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Peter Schilling - Major Tom (I'm Coming Home)

Peter Schilling - Major Tom (I'm Coming Home) Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Error In The System
Released: 1983

Major Tom (I'm Coming Home) Lyrics

Major Tom (I'm Coming Home) Song Chart

This is a sequel to a song by another artist. It's a follow-up to David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity," and continues the story of Major Tom, an astronaut who cuts off communication with Earth and floats into space.

Musically, it is nothing like the David Bowie song it is based on, as Schilling used a Techno beat.

In this song, having determined that Major Tom is, in fact, sober, Earth decides to bring Tom home. However, just as he is about to turn on the thrusters and jet down to Earth, he cuts off communication with the line "Give my wife my love" and turns off the power to the ship. It is assumed that, sadly, Tom died in the process of re-entry, but in fact he has faked his death so he can return to the depths of space, which he now considers his home. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)

Bowie released his own sequel to "Space Oddity" in 1980 called "Ashes To Ashes," where Major Tom reestablishes communication with Earth.

Schilling is from Germany. This was his only Top 40 Hit in the US; its German-language version was a much bigger hit in Europe.

The song got a big lift when MTV put the video in rotation. This was thanks to a woman named Robin Sloane, who was working at Elektra Records as head of video promotion - a job title that existed for that short time when MTV could be pitched videos.

During a commercial for the 2010 Lincoln MKZ a cover of this song by the synth rock band Shiny Toy Guns was played. This was a follow-up to an advert featuring a cover by Cat Power of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."

In a memorable scene on the US television show Breaking Bad (episode: "Bullet Points"), the character Gale Boetticher (David Costabile) is shown in a video singing karaoke to this song. The entire song was filmed, but only a few seconds were shown on the actual show. In the German language dub, he instead sings along to "Völlig Lösgelost." (thanks, Matt - Warminster, PA)