幾天前 Artemis II 才剛降落太平洋,四位太空人繞月飛行後平安返回地球。但你知道嗎,人類第一次登月的時候,BBC 拿來當背景音樂的那首歌講的是一個太空人失聯、永遠漂流在宇宙裡再也回不了家的故事😂這首歌就是 Space Oddity。
Bowie 寫這首歌的靈感是 1968 年他去電影院看了 Stanley Kubrick 的《2001太空漫遊》,看了好幾次,每次都嗑得很茫,後來他自己說那部電影「徹底改變了我」。他從電影裡那種人類在宇宙中的渺小和孤獨感出發,創造了 Major Tom 這個角色一個升空之後跟地面失去聯繫、漂浮在太空中的太空人。
但讓這首歌真正面世的過程,差點沒發...
沒有人警告播出的製作人這首歌到底在講什麼。大概某個 BBC 主管只看到歌名就說:「喔,太空的歌嘛,放啊!」然後就播了。Bowie 後來笑著說:「我確定他們根本沒在聽歌詞。把一首講太空人回不了家的歌配在登月畫面上,怎麼想都不太對。但我當然開心死了。」BBC 後來發現歌詞內容,馬上又停播了,直到太空人平安返回地球才解禁🤣
這首歌最後爬到英國排行榜第五名,成為 Bowie 人生第一首真正的大熱曲
時間快轉到 2013 年,加拿大太空人 Chris Hadfield 在國際太空站上錄了一支 Space Oddity 的翻唱 MV是史上第一支在太空拍攝的音樂錄影帶。他特地改了歌詞,讓 Major Tom 安全降落回家。
而就在幾天前的 4 月 10 日,Artemis II 的四位太空人從月球繞行後成功濺落太平洋。人類上一次有太空人去到月球附近,是 1972 年的 Apollo 17 距今超過半個世紀...
Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
(Ten)
Ground Control
(Nine)
To Major Tom
(Eight, seven, six)
Commencing countdown
(Five)
Engines on
(Four, three, two)
Check ignition
(One)
And may God's love
(Lift-off)
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 he—
Here am I floating 'round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do