think we really appreciated it enough.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

I remember first hearing this on the radio as a little kid and of course by the time I got into high school and really for the next many years I bought so many David Bowie albums just like all of my friends. It was fascinating to see the journey he evolved through. Moonage Daydream is another one that just mesmerizes people when they hear it for the first time. And it's so catchy. Another monumental iconic hit from him around the same time which I believe either Nirvana or the Foo Fighters covered, is The Man Who Saved the World. It is so fantastic and textural it is just astounding. He also pallled around with John Lennon for a while, and I think Lennon helped him with his big hit Fame and either played guitar on it with him or helped sing some backing vocals or something. David Bowie was also very supportive of Iggy Pop, one of the superstars of the post-punk scene in America. I love Iggy Pop so much. My favorite traditional rocker from him and a huge fan favorite which just blazes and it's got this false cadence at the end which just kills and the lyrics are hilarious is called, Suffragette City. It rocks so hard.

[@kenirving5240]

Using the Stylophone, which was essentially a toy, was a stroke of genius.

[@michele-33]

Best music reaction channel ever. Bowie, Dylan & Pink Floyd have been my all time fav artists. Bowie admired Dylan - he recorded a song about him called *Song For Bob Dylan*. Saw Bowie 6 times, only one wasn't great.

[@827dusty]

We were still excited about going to the moon, and other things related to space travel at the time Bowie recorded this great song. In the song, something goes wrong with his capsule, and he realizes he is not going home to his family, and will die alone in that space capsule. I have heard, that NASA, gives every member of their space launches, a poison cyanide capsule for just that reason. It would be horrible, floating around in space for weeks, if not longer, just waiting to die of dehydration or something.

[@Terri6868]

Totally 💯 love Bowie. You have to remember the time 69 we were all excited about space. Next one about major Tom is Ashes to Ashes, Bowie the early years had was shy so he made up different persona’s, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Zane, Thin White Duke. Suggest Star 💫 Man, Life on Mars, Blue Jean, Fame, Changes, Jean Genie. To many to list, he played in some movies (The Man who fell to earth.) labyrinth my favorite. He even played on Broadway 🎭 as The Elephant Man. Accomplish artist and on the Internet he was one of the pioneers ranked up with Microsoft its called “Bowie net “. He had 2 different color eyes. He got hit in the eye over a girl. It was pretty serious. thought he was gonna lose his eye he was still in school at the time. I could go on extremely witty should check out a few of his interviews or just funny moments 💯💫

[@sabralocke4904]

I miss Bowie so much!!! Loved him since I'm 10 years old- please do Moonage Daydream! My favorite of all time!

[@robertmccauley754]

My grandfather used to call in to the radio station every day and request this song. He’d sign in calling himself Major Bob (his name).

[@amyduffield5565]

Peter schilling does a song that is inspired by this called major Tom. This is from the 80s so a different vibe but still a good song

[@sirslice7531]

Yet again, you're missing SO much with these classic songs by not watching the video along with hearing the music... especially when viewing the different personalities of Bowie. It's fun watching someone react (let alone try to understand) what a generation was grooving to. It makes me feel very old too! An adult discovering Bowie, The Beatles, Dylan et al? ...an adult! Say it ain't so! Lol

[@nickbelezbubjones6528]

Legend 👌

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

Now, jump almost 50 years, to "Blackstar." If you dare. Detour: "Ashes to Ashes".

[@VCRider]

I sometimes wonder how one can escape popular music even when not introduced formally. I grew up first hearing hits involuntarily through radios, specially in cars, busses and other public spaces

[@matthewstover5149]

I'm impressed with how cognizant your take, is

[@willblood7082]

Fun fact: The line “and the papers want to know whose shirts you wear” is a reference to which futbol team he is a fan of.

[@Kelters]

I believe the "... whose shirts you wear." line is a nod to "Satisfaction". Jagger was a close buddy.

[@beatawallace5725]

I believe( ashes to ashes) is part 2 of this song.

[@elevenbucks5682]

William Shatner went into space at age 90. he was blown away by the experience.

[@davidgagne3569]

If you want an excellent rocker try Sufferagette City. Nice to see you checking out Bowie.

[@Cynthia...]

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield sang the song in outer space. It’s on KZbin if you’d like to see it.

[@t0dd000]

The buzzing ... Bowie loved distortion.

[@stevewebster973]

Being on psychedelics then felt very tuned in to what the world was going through … so yes, spot on. All the meanings in one. We felt a need to lift off. To take us off the road to here, maybe. Enjoy the ride with David Bowie. One song I loved from about 8 long years later I haven’t seen anyone react to ~ Sound & Vision. He was in Berlin living a stone’s through from the Wall, twelve years before that came down. I’m sure plenty of people here can steer you to plenty more stuff.

[@agnetesorensenelbom5085]

My favorit track from Bowie ❤❤❤

[@andmicbro1]

Bowie is iconic, but my favorite version of this song is sung by Chris Hadfield on the International Space Station, like holy crap, how do you even beat that?

