Space Oddity (David Bowie): lyrics, translations and analysis
Space Oddity is one of the two greatest successes of British singer David Bowie. Released on July 11, 1969, the music is about a journey to a space, supposedly a fictional astronaut Major Tom.
A letter and a music são de autoria do own Bowie, which assumiu ter was inspired not classic film 2001: Uma Odisseia no Espaçoby Stanley Kubrick.
Letter e analyze
Ground control to Major Tom
Ground control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground control to Major Tom
(10, 9, 8, 7)
Commencing countdown, engines on
(6, 5, 4, 3)
Check ignition, and may God's love be with you
(2, 1, 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 the 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 100,000 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 ...
Major Tom is an astronaut, a fictional character raised by David Bowie especially for this song. The single was released in 1969 and narrates a viagem ao espaço. A song has come as an initial preparation for a decolagem that contemplates checking the communication as a basis. Logo followed by the instructions for the astronaut himself:
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
The astronaut then turned to chamar based on operations and began to contagem regressive rumo to the longed-for space.
The engines are finally linked to the base, this year to start operating, with the last check and abençoa the crew:
Check ignition, and may God's love be with you (Check ignição e que o amor de Deus esteja com você)
The next part of the letter tells about the operation of the initial tension. Agora is known that everything is running, or sending for or space was happened and or process is on track. A dúvida is how it will be to return to Terra and lidar as you ficaram here. Bowie is in a certain ironic way to provoke "you guys want to know what the shirts you're wearing."
In the following passage we can assist two astronauts from the spaceship. First, at the authorized base, the two crew members leave, depois or Major Tom takes the word and advises that he is finally placing the capsule.
We use it, from the astronaut's description, as the lamp world:
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in the most peculiar way (E estou flutuando no jeito mais peculiar)
And the stars look very different today
Major Tom vê o mundo do alto, observe that Terra é azul, lembra-se gives mulher, can that based on it transmit a message of love.
However, a problem with the operation seems to arise suddenly. Since you are only trying to communicate, be like an astronaut, the sentence remains incomplete, giving the impression that the communication was definitely lost:
Can you hear me Major Tom? (Can you ouvir Major Tom?)
Can you... (You can)
Let me say that the letter also faces a reference to a drug trip (possibly heroin), year Mention chave thermos as "decolagem", "flutuação", "morto circuit" ending with "nada que eu possa fazer ”.
Or that corroborates this theory of song to be a metaphor for the abusive use of drugs and the lyrics of Ashes to Ashes, music much later where the composer repeats or the same personagem. Bowie sings:
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out on heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low (Atingindo a maior decadência da historia)
Historic context
Not the same year of the launch of the music by David Bowie (in 1969), or the first home to be on board Apollo 11.
The first demo of Bowie was raised in January 1969, therefore or singing baby gives expectation around the fired from the first firing.
The theme of space was also present, no collective imagery due to the film released in 1968 entitled 2001: Uma Odisseia no Espaçoby Stanley Kubrick, co-written with Arthur C. Clarke.
Or epic marcus a geração that happened to become more and more interested in scientific fiction and served as an inspiration for David Bowie to raise his song of him.
In an interview granted to the Performing Songwriter magazine, in 2003, or a composer who confessed that his creation was inspired by not a Kubrick film:
In England they will presume that they have written about it or not because they see it at the same time. More na verdade não foi. Music was written because of the 2001 film, which is incredible. It was for my awareness, I was covered when I went to see or film, several times, and it was really a revelation for me. Isso fez to music flow.
David Bowie liked so much of the astronaut personage that he created more music with Major Tom, são elas: Ashes to Ashes and Hallo Spaceboy.
A song of Rocketman (present not disk Honky Chateau), by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, face an allusion to Bowie's creation embora he não chame Major Tom pelo nome. Nessa nova criação or astronaut não nomado also said to feel lack of the woman. Peter Schilling in 1983 also created music in homage to Bowie's success, a creation and entitled Major Tom.
Translation
Solo Control for Major Tom
Solo Control for Major Tom
Glue on your protein pills and put on your headgear
Solo Control for Major Tom
(10, 9, 8, 7)
Coming back contagem and linked motors
(6, 5, 4, 3)
Check ignição e que o amor de Deus esteja com você
(2, 1)
Esse é or Controle de Solo for Major Tom
You really have success
E os jornais wanted to know what são as t-shirts você usa
Agora it is time to sair da capsule se você tiver coragem
Here is Major Tom for Solo Control
I am giving a passo for fora da porta
I am fluttering, no jeito more peculiar
These stars seem very different.
I'm sitting numa can
Bem acima do mundo
To Terra é azul and there is nothing that it possa fazer
Porém eu ultrapassei cem mil milhas
I'm feeling bem calm
E eu acho que minha spaceship knows where to go
Say pra minha mulher that I love a lot, she knows
Solo Control for Major Tom
Your circuit pifou, you have something wrong
Can you ouvir Major Tom?
Can you ouvir Major Tom?
Can you ouvir Major Tom?
You can
Here I am fluttering in volta da minha lata
Bem acima da lua
To Terra é azul and there is nothing that it possa fazer
Curiosities
In 2013, the Canadian commander Chris Hadfield said goodbye to the International Space Station singing Space oddityby David Bowie. Hadfield disclosed or video, recorded in the space on board the space station, on his own page, not on YouTube. He said goodbye, or command of the operation was passed to the Russian Pavel Vinogradov.
In 2018, the North American aerospace company SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, sent for either space or foguete Falcon Heavy loading a Tesla Roadster model car that plays Space oddity in infinite loop. The launch will take place from NASA at the Kennedy Space Center, at Cape Canaveral, and the fire will take place in the orbit of Mars, circulating around the sun for an indeterminate time.
Confira or official video
The official clip was produced and directed by Mick Rock in Nova Iorque in December 1972. A gravação uses illumination similar to Kubrick's film and has a similar vibration to 2001: Uma Odisseia no Espaço.
Cool Culture no Spotify
Conheça also
- Music Heroes
- Music With or without you
- Hallelujah Music, by Leonard Cohen
