I feel like this is a victory song for Bowie. He, like Major Tom, had "hit an all-time low". And while Major Tom was not so fortunate, Bowie was able to make it to the other side of addiction.
This song is the funeral for Major Tom, but Bowie is able to be the one singing it. If he'd died young, it was pretty much guaranteed that we'd be hearing endless mournful songs about Major Tom from other artists (other artists were already singing about Major Tom, after all. Think of Peter Schilling.). Bowie survived, however, and could end things on his own terms in his own way.
So I really love this song. Not just because of the excellent music, but what it meant for Bowie as an artist. Things could have gone in a much, much worse direction for him but they didn't; this song is a reminder of that. It almost makes you proud of him.
I feel like this is a victory song for Bowie. He, like Major Tom, had "hit an all-time low". And while Major Tom was not so fortunate, Bowie was able to make it to the other side of addiction.
This song is the funeral for Major Tom, but Bowie is able to be the one singing it. If he'd died young, it was pretty much guaranteed that we'd be hearing endless mournful songs about Major Tom from other artists (other artists were already singing about Major Tom, after all. Think of Peter Schilling.). Bowie survived, however, and could end things on his own terms in his own way.
So I really love this song. Not just because of the excellent music, but what it meant for Bowie as an artist. Things could have gone in a much, much worse direction for him but they didn't; this song is a reminder of that. It almost makes you proud of him.