Space Oddity
The Langley Schools Music Project Lyrics
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Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills
and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown,
engines on
and may God's love be with you
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, 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 Langley Schools Music Project's cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" is a haunting and emotional interpretation of the song. The opening lines set the scene, with Ground Control communicating with Major Tom as he prepares for liftoff, reminding him to take his protein pills and don his helmet. As the countdown commences, Ground Control offers a final message of love and support to Major Tom.
When Major Tom reaches space, he experiences a sense of awe and detachment, floating in a "most peculiar way" and viewing the stars through a new perspective. However, this feeling of wonder is tinged with sadness and desperation, as Major Tom reflects on his distance from Earth and his inability to control his fate. As the song progresses, Major Tom becomes more disconnected from Ground Control, a metaphor for his growing isolation in space.
The final moments of the song are particularly poignant, as Major Tom experiences a catastrophic event aboard his spacecraft and loses communication with Ground Control. He floats helplessly in his tin can, resigned to his fate and sending a final message of love to his wife. In this way, the song captures the loneliness and vulnerability of space travel, as well as the immense courage and sacrifice of those who venture beyond our planet.
Line by Line Meaning
Ground Control to Major Tom
The person on the ground communicates with the astronaut Major Tom via radio.
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
The astronaut is advised to take some medicine and wear his helmet to prepare for launch.
Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may God's love be with you
The countdown begins, the rocket engines are turned on, and the astronaut is given a blessing for a safe launch.
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff
The rocket lifts off from the ground.
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
The astronaut is acknowledged for his achievement and the media wants to know more about him. He is now ready to exit the rocket, but it's up to him to decide.
I'm stepping through the door And I'm floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today
The astronaut exits the rocket and experiences weightlessness in a strange and unfamiliar way. The view of the stars from above is stunning and surreal.
For here Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do
The astronaut realizes his small size in comparison to the vastness of space. He sees Earth from a distance, but he cannot do anything to intervene in world events.
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
The astronaut has traveled a great distance, but he feels calm and still. He trusts that the spacecraft is on the right trajectory. He sends a message of love to his wife back on Earth.
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...
Ground Control attempts to communicate with Major Tom, but his equipment has malfunctioned. They keep trying to reach him over and over.
And there's nothing I can do.
The song ends with the repeated line, emphasizing the astronaut's powerlessness to act from his vantage point in space.
Contributed by Brayden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@darlakendrick553
I still remember everything about the day we recorded this with you Hans it was the highlight of my childhood and a sweet memory that lives on . ....
@lorriehamrich6723
I would LOVE to hear a reunion of you all!
@judithbrown9479
Really, really powerful. The countdown...And the last 'Can you hear...' Wow.
@markhashizume9555
Is that you on the cover?
@victorcarmonavara8172
May can I ask when y'all recorded this LP???? cause its amazing
Greetings from Spain
@martinfederico7269
Do you remember what are the other instruments besides guitar and drums/cymbals? that kind of hammond organ sound, and something like a marimba. I really can't make them out.
@mattaki
From Wikipedia: "David Bowie said the version of Space Oddity was 'a piece of art that I couldn't have conceived of', describing the vocals as 'earnest if lugubrious' and the backing arrangement as 'astounding'."
No matter what he was doing or saying, you never knew if Bowie was being sarcastic or not, but at least he heard it. This version definitely has its own magic, from the reverb of a gymnasium to the ardent voices of kids not shy to sing a song they love.
@alexm7103
I'm quite sure, he was sincere. Because it really is what he said.
@PogieJoe
I bet he was pretty sincere too. He loved the avant garde and this version accidentally becomes just that.
@Imnottapinata
Guarantee he was being sincere.