On July 20 , 1969 , astronautswalked on the Moonfor the first time . Just a few week to begin with , another place - age issue had shake the world : David Bowie ’s individual “ Space Oddity ” come to airwaves . The song , whose lyrics tell the story of anastronaut ’s doomed journey into space , helped impel the creative person to icon status , and five decades afterward , it ’s still one of his most pop works .
1. “Space Oddity” was inspired by2001: A Space Odyssey.
Many hearer adopt that " Space Oddity " was riffing on the Apollo 11Moon landingof 1969 , but it was actually inspire by a Stanley Kubrick moving picture resign a twelvemonth earlier . Bowie watched2001 : A Space Odysseymultiple times when it premiered in field in 1968 . “ It was the sense of isolation I related to , ” Bowie toldClassic Rockin 2012 . “ I found the whole thing amazing . I was out of my gourd , very stoned when I went to see it — several time — and it was really a revelation to me . It beat the song flowing . ”
2. “Space Oddity” was also inspired by heartbreak.
The track was also partly inspired by the more ecumenical experience of heartbreak . Bowie write the song after terminate his human relationship with actressHermione Farthingale . The break inspired several songs , include “ Letter to Hermione ” and “ Life on Mars , ” and in “ Space Oddity , ” Bowie ’s post - breakup loneliness and melancholy is specially plain .
3. “Space Oddity” helped him sign a record deal.
In 1969 , a few years into David Bowie ’s career , the musician record a demo mag tape with program to practice it to land a deal with Mercury Records . That tape featured an other iteration of “ Space Oddity , ” and based on the demo , Mercury sign him for a one - album heap . But the song failed to win over one producer . Tony Visconti , who produced Bowie ’s self - titled 1969 record album , think the song was a flashy endeavor to cash in on the Apollo 11 mission , and he tapped someone else to raise that fussy single .
4. The BBC played “Space Oddity” during the Moon landing.
" Space Oddity " was released on July 11 , 1969 — just five day before NASA found Apollo 11 . The song does n’t precisely sound like promotional material for the mission . It ends on a sober preeminence , with Major Tom " floating in a cannister can " through space . But the timing and general subject matter were too thoroughgoing for the BBC to resist . The web play the track over footage of the Moon landing . Bowie laterremarkedupon the situation , saying , " Obviously , some BBC official said , ' Oh , mighty then , that space call , Major Tom , blah blah blah , that ’ll be corking . ' Um , but he gets ground in space , sir . ' Nobody had the sum to evidence the producer that . "
5. David Bowie recorded an Italian version of “Space Oddity.”
The same year " Space Oddity " was released , a different version David Bowie recorded with Italian language was played by radio Stations of the Cross in Italy . rather of directly translate the English wrangle , the Italian songwriterMogulwas hired to write new lyrics practically from scratch . " Ragazzo Solo , Ragazza Sola " ( " Lonely Boy , Lonely Girl " ) is a straight erotic love song , and Major Tom is never mention .
6. Major Tom appeared in future songs.
Major Tom , the fictional spaceman at the snapper of " Space Oddity , " is one of the most iconic fictional character invented for a pop song . It tooka decadefor him to resurface in David Bowie ’s discography . In his 1980 single " Ashes to Ashes , " the artists present a different version of the graphic symbol , singing : " We know Major Tom ’s a junky / thread out in heaven ’s high / Hitting an all - time miserable . " Bowie also cite Major Tom in " Hallo Spaceboy " from the 1995 albumOutside .
7. “Space Oddity” is featured in Chris Hadfield’s ISS music video.
When choosing a song for the first medicine shoot in place , Canadian astronautChris Hadfieldnaturally went with David Bowie ’s out - of - this - domain hymn . The television above was record on the International Space Station in 2013 , with Hadfield playing guitar and singing from outer space and other performers ply musical accompaniment from Earth . Some lyrics were tweaked for the cover . Hadfield cite the " Soyuz hatching " of the abridgement that would finally shuttle him to Earth .
8. “Space Oddity” played on the Tesla that Elon Musk sent to space.
In 2018,Elon Muskused SpaceX ’s Falcon Heavy garden rocket to launch his Tesla Roadster into space . The car was embellish out with pop refinement Easter testis — accord to Musk , " Space Oddity " was toy over the car ’s tuner organisation during the historic journey . The pinhead ’s name , Starman , is the name of another place - themed birdcall on Bowie ’s 1972 masterpieceThe Rise and Fall ofZiggy Stardustand the Spiders from Mars .
