Due to some similarities in Elton John's 'Rocket Man', there is a possible connection between the Rocket Man and Major Tom, a connection notably made by Bowie himself, who while singing 'Space Oddity' in concert would sometimes call out, 'Oh, Rocket Man!' Major Tom in Bowie's work Major Tom') and The Tea Party ('Empty Glass').

Other artists who have subsequently made substantial contributions to the Major Tom story include K.I.A. The English-language version, ' Major Tom (Coming Home)', peaked at number 14 in the United States in late 1983. German singer Peter Schilling retold and continued the story of Major Tom in his late 1982 release ' Major Tom (völlig losgelöst)', which reached number one in Germany and Austria in early 1983. A short time later, there is another reversal of Major Tom's original withdrawal, turning 'outwards' or towards space. Additionally, the choked and self-recriminating tone used in the lyrics 'Time and again I tell myself I'll stay clean tonight' reinforces an autobiographical and retrospective interpretation. This lyric was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's album Low (1977), which was inspired by the withdrawal symptoms he suffered while undergoing treatment for drug addiction. Major Tom is described as a ' junkie, strung out in heaven's high, hitting an all-time low'. In the song 'Ashes to Ashes' (1980), Bowie reinterprets Major Tom as an oblique autobiographical symbol for himself. 'Space Oddity' (1969) depicts an astronaut who casually slips the bonds of the world to journey beyond the stars. Major Tom is a persona of David Bowie's, referenced in songs ' Space Oddity', ' Ashes to Ashes', ' Hallo Spaceboy', and ' Blackstar.' Bowie's own interpretation of the character evolved throughout his career. Bowie’s story has been told, but Blackstar is an open-ended elegy, one that urges us to experiment onward.David Bowie as Major Tom in the 'Space Oddity' video, part of the 1969 promotional film Love You Till Tuesday The jazz influences on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly fascinated Bowie, and he let one of 2015’s most loved albums guide his own. Musicians frequently write about death, but few have done so as directly or deliberately as Bowie on his swan song. He not only released music over nearly five decades but kept us mesmerized throughout. “One could only dream about collaborating with a mind like that… I have no desire to do any more videos knowing the process never ever gets as formidable and fulfilling as this was.”īowie’s first album was released 1967. Johan Renck directed Bowie’s final two videos, “Lazarus” and “Blackstar.” “I’ve basically touched the sun,” he confessed prior to Bowie’s death. But Visconti and his other collaborators passed along the gospel.ĭavid Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ Single/Short Film Premieres: Interview With Director Johan Renck He didn’t perform live during his last decade. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it.”īowie hid himself from the world, only showing himself when he needed to be seen. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. “He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. “His death was no different from his life - a work of art,” longtime producer Tony Visconti said in tribute. For “Lazarus,” he danced and writhed about a hospital set - during a period that probably found him spending a significant amount of time in a real hospital. This was more than an album released on the artist’s 69th birthday it was a goodbye note to the world, all who could not be at his side when he died in Manhattan.

Meaing behind david bowies lazarus song