The Path(os) through Outer Space

Why so sad?

Occasionally, hearing solely the first chord of a song can establish the feeling of an entire song. This is because of major and minor keys in music. Without going into extensive music theory, major keys are known for sounding bright and cheery, while minor keys are known for sounding grim, sad, or solemn.

The Chris Hadfield rendition of this song applies to one of those cases; the first piano chord carries a strong sense of sorrow. This is the first emotional appeal, or pathos appeal, found in the 2013 cover of Space Oddity.

Zero Gravity fun!

The first verse continues this feeling, forcing the listener to ponder the source of the sorrow. Hadfield even carries a troubled, mournful face so seemingly no reason. After all, Mr. Hadfield IS in outer space, and appearing to be having a great time in his zero-gravity home…

With the first chorus comes a chord shift to a less solemn sounding tune, as other elements in the lyrics and video begin to appeal to listener’s emotions.

The music video over the chorus appeals particularly to the human desire for adventure. Hadfield it depicted doing several tricks in the zero-gravity environment, such as spinning a guitar, or soaring down a corridor.

The final element seems to only hold power if the listener has also heard the original of the song, David Bowie’s Space Oddity. Toward the end of David Bowie’s version, Major Tom floats away into space, losing all contact with ground control in a sorrowful conclusion. On the contrary, in Chris Hadfield’s rendition, the end of the song brings a safe landing on earth. Instead of the original lyric “Tell my wife I love her very much”, Hadfield instead chooses “our commander comes back to earth”. A listener familiar with the original song will find this new line encouraging, as their favorite Major Tom will, this time, find his way back to our blue planet earth.

~Greg Fiola

The Wonders of Space, Revisited

Who Wants to be an Astronaut?

When’s the last time you've heard of a celebrity scandal about an astronaut?  Well, are astronauts considered celebrities anymore in the first place? Back in the 60’s, it was no strange occurrence to find an astronaut on the front cover of TIME Magazine, on the front pages of newspapers, and all over the news (which was just starting to be on TV at that point).

During the space race era, astronauts were the ultimate celebrity. Many children grew up playing with toy rockets and space shuttles, aspiring to someday exist the atmosphere themselves. Culture and conversation was commonly structured around the space race.

David Bowie’s "Space Oddity," as well as the music video accompanying it, uses this 1960’s status of astronauts to its advantage. The Pathos appeal, or appeal to emotions, is spurred by lyrics and clips in the production.

In the song’s lyrics, the aura of a brave maverick is created around Major Tom, as the song’s general solemn sound adds emphasis to this. With lyrics such as “Now it’s time to leave the capsule, if you dare” and “Tell my wife I love her very much”, listeners are forced to sympathize to the courageous, majestic Major Tom. Towards the end of the song, Ground Control attempts to reach Major Tom, exclaiming “Your circuit’s dead, There’s something wrong”, signaling the loss of Major’s Tom into space.

From a cinematography perspective, midway through the music video, Major Tom is depicted in his space suit alongside of two angelic looking women. Eventually, the two being to remove the major’s suit, in a pathos appeal of sexual desire.  When Ground Control finds they have lost connection with Major Tom, the Ground Control operator (who just so happens to be David Bowie) expresses mournful and grieving faces, provoking more sympathy in many viewers.

In a culture excited by the mystery of outer space, David Bowie’s "Space Oddity" offers a different perspective that is largely established by the strategic pathos use.

~Greg Fiola

Major Tom, Stylin'

Many songs produced during the era of the space race (especially songs about the space race) were known to their cheerfulness and uplifting spirit (after all, All You Need is Love, right?). Space Oddity is an exception to this trend. The first verse and opening bars come across as incredibly solemn, and through a slightly more cheerful turn at the start of the chorus, the song quickly returns to its solemn, blue tone.

A timely style that the song follows is the extended use of metaphors and analogies. The lyric “planet earth is blue, and there’s nothing I can do” particularly stands out. This line appeals to more than the literal sense. The color blue is a symbol of sadness and depression (There’s even an entire musical movement called the “blues”!), thus the line “planet earth is blue” refers to all the problems of the world. When Major Tom admits there’s “nothing [he] can do”, a literal perspective attributes this inability to his lack of presence on earth, while the figurative perspective reveals that Major Tom has realized he, as a single person, is too small to fix the world.

