David Bowie's Space Oddity

I exist as an oddity. According to Dictionary.com, an oddity is an odd or remarkably unusual person, thing, or event. Odd or unusual explains who I am.  In David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” the story of astronaut Major Tom was revealed. Tom was launched into space and revolved around the Earth but his capsule lost its place in Earth's gravity. It shot off into the vastness of space and Tom was lost.  This is the obvious view of the video but musicians are true artists and poets. Their videos and poetry always have meanings beyond the literal words, or images.    “Space Oddity” remains about alienation and distancing yourself away from people by becoming so lost in your own mind, that you're “high” above everyone else; much like David Bowie was high above Earth. 

The video serves as a warning that too many people continue conforming to social standards and not enough are pulling away. A few seconds into the video, you see a moving reflection of Bowie. Is David Bowie “reflecting” on life?  At 1:27 “Major Tom” leaves his “tin can”. The “tin can” survived as the last piece of society that Bowie had with him, and that piece moves on. When the spaceship opens to release “Major Tom”, the white world of the spaceship becomes the midnight black of space.  The contrast of colors creates a feeling of curiosity. Can a person truly survive without society?  

Bowie sees the world as a sad place that needs fixing but he remains unable to communicate with anyone about that change.  The vastness of space continued as his only option to express himself. "Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do". He realizes that there's nothing he can do to any of the problems that affect him in the world.  But when that sentence is sung at 2:03, a beautiful woman in a long flowing dress becomes visible. She becomes free and does as she wishes.  This mystery woman followed in the path of what Bowie did half a minute earlier and becomes released; she spins and turns in space showing just how free she truly is.   
    

"Can you hear me Major Tom?”  The pseudo personality “Major Tom” is David Bowie’s term for reality. Bowie has lost communication with those in reality, and reality itself.  When he says, “Can you hear me Major Tom?” starting at 2:56, Bowie’s face is full of worry. But when Bowie says, “Can you hear me Major Tom?” for the third and final time, Bowie looks directly at the camera.  The beat of the song slows down at this moment.  The tone became very somber with musical sounds slowing down and voices singing very calmly. The singer realizes that maybe society isn’t needed, that maybe things won’t be as bad.

"Planet earth is blue and there's nothing I can do". These words are the last thing we hear.  Just like with the earlier meaning when the sentence was first used, Bowie realizes that there's nothing he can do about all of the problems he sees in the world.  But this is a different time than the first. Bowie finally quits his pursuits of freedom and returns back to reality. A reflection of Bowie with two women on a couch acts as the final image we are left with.  A woman on each arm leaves us with the impression that life can be good and maybe society can as well. 

“Space Oddity” is the conception of casting out from the normal crowd and becoming something new and different.   The end of the video bears a few color effects but while the specific color may not be important, were these color change maybe a metaphor of David Bowie’s intention of wanting us to change as well?