Commander Chris Hadfield’s zero-gravity version of David Bowie’s Space Oddity is more heartfelt and less far out than the original version, but, really, the musical arrangement is not the thing. Hadfield, the Tang-drinking troubadour, also adjusted the lyrics to reflect Monday's home coming rather than the druggy detachment of Major Tom, who floated in a “most peculiar way.” But that is just tweaking. No, the significant shift has to do with context. The release of the single in 1969 coincided with the first Apollo moon landing – a Cold War expedition, by any other description. Hadfield’s mission, on the other hand, was a joint with the cosmonauts. Space and superpowers are now shared; and the stars look very different today.
May 13, 2013