There are many that would make the argument that Major Tom’s words about his zero gravity weightlessness is actually and innuendo to a drug trip. I would not comply with this argument, but this kind of innuendo would fit the style of many other songs of the era.

I find it difficult to perform an adequate analysis of the visual style of the music video, primarily because of how much filming techniques have evolved since the 60’s. I would find myself being overly critical of the cinematography, which can also be blamed on my lack of understanding of 60’s video culture. 

~Greg Fiola

A Nobody.

Ask anyone. Well, almost anyone. They’ve all heard of David Bowie. You’ve all heard of David Bowie. Singer, songwriter, actor… “His influence has been unique in popular culture – he has permeated and altered more lives than any comparable figure” (David Buckley, composer).

Back in the 60s however, he was a nobody. His debut singles were all commercial failures, and he hopped from band to band, unsatisfied with any. It wasn’t until “Space Oddity,” until July 1969, that Bowie finally caught the eye and ear of the public. Ironically, British television used the song as background music for the first lunar landing itself – despite the controversial lyrics.

“Space Oddity” became a UK top five hit, but it didn’t reach American audiences until 1972. That’s right about when Bowie’s success took flight. He has now been a major figure in the world of popular music for over four decades, and his reputation alone serves as an appeal to ethos. Back then, it was the song alone, and maybe the context of its release, that had to convince audiences – no help from the “big name.”

A National Treasure.

Why did Chris Hadfield’s rendition of “Space Oddity” reach over 22 million views on YouTube?  Why does he have more than 1,000,000 followers on Twitter? Why is the Reddit AmA thread he created one of the top of all time? Why is his Tumblr blog so popular?

Because he’s Chris Hadfield – Canadian former fighter pilot, astronaut, and even commander of the International Space Station.

Because he’s an astronaut for the 21^st century – using the social media to gain recognition and build a reputation.

In the 1960s, being an astronaut was like being a superhero. Children and adults would dream of outer space, and the growth of the television as a major mass media allowed them to be a part of the frenzy. Nowadays, space is closer –a little less mysterious, a little better known, and a little more explored – yet much more distant – not omnipresent in the media or in pop culture, not discussed as much, not reaching, captivating, fascinating, the imagination of a nation… It’s simply there. Everyone is aware of it. Some kids dream of becoming astronauts. Others want to be firefighters, ballerinas or teachers. No big deal. It’s very paradoxal when you think about it: space exploration is becoming so mainstream that it doesn’t interest people as much. Through his “supreme mastery of social media,” Hadfield created a bridge to those of us stuck on Earth. He reached more people, enthralled more minds, re-created a little of that space magic present in the 60s.

The ethos of the music video is also established through the logo present in the top left corner throughout the clip. It reads “CSA ASC” and links to the Canadian Space Agency. The connection to the CSA provides “credentials” and a sort of official authority to the video, added to everything that Hadfield brings.

I will leave you with a quote from this Canadian national treasure, posted on Reddit: “Space is profound, endless, a textured black, a bottomless eternal bucket of untouchable velvet and untwinkling stars.”

Beautiful, right?

~ Sky Sumino

P.S. Here's another quote by him, on the Space Oddity video: "It helped show that humans have left Earth, and that the Space Station is a new stage, for not just science and exploration, but for our art and music too. With exploration comes insight - with perspective comes self-realization."

David Bowie's appeal to Logos

David Bowie's song "Space Oddity" is an otherworldly tale of an astronaut about to embark on his first mission into space.  Throughout the song, the tone is apprehensive and foreboding, as if it is telling a cautionary tale against going into space.  Bowie uses such ominous language as "may Gods love be with you" to hint at the possibility for disaster and the need for all the help possible when going on a voyage into space. Bowie's wonder for outer space is portrayed when he says "the stars look very different today", talking about the difference between observing the sky from behind the earth's atmosphere and from beyond it.  In the chorus of the song, Major Tom talks about how he's "floating in an tin can", expressing the fragility of space travel.  In the end, Major Tom appears to become disconnected from ground control and his life back on earth.  Concerned, ground control calls to Major Tom, "Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong," frantically trying to alert Major Tom so he can rescue himself from the soul-sucking abyss of outer space.  The song's structure, from Major Tom embarking on his journey, having "made the grade", to him floating away from Earth, logically conveys the sentiment at the time of many that the unknown of space was not someplace humans were destined to go.