[@simply_psi]

You are spot on about the double meaning of the song, infect there were 4 songs in the Major Tom opus developed over the years and they can all be taken as straight up spaceman tales or describe heroin trips and addiction, worth listening to them all they are of course Space Oddity, then Ashes to Ashes followed by Hallo Sapceboy and finally Blackstar.

[@davidsaum9230]

Hello space boy xxxx

[@simply_psi]

@@davidsaum9230 your such a flirt earth boy xoxo

[@davidsaum9230]

PSI Power !!!!!

[@bobdelp2023]

YEAH SYED SO ELTON AND BERNIE LOVED THIS SONG SO MUCH THAT THEY THEMSELVES WROTE THEIR OWN MASTERPIECE 😊 ( ROCKET MAN ) ON ELTON'S 72 MULTI PLATINUM ALBUM ( HONKY CHATEAU ) 😊 TAKE CARE AND GREAT ANALYSIS

[@juliafox7904]

Listen to the LP “ Diamond Dogs” but anything from David Bowie, will take you to another dimension ✨.

[@triscat]

I don’t recall Bowie having issues with heroin. He had a massive cocaine addiction in the mid-70’s. Alienation was always one of his themes. Oddity kicks off this musical journey, I think. So much more Bowie to explore! You always have amazing and thoughtful takes.

[@KM769]

David Bowie - Man who sold the world, Aladdin Sane, Let's Dance, China Girl, This is not America, Blackstar, Lazarus.

[@hmm_okok]

You should check out Major Hatfield covering this from aboard the International Space Station, he recorded footage very well and sang while playing guitar to make a music video Hearing an actual astronaut play it is pretty cool

[@loadedorygun]

Well I think this is kinda literal really; it was fairly soon after the moon landing and folks were kinda space giddy. But there’s definitely a parallel to stardom and the hype machine, but the reality of which is a separated kind of loneliness. One of the most atmospherically bang-on instrumentations in rock.

[@pyrmontbridge4737]

Great reaction. I would say, go through the classics (avoid the Let's Dance album) such as Starman, Ziggy Stardust, Changes, Jonn I'm only Dancing, and eventually get to Aladdin Sane and Time.

[@maggiedub]

Bowie never disappoints.

[@mudbutt42]

Arcade Fire- keep the car running or the well and the lighthouse

[@dickmckenna9447]

Apparently although Bowie wrote the song in the mid 1960's he never released it until the Apollo space mission to the moon in 1969. I find it interesting that you relate it to a drug trip. Whereas I understood it as a tribute to that mission myself. Silly me. 😊 This song is one of my favorite Bowie tracks. Along with "Young Americans", "Fame" and "Changes". All three are quintessential Bowie tunes. Please find time to give them a listen. You will not be disappointed. I promise. Thank you Syed. ✌️

[@davidw4987]

1972 me and Alex and Richard obliterated on acid listening to this track - those were the days.

[@TheoZoffrok]

A lot of people have thought this song is about heroin, and although Bowie was never a big smackhead (his main drug of choice, as others have said, was cocaine), he did have a brief period when he was doing heroin, and it was in the late 60s, so it does check out. That electronic buzzing you hear throughout the song is a stylophone, a tiny - I mean *tiny* as in not that much bigger than a large smartphone - and cheap early synthesiser that was played with a stylus. Probably one of very few hit records to use it!

[@guichogf5636]

David Bowie was an accomplished actor too. His performance in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is stellar. He made other movies too, always good performances. The Man Who Fell to Earth is a trip. Still not sure what it's about, but worth watching.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

You must read the book upon which it is based. Absolutely fantastic; film is good but the book is better.

[@michaelsweenie-lane359]

Bowie was never into Heroin - He liked Fast Drugs that stimulate- "At first it was the lighter drugs, pills maybe, during the London period in the Sixties. Then it was cocaine in a very serious manner around 1974. The Sixties didn’t have the hostility and violence - spiritual violence, emotional violence - that was part and parcel of the Seventies. David Bowie Arena, May/June 1993

[@johnnyjohnny8636]

He released this in the same year as the first moon landing, so I think the song was really mostly about that actual event, rather than drugs or whatever.

[@GinMae]

Okay, Syed! have you actually heard the follow-up song... "ashes to ashes"... (lyrics: funk to funky, we know major Tom's a junky)...you nailed it!

[@SantamanitaClauscaria]

I never thought about the lyrics being a metaphor for drug use but it works. Especially the feelings of isolation and distance from other people that some drugs, like heroin, can foster.

[@PastLifeVillian]

You've gotta listen to Peter Schillings - Major Tom Coming Home, a great follow up to this song

[@bobguitarlearner8007]

check out the song Lazuras from his final album

[@joannparker1977]

Great analysis! Perhaps a bad, bad trip (drugs)? I hear stories about that happening.

[@Bekka_Noyb]

You should check out his song - Starman

[@charlenewebb5893]

Let 's listen to the Music Dude !

