Was "The Jean Genie" the second David Bowie song to mention Major Tom (after "Space Oddity"), or was there another one in between?
61-69, M
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rckt148 · 61-69, M
This is an answer from another Q&A
A: First off, it seems pretty clear that Major Tom is fictional and does not refer to any specific astronaut. The Major Tom character actually appears in three of Bowie’s songs. As you mentioned, Bowie first introduced him in 1969’s “Space Oddity,” which was obviously inspired both by Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and by all the buildup to the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first human on the Moon on July 20, 1969. However, as imagined by Bowie, Major Tom decides to forego all the commercialism of Earth in order to spend eternity wandering among the stars, “floating in his tin can.” In 1980, Bowie reinterpreted Major Tom in “Ashes to Ashes.” In this song, Ground Control receives a radio message from the wayward astronaut in which he says, “I’m happy, hope you’re happy, too.” Many believe that this Major Tom is actually Bowie himself, singing about successfully overcoming his drug habit from the ’70s. Although not mentioned directly by name, Major Tom is referenced in the song, “Hallo Spaceboy” from Bowie’s 1995 album “Outside.” Bowie’s character has also inspired other artists, namely Elton John, whose song “Rocket Man” is believed to have been influenced by “Space Oddity,” and by Peter Schilling, a German musician whose 1983 song, “Major Tom (Coming Home),” was a worldwide hit.
A: First off, it seems pretty clear that Major Tom is fictional and does not refer to any specific astronaut. The Major Tom character actually appears in three of Bowie’s songs. As you mentioned, Bowie first introduced him in 1969’s “Space Oddity,” which was obviously inspired both by Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and by all the buildup to the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first human on the Moon on July 20, 1969. However, as imagined by Bowie, Major Tom decides to forego all the commercialism of Earth in order to spend eternity wandering among the stars, “floating in his tin can.” In 1980, Bowie reinterpreted Major Tom in “Ashes to Ashes.” In this song, Ground Control receives a radio message from the wayward astronaut in which he says, “I’m happy, hope you’re happy, too.” Many believe that this Major Tom is actually Bowie himself, singing about successfully overcoming his drug habit from the ’70s. Although not mentioned directly by name, Major Tom is referenced in the song, “Hallo Spaceboy” from Bowie’s 1995 album “Outside.” Bowie’s character has also inspired other artists, namely Elton John, whose song “Rocket Man” is believed to have been influenced by “Space Oddity,” and by Peter Schilling, a German musician whose 1983 song, “Major Tom (Coming Home),” was a worldwide hit.
