When people in the United Kingdom were watching the first steps of men on the Moon in 1969, the music which British television was playing on the background was a new rock tune, specially conceived to celebrate the event: David Bowie‘s “Space Oddity”. Though it is also interpreted as an allegory for drug usage, the song tells the story of Major Tom, who purposely abandons himself on space after feeling shattered by the beauty of the experience.
Think he's a bit strange? Well, you have to see what he wore on the cover of The Man Who Sold The World...
Bowie’s melody is based on sharp acoustic guitar, which softly gives it a raw sound, also reinforced by some saxophone notes and electric guitar riffs. But the song also floats with the sweetness and melancholy from the string arrangements and Bowie’s voice, whose singing starts on a very attentive tune and soon changes to fascination as the main character feels affected by that unique experience. The guitar riffs on bridge are possibly its most known melodic feature but I would say that besides that famous countdown on lyrics, it’s the anxiety effect craftily built by the reversion on string arrangements which makes the song so powerful.
David Bowie – “Space Oddity” (from Space Oddity single)
This image makes her seem sorta boring, but her songs are not like that - yeah, they are, sometimes.
On her show in New York in 1999 that was taped and later released as a her first solo live record, Natalie Merchant made a cover of this song that even resembling very much the rock flavour of Bowie’s version, has also its own identity since Natalie brought it closer to her stripped down folk-rock style. The major difference are surely its heavier use of guitar riffs and Natalie’s singing, which is warmer then Bowie’s and makes it fluctuate between subtlety and strongness.
Natalie Merchant – “Space Oddity” (from Live in Concert album)
I don't get the painting or her face and the I-wear-machinery-stuff but she is certainly not that crazy.
But it is not from an English-speaking musician that came the most heartwarming version of “Space Oditty”: It’s with her pop seasoned with electronic elements that French singer Emilie Simon accomplished the task. Emilie’s version fulfils Major Tom journey to his glorious death with delicate touches of sparkly sounds, subtle percussion, stunningly bright string arrangements and a comforting voice, even when she uses the full extent of it to improve the emotive features of Major Tom’s adventure, which is then converted to a fable – it’s a challenge not to cry listening to Emilie’s rendition to one of the most brilliant rock classics ever.
Emilie Simon – “Space Oddity” (from Bowiemania single)
