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The Continuing Adventures Of Major Tom (Retired)

from 50​-​90​-​2012 Vol. 1 by TA Walker

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Song 4 for 50/90 2012, and my first "challenge" song: picking up the gauntlet of the "Major Tom challenge"...

I've always admired songwriters of a comic inclination, especially if they are adept at pastiching musical styles - or even specific songs - to make a satirical point. For me, Neil Innes (Bonzos, Monty Python, Rutles) and <a href="http://www.mitchbenn.com/">Mitch Benn</a> are the two great songwriters in this field, and from time to time I like to have a go at spoofing songs the way I think they would do.

So, here's my take on what Bowie's astronaut would've gone on to, once they got him down... and apologies for my truly awful baritone impression of the famous Mr David Jones ;-)

(Tech notes: this is all me, including the "Mellotron" - the Stylophone of "Space Oddity" has been replaced by my EBow electric guitar, as my Stylophone conked out ages ago.)

lyrics

Don’t talk to me of Ground Control
Don’t want to hear of Ground Control
They got their fingers out and finally brought me down
Don’t owe a thing to Ground Control
I left behind that Ground Control
Quit the Space Corps and retired to the coast...

Major Tom’s come down to Earth for good
I’ll never fly again
And the only capsules that I ever see
Are the ones that keep me hypertension-free

Neighbours never call me “Major Tom”
When I pass them on the street
On my mission to collect the Daily Mail
“Hi, old Tom”, I hear, and answer every hail

[bridge 1]
EVA... now means getting out of my car
Far across the road
The shopping bags are blue
And my pension’s nearly due...

[spacey bit]
A G E D (x 2)

I’ve nothing more to do with satellites
Unless my Sky+ fails
My blood pressure gains escape velocity
TV fills the space in empty days for me

[bridge 2]
A quiet evening in the park
Suddenly, everything goes dark
Can you hear me, Ground Control?
Can you hear me, Ground Control?
Can you... oh, it only means that night has fallen
How quickly I forget
Planet Earth’s still there - I’m not going anywhere...

credits

from 50​-​90​-​2012 Vol. 1, track released July 11, 2012
TA Walker: 12-string acoustic guitar, EBow electric guitar, "Mellotron", bass guitar, drums, vocal

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TA Walker UK

Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter, often with "electronica", "lo-fi" and "prog" inclinations.

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