- Robert

Chris Hadfield's Appeal to Logos

For the most part, Chris Hadfield's tribute to David Bowie, a cover of the song "Space Oddity" before he left the ISS, stays pretty close to the original, but there are some important differences in the lyrics and music video to make it unique. Hadfield's purpose in making the video was to celebrate his expedition that he just finished and spread his fascination with space travel, and his version reflects that. The original carries with it a tone of uncertainty, but Chris Hadfield's version has a more celebratory and uplifting tone.  In the original, the main character of Major Tom ends up lost in space, but since Hadfield is on his way home, the song has more a valedictory air to it.  Rather than dying in space, he is awed by its majesty and thrilled with his time there.  Hadfield also updates the lyrics in favor of accuracy, changing the line "Take your protein pills and put your helmet on" to the more realistic "Lock your Soyuz hatch and put your helmet on" moving the song from science fiction to real life.  Hadfield incorporates his knowledge and experience of actually being in space into the song to further his claim of the awesomeness of space. In the music video, Hadfield includes footage from his time in the ISS, to further impress upon viewers the magnificence of space. 

- Robert

The Eagle has landed...

October 4, 1957: Sputnik circles the Earth. It’s the first man-made object to be placed into the Earth’s orbit, and it’s Soviet. Millions of Americans tune in with their radios and listen in awe to the beeping satellite as it passes overhead. They squint their eyes towards the sky on early mornings and late evenings to catch a glimpse of the silvery ball. Their minds are filled with wonder, fascination, astonishment… and fear. The Soviets are up there – looking at them, plotting against them, more powerful than ever and one step ahead.



Thus begins the Space Race, a time when people stopped believing that the impossible wasn't possible, outer space still thrilled and Cold War paranoia reigned. With the Soviets off to a flying start and plowing through the “firsts,” the American space exploration agency had a hard time catching up. In 1959, the Soviet space program launched the first space probe to hit the Moon. In 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth. In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova, also Soviet, became the first woman to travel into space.

But the United States would not be deterred. President John F. Kennedy inspired the nation to do the impossible and reach not for the stars, but for the Moon. He boldly declared in his famous 1961 speech that the U.S. would land a man on the moon “before the end of the decade.” 

Against all odds, on July 20th, 1969, before the end of the decade, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the Moon, and the United States "won" the space race. The feat was only possible thanks to the sacrifice off the American people who had come together around a common purpose. From beginning to end, the nation (and the world to be honest) was captivated by the space frenzy. Thanks to the television, they could stay on pace with the space programs and be a part of each achievement. And right on cue, pop culture followed the trend. Advertisements, sci-fi books, songs, movies, toys, fashion, even furniture… everything was fair game. Little boys yearned of becoming astronauts, the superheroes of the sixties, and adults stuck on Earth daydreamed of outer space.

The unknown had sparked a sense of adventure tinged with dread. David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity”, right alongside “2001: A Space Odyssey,” showed the darker side of the matter. Space was still a big unknown, a dangerous place unwelcoming to life and full of mysteries. Just days before the launch of Apollo 11, the mission that would break the final frontier, Bowie’s song expressed the concerns of the populace.


In something as high stakes as a race to the Moon, how much are we prepared to sacrifice? What's the value of a human life? How much are we willing to loose?

~ Sky Sumino

At issue with Commander Chris Hadfield

If you conducted a poll of North Americans and asked them to name a modern astronaut, admittedly, the majority of people wouldn't be able to name any. However, of the people who could name one, the overwhelming majority would give the name of Commander Chris Hadfield. Chris Hadfield is a retired Canadian astronaut who has flown two space shuttle missions, served as the commander of the International Space Station (ISS), and was the first Canadian to walk in space. He is the most well known and most popular of any modern astronaut because of his large presence on social media, described by Forbes as "perhaps the most social media savvy astronaut ever." Along with his duties aboard the ISS as a scientist and commander of the station, he also worked a great deal on promoting space science through YouTube and other social media channels. He has a popular Tumblr blog, created one of the most popular Reddit AMA threads of all time, and has over 1 million followers on Twitter.