[@mikepiccione886]

You really should experience Aurora covering David Bowie life on Mars. It's different enough from the original that it won't spoil the original for you

[@Charles-xu7pu]

Ok your interpretation is spot on. You have to listen to Ashes to Ashes now. You'll see why when you listen to it, but it's basically a sequel to this song

[@endapian]

You got it ...... the real metaphore about drugs!

[@delmar418]

The buzzing is a Melotron.

[@matthewstover5149]

Sequel, "Ashes To Ashes"

[@1perfectpitch]

Relax. Sometimes a song is just a song.

[@blurfoot870]

I agree with Pablo. This is one of the most incisive reactions I've ever seen. Subscribe. Done ✓

[@SpuddySpud]

That electronic buzzing is a Stylophone, which used to be advertised on the telly by Rolf Harris 😱

[@simply_psi]

What was so cool about that was it essentially a toy and Bowie used it as a serious instrument, of course even more sinister that Rolf was advertising a child's toy

[@SpuddySpud]

@@simply_psi the whole song still sounds very cool, beautifully mixed. The bass is really meaty for the time, compared to other songs from that era. It

[@dmn23]

Major Tom is referenced again in "Ashes to Ashes," so maybe that should be your next stop. "Hallo Spaceboy" and "Blackstar" are arguably spiritual cousins and they're both worth a listen too.

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

And they're from four different decades as well. A perfect little playlist for a beginner👌

[@stevenolsen3162]

He had no significant drug addictions at this point in his career.... it's a space man song.

[@vicprovost2561]

Great song, and for me that era, culminating with his musical pinnacle, the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album, was his best run of music and established himself as a rock ikon and his own genre. You should check out his stuff with his legendary band, the Spiders from Mars, will all time guitar master Mick Ronson leading the way for that stunning band. Try Ziggy Stardust, Moonage Daydream and his epic Width of a Circle. Studio masterpieces but live they take it to another level. Look for those songs live in the early 70s, you won't regret it, incredible performances by Bowie's and incendiary guitar on display. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶

[@wpollock1]

Yes, David Live versions are fantastic!

[@carollittle1059]

He has a huge catalog, every song is completely different from his last hit. This was from his Ziggy Stardust personna

[@widsof7862]

if you check out Ashes to Ashes, it does connect this character to drugs

[@bobduerwald9805]

"And the papers want to know whose shirt you wear" refers to the newspapers indicating whether the astronaut was from the United States versus Russia. Remember there was a "space race" between the U.S. and Russia to be the first country to reach the moon.

[@sallysharp3845]

It has nothing to do with drug and all about space flight. At the time space flight was a big deal. Literally the entire wold was into it

[@anabellelei8540]

And, considering this was very early in to his career, the coke habit hadnt begun.It was as you said,a sign of the times and about isolation. At least in interviews he said.

[@garywells6136]

On your point in another song he says (ASHES TO ASHES FUN TO FUNKY YOU KNOW MAJOR TOMS A JUNKY)

[@larrycable1827]

First 7" vinyl I ever bought with my own money age 8

[@jonthomson8392]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@ziggymarlowe5654]

I'm Ziggy because of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, in case anyone missed that, LOL. The line about "the paper's want to know what shirts you wear" really brought the banality of the the popular press home. Commercialism at its best. "Young Americans" is one I'd like to see you react too. He did this one in his 'Soul Man' persona.

[@DJKLProductions]

I think you should really listen to Muse‘s Exogenesis Symphony: Part 1 to 3!

[@Franck-ju5zu]

I think you ve read some stuff on the internet concerning the drugs ans song meaning.yes he had an addiction to ....cocaine much later on in his career.....and it is more about ashes to ashes which have the same caractère major tom.but no for me space oddity is a photo of 69 and Bowie later on seeing the double meaning opportunity

[@1967PONTIACGTO]

you're supposed to listen to this with a big chunk of opiated black hash, at least that is how we used to do it, lol!

[@TheHandyman777]

I’ve never perceived the possible drug metaphor. My take is that it follows his signature theme of being the outsider, feeling alone in a crowd. No doubt it’s written where one can insert their own perception. Bowie never fails to impress me. It’s fun to share with you.

[@donfette5301]

Ashes to Ashes is kind of the companion piece to this song, bookend songs to the 70s decade. Quicksand and The Bewlay Brothers are two absolute gems.

[@patrickscutella836]

It's a shame that you can't react to King Crimson. Robert Fripp usually blocks the videos. 50 years of transcendent rock music. Fripp played guitar on Bowie's Song Hero.

[@GoldenFingerPIcker]

I think you might have read too far into it. He was obsessed with space and it was about a one ended space trip

[@bobtausworthe2671]

I don't believe it is metaphoricle to drugs. It is much more about breaking away from the mundane jaded thing we accept as humanity and learning that for all the hell and stress and pain and suffering on Earth, its just a planet and realizing that changes him and he rejects the world that only cares about marketing his shirts and moves on to explore this new world. Its social comentatry

[@pathare3031]

Listen to ashes to ashes He talks about Major Tom.