Over 50 years later, questioning everything about David Bowie's "Space Oddity"

[Snapdragon]

One of my favorite pastimes is watching reaction videos on YouTube. It's a way to revisit some of my favorite songs and get the perspective of someone listening for the first time.

I have watched several reaction videos on David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and I was shocked to find that my interpretation of the song was different from everyone else's.

Here are the lyrics.

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)
Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three)
Check ignition and may God's love be with you (two, one, 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 one hundred thousand 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"

The reactors and all of the people in the comments talk about how something went wrong with the spaceship and Major Tom got lost in outer space, and what a tragic accident it was.

Am I the only person in the world who thinks that Major Tom found comfort in the stillness and simply disconnected? It seems very clear to me that he made a deliberate decision to stay in space forever. "Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do" sounds like he meant Earth was full of sadness and hopelessness, so he simply chose not to go back.

Am I nuts? I know there is not a right or wrong interpretation, but I can't picture it any other way.

 

[USRifle30Cal]

I didn't expect to find something like this on a gun forum. Very cool.

I agree with you. Major Tom got to see for himself how small human beings really are, and chose to look toward something bigger than us.

The tragedy is in what the rest of us choose to do, not what happened in Tom's tin can.

 

[Snapdragon]

I didn't expect to find something like this on a gun forum. Very cool.

I agree with you. Major Tom got to see for himself how small human beings really are, and chose to look toward something bigger than us.

The tragedy is in what the rest of us choose to do, not what happened in Tom's tin can.

The Break Room forum is where we discuss anything and everything except guns. Oh, and welcome to INGO.

 

[deo62]

Snap, you shouldn’t smoke weed this early in the morning

 

[jamil]

It’s art. I think it’s goodly interpreted either way. I think ground control saying “your circuit’s dead” after major tom says his goodbyes seems to support your interpretation quite well.

Honestly I had not put that much thought into it. I’ve always liked the song. And I’ve always interpreted it as there being a problem which prevented major tom from getting back home. But listening to it again with your interpretation in mind seems to emote more feeling. I don’t know which I like better really. One way it’s a tragedy. The other not so much.

 

[Snapdragon]

Snap, you shouldn’t smoke weed this early in the morning

Yeah, can you tell I've been up all night?

 

[Leo]

I always thought Major Tom pulled his own plug, after stating a good bye to his wife.

 

[Mr. Habib]

The real question is, what did Major Tom know about the Clintons?

 

[shibumiseeker]

Major Tom had a malfunction in his capsule and accepted his fate. A metaphor for life.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

I agree with OP. Maj Tom decided that space was better than returning to earth.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I thought the song was about an iv drug user fatally overdosing.

By the time he realizes that his shot was too hot, he is too high to be concerned about it.

 

[OurDee]

 

[Leo]

Here are more opinions and speculations:

Here's what David Bowie’s song 'Space Oddity' is really about

Contrary to popular belief, it's not about the moon landing.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Magyars]

Great album...used to have it on 8track

 

[MrSmitty]

I'm still trying to interpret Baby Shark......................

 

[eldirector]

I'm still trying to interpret Baby Shark......................

Well, there are these sharks, you see.....

 

[actaeon277]

Well, at least now I have a good song running around my head.

 

[jamil]

I agree with OP. Maj Tom decided that space was better than returning to earth.

After all, his spaceship knew which way to go.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Well, let's see what Bowie says...

"Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low"

 

[littletommy]

I wonder if many of the guys at mission control had the same interpretation about Tom choosing to stay in space rather than return home? I mean, if they did, they were probably freaking out when the astronaut on the ISS played that song. They were probably thinking “oh ****! What’s he gonna do”?!?!?!