I haven't been able to fully wrap my head around that news the intergalactic David Bowie icon has passed away. Passed to the moon and on to Mars, I know Mr. Jones is going to live forever. Feeling inspired by the important memories I have with his music and the role that his art has played in my life, I immediately decided that I had to learn a song of his on piano. My heart pulled me to "Space Oddity", a song he composed at only 22 years old.

Inspired by the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" the song was released in 1969, 5 days before the launch of Apollo 11. The lyrics follow an astronaut, named Major Tom, who blasts off into space and loses connection with ground control. I especially love the dialogue between Major Tom and ground control.

"This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
"This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today"

Sadly, once he loses connection, he propels through the galaxy alone to his impending death. At the time, Bowie was a known drug user so many have interpreted this song as a metaphor for a drug overdose. Later in his career in 1980, he released "Ashes to Ashes" and the character Major Tom returned. In this song he's described as a "junkie, strung out in heavens high, hitting an all-time low", signally that Major Tom is now (or always has been) an autobiographical symbol for himself.

To me this song is not just about the deadly spiral of drug addiction, it's about any type of intense isolation we experience in life. Feeling like we're all alone and out of control with no chance of being saved. Did Major Tom know that part of being a famous astronaut meant he had to inevitably die, sequestered and completely consumed by it? This spaceman's tale evokes the sense of extreme hopelessness of a black hole. Whatever pushes us to the ends of the universe, where dark and terrifying, Bowie has been there with us.

I stripped down the song to just me and my keyboard. I sang slow and alone up in my third story cave at night. I played the parts over and over for a few hours until I got them down. Not having been classically trained on piano, I was fascinated by the chord progressions he choose and the melodies he created with them. The audio recording in my tribute video is from one of the first takes I was able to get down, a few days following his death. I decided to not go with a re-recorded (more perfected) version because the emotion of this session was the truest. I then met up with my good friend Pacificyo to channel my inner Stardust visually. I did myself up in proper Bowie attire, choosing to rock the alien-like and iconic gold circle. We took some photos and had a dance party to this song. Pacificyo is great at break dancing while my moves are more interpretive.

Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare.

Thanks for reading and watching,