Before departing the ISS for the final time in March of 2013, Hadfield had the brilliant idea of covering David Bowie's classic song "Space Oddity".  He recorded the vocals and guitar while in orbit and the video is made up shots of him inside of the ISS.  The video accumulated over 22 million views on YouTube and has the distinct
ion of being the first music video ever to be shot in space.

Hadfield's rendition mostly stays true to the original, though there are some slight thematic and lyrical changes that reflect Hadfield's purpose.  Lyrically, his version is more optimistic, hopeful and celebratory about the concept of space travel. Overall, Hadfield's version puts a more positive spin on going into outer space, especially because in his version, he returning from an expedition, rather than starting one, as Major Tom does in the original song.

Going back to the hypothetical poll from the first sentence of this post,  the fact that many people might give names like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Richard Branson, or Neil Armstrong when asked for a modern astronaut highlights the reasons for Hadfield's desire to connect with as many people as possible. He has done so much to advance public knowledge of space exploration and it can be felt through all of his online interactions just how much he loves being in outer space and how much he wants to convey that joy to everyone else.

- Robert

Modern Kairos of Space Exploration

When you hear the words, “space race”, what do you think of? You probably think of boring history lessons of Soviets and Americans in a footrace for bragging rights of technological dominance. Maybe you’re one of those people that think of the space race as Hollywood’s most expensive movie, as just a drop in our government’s ocean of conspiracies. Either way, the term “space race” today has an old-fashioned connotation.

Now, when you hear “NASA”, what do you think of? This one’s a bit more polar. Some thank NASA for the cutting edge technological developments that have earthly applications as well as space-bound applications, while others criticize NASA for being an outdated money-waster that is to blame for a large share of our national debt. Your parents likely have a very different opinion than you do on this mega-administration.

Point is, over the past 50 years, perspectives of everything considered out-of-this-atmosphere has changed drastically.

The rhetorical appeal of Kairos appeals to timeliness, and the idea of the “opportune moment”. David Bowie’s version of the song "Space Oddity" was written, recorded, and produced in a time when nearly the entire American populous was behind the space race. On the contrary, Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s rewrite of the same song in 2013 was more attuned to a present day audience.

What happens to a wet washcloth in space?

Today’s audience perceives space as no longer a frontier, but still a realm of vast uncertainty and fascination. We’re interested in questions unlike the traditional “what does moon dust feel like?”, but rather “what cool things can you do in zero gravity?” or “how do bathrooms work in the ISS?”. The idea of zero gravity is associated with fun gymnastics and tricks, and the idea of space is associated with breathtaking images of solar eclipses.

From a lyrical approach, Hadfield modified some lyrics of the original to better suit a modern day perspective. Lines such as “Tell my wife I love her very much” in Bowie’s version expresses the danger and uncertainty of space flight, as was perceived in the 60’s. With improved safety and understanding today thanks to improved technology and research, Hadfield is able to change the line to “Our commander comes down back to earth”. This line is more appealing to contemporary audiences, making feeling of the song more positive and uplifting.

In Hadfield’s music video, he appeals to current perspectives of outer space with stunning views and neat gravity tricks. Beautiful shots of our home earth are showed from different perspectives, including impressive time lapses, even at “night” (even though there’s no night in space). He appeals to the fun fascination of zero gravity by “flying” through open spaces, and twirling his guitar, suspended in space.

This piece of art draws its appeal from the each element complementing each other; the modernized lyrics would not have the same appeal without being accompanied by the incredible cinematography.

After all, who doesn't want to join Chris Hadfield in the ISS for a day of spectacular sights and zero gravity flips?

~Greg Fiola

At Issue with Major Tom

In David Bowie's famous song, "Space Oddity", or as everyone probably knows it "Ground Control to Major Tom", the main character is an astronaut called Major Tom who is leaving on a mission into outer space.  The song overall has a very ominous and uncertain tone, given to it by the lyrics and the background instruments. It sounds like some sort of organ and it does not give the song a very upbeat vibe. Pretty creepy actually. It is said that the name of the song and the song itself is inspired by Stanley Kubrik's movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, which came out around that time.  In that movie, a trip to space doesn't end up turning out so well and likewise, in this song, it appears that towards the end Major Tom gets lost in space.  The song and music video show the attitude at the time of going into space, an attitude the song carried over from the movie that influenced it. People really didn’t know what to think about it and the unknown scarred them.


~ Robert McDermott