Major Tom … to Ground Control
“There’s nothing I can do”.
The Space Race of the 1960’s Cold War between USA & USSR was pipped at the post when David Bowie released a new album about an astronaut called Major Tom, who’s space rocket lifted off just days before NASA’s Apollo11.
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The album, “David Bowie” (later to be re-named “Space Oddity”) was released on July 11th 1969, a mere 5 days before the launch by NASA of Apollo 11’s attempt to put a man on the moon.
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In the song, Bowie introduces Major Tom, an astronaut who finds himself floating in space, questioning his role in human existence.
The song was so hauntingly ‘realistic’ and Bowie paints such a realistic portrait that for many listeners it was hard to believe that Major Tom only exists in our imagination. Some even asked the question: “Is major Tom a real person?”
If you’ve never heard the song, you might like to check out this Link to hear the captivating lyrics. Bowie’s delivery of the lyrics was so convincing that it left many people thinking that this was a real event.
In the second verse, there’s an interesting example of this reality-focus, when Ground Control…
