Major Tom

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Lore & Background

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. He's asked to venture outside of his "capsule, if [he] dares", which he does and begins "floating in a most peculiar way." At a certain point during the travel ('past one hundred thousand miles'), he claims that "he feels very still" and thinks that "my spaceship knows which way to go" and proceeds to say: "Tell my wife I love her very much." Control then informs him: "Ground Control to Major Tom: your circuit's dead, there's something wrong" and attempts to reestablish contact with Major Tom. Tom's final words in the song (possibly not heard by Ground Control) are: "Here am I floating 'round my tin can, far above the moon. Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do."

Bowie created a sequel entitled "Ashes to Ashes" (1980). The song, which peaked at Number 1 in the UK music charts, was featured on his LP Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). The song actually says little about Major Tom, except to call him a "junkie"; The context of the lyrics seems to indicate that the song is mainly about Bowie's own experiences with drug addiction, rather than a literal continuation of the Major Tom story. The song refers an event happening much later, after "Space Oddity". Ground control receives a message from the "Action Man", referring to Tom, and he says: "I've loved all I've needed to love. Sordid details following..." He talks about how the shrieking of nothing is killing him, how all he has are his pictures of women to keep him company, and how he now has neither money nor hair. The song again refers directly to Tom toward the end, where he has become more of a legend, but not for his heroics. He has become a nursery rhyme in the minds of the public, with mothers warning against drug use by telling their children if they want: "...to get things done, you'd better not mess with Major Tom."

In the music video of Bowie's 2015 song "Blackstar" (on the album of the same name, released in 2016 two days prior to his death), a dead astronaut is depicted. His jewel-encrusted skull is retrieved by an alien female who takes it back to what could be considered a cult which subsequently worships the relic. Video director Johan Renck said on a BBC documentary "to me, it was 100% Major Tom".

In Their Own Story

Inside the capsule, silence presses against the glass. The stars do not twinkle; they burn cold and steady outside the viewport. He floats in zero gravity, tethered only by memory of the ground below. A static crackle fades from the radio, leaving him alone with the hum of life support. Earth hangs like a marble in the dark, beautiful but unreachable.

Reader's Guide

Major Tom first appeared in "Space Oddity" (1969), where his departure from Earth is successful and everything goes according to plan. He ventures outside his capsule and begins "floating in a most peculiar way." After passing one hundred thousand miles, he feels very still and tells Ground Control to tell his wife he loves her. Ground Control then informs him his circuit is dead, and Tom's final words are: "Here am I floating 'round my tin can, far above the moon. Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do."

In the promotional film from 1969, David Bowie plays as Major Tom, Ground Control, and the Countdown Announcer. When the lyrics "And the stars look very different today" are said, two women appear, portraying either angels or aliens, or perhaps both. The moment "Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still" are said, the two women can be seen removing Major Tom's helmet and spacesuit. The music video ends with Major Tom sitting in his "tin can", far above the world, with the two women by him in a ménage à trois formation. In "Ashes to Ashes" (1980), Major Tom is called a "junkie" and the song is mainly about Bowie's own experiences with drug addiction. The song refers to an event happening much later, after "Space Oddity". Ground control receives a message from the "Action Man", referring to Tom. He has become a nursery rhyme in the minds of the public, with mothers warning against drug use by telling their children: "...to get things done, you'd better not mess with Major Tom."

Bowie released a song entitled "Hallo Spaceboy" on his album Outside (1995). While this song itself does not directly reference Major Tom, references to Major Tom do appear in the remixed version that Bowie released with the Pet Shop Boys in 1996. This remix contains lyrics from "Space Oddity" that are sung by Pet Shop Boys vocalist Neil Tennant. German singer Peter Schilling retold and continued the story of Major Tom in his late 1982 release "Major Tom (völlig losgelöst)", which reached number one in Germany and Austria in early 1983. The English-language version, "Major Tom (Coming Home)", peaked at number 14 in the United States in late 1983. Other artists who have subsequently made substantial contributions to the Major Tom story include K.I.A. ("Mrs. Major Tom") and The Tea Party ("Empty Glass").

Did You Know?

• In the promotional film from 1969, David Bowie plays as Major Tom, Ground Control, and the Countdown Announcer.
• The lyric 'junkie, strung out in heaven's high, hitting an all-time low' from 'Ashes to Ashes' was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's album Low (1977).
• Video director Johan Renck said on a BBC documentary that the dead astronaut in the 'Blackstar' music video 'was 100% Major Tom'.
• German singer Peter Schilling's 'Major Tom (völlig losgelöst)' reached number one in Germany and Austria in early 1983.
• British astronaut Tim Peake, a major in the Army Air Corps, was regularly referred to by the media as 'Major Tim' during his time on board the ISS.