"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a 7-inch single on 11 July 1969. It was also the opening track of the album David Bowie.
The song is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut, and was released during a period of great interest in space flight. The United States' Apollo 11 mission would launch five days later, and would become the first manned moon landing another five days later. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the British space programme, which had only launched rockets at that time and has never attempted a moon landing.
Besides its title, which alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the introduction to the song is a barely audible instrumental build-up that is analogous to the deep bass tone in Also sprach Zarathustra that is prominently used in the film.
"Space Oddity" was David Bowie's first UK Top 5 hit, and was awarded the 1969 Ivor Novello Award, together with Peter Sarstedt's "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?". It became one of Bowie's signature songs, and his second album, originally released as David Bowie in the UK, was renamed after the track for its 1972 re-release by RCA Records, and became known by this name. In 1975, upon re-release as part of a maxi-single, the song was Bowie's first UK No. 1 single.
Space Oddity may refer to:
David Bowie is the second studio album by English musician David Bowie, released under that title by Philips in the UK, and as Man of Words/Man of Music by Mercury in the US, in November 1969. It was rereleased in 1972 by RCA as Space Oddity (the title of the opening track, which had been released as a single in July 1969 and reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart). Space Oddity was the name used for CD releases of the album in 1984, 1990 and 1999, but it reverted to the original, eponymous title for 2009 and 2015 reissues.
Regarding its mix of folk, balladry and prog rock, NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have said, "Some of it belonged in '67 and some of it in '72, but in 1969 it all seemed vastly incongruous. Basically, David Bowie can be viewed in retrospect as all that Bowie had been and a little of what he would become, all jumbled up and fighting for control..."
The album came about after Bowie had made the transition from a cabaret/avant-garde-inspired musician to a hippie/folk-based sound and as such the album is a major turning point from his 1967 debut.
The ninth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered on CBS on October 9, 2008 and ended May 14, 2009. The series stars William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger and Laurence Fishburne.
As the team grieve for their fallen colleague ("For Warrick"), Grissom makes a life changing decision ("One to Go"), during the ninth season of CSI. Also this season, Sara investigates the death of a woman attacked nine years ago ("The Happy Place"), new CSI Riley Adams joins the team ("Art Imitates Life"), and she and Nick witness a store robbery on Halloween ("Let it Bleed"), Grissom attends the trial of the Miniature Killer ("Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda"), and an infamous serial murderer brings Dr. Raymond Langston face-to-face with the CSI team ("19 Down"). As Catherine adjusts to life as the team's leader, she investigates the bizarre, the brutal, and the unlikely, including an S&M related murder ("Leave out all the Rest"), an arson-homicide ("The Grave Shift"), the murder of an FBI agent ("Disarmed and Dangerous"), death-by-toothpaste ("Deep Fried and Minty Fresh"), and a Mexican wrestling related death ("Mascara"). Nick, meanwhile, investigates the happenings of a seedy motel over the course of a year ("Turn, Turn, Turn"), and Hodges and Wendy attend a sci-fi convention ("A Space Oddity").
Worms: A Space Oddity is an artillery strategy game for the Wii. The game was announced on August 30, 2007 and released on March 18, 2008 in North America, with other regions following shortly afterwards.
A Space Oddity uses gesture based controls which allow players to launch various attacks. The game is rendered in 2D. The name is a reference to both 2001: A Space Odyssey and David Bowie's song "Space Oddity".
A Space Oddity is set in space itself, with the usual arsenal of weapons being updated to suit. There are 6 themes included, namely Cavernia, Tenticlia, Frostal, Kaputzol, Mechanopolis and Earth. The worms are customizable in terms of skin color and helmet style, as in Worms: Open Warfare 2.
When Worms: A Space Oddity was first announced, it was going to have Wi-Fi connection and downloadable content. Team17 then later scrapped the idea of network play, with the publisher stating that it would be better if the players were able to taunt each other and play face-to-face.
Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God's love be with you
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 hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Here am I floating
round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue