Released: September 12, 1980
Songwriter: David Bowie
Producer: Tony Visconti David Bowie
[Verse 1]
Do you remember a guy that's been
In such an early song?
I've heard a rumour from Ground Control
Oh no, don't say it's true
They got a message from the Action Man
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too
I've loved all I've needed to love
Sordid details following"
The shrieking of nothing is killing
Just pictures of Jap girls in synthesis
And I ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair
But I'm hoping to kick but the planet is glowing
[Chorus]
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low
[Verse 2]
Time and again I tell myself
I'll stay clean tonight
But the little green wheels are following me
Oh no, not again
I'm stuck with a valuable friend
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too"
One flash of light, but no smoking pistol
I've never done good things
I've never done bad things
I never did anything out of the blue, whoa whoa
Want an axe to break the ice
Wanna come down right now
[Chorus]
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low
[Outro]
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
Do you remember a guy that's been
In such an early song?
I've heard a rumour from Ground Control
Oh no, don't say it's true
They got a message from the Action Man
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too
I've loved all I've needed to love
Sordid details following"
The shrieking of nothing is killing
Just pictures of Jap girls in synthesis
And I ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair
But I'm hoping to kick but the planet is glowing
[Chorus]
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low
[Verse 2]
Time and again I tell myself
I'll stay clean tonight
But the little green wheels are following me
Oh no, not again
I'm stuck with a valuable friend
"I'm happy, hope you're happy too"
One flash of light, but no smoking pistol
I've never done good things
I've never done bad things
I never did anything out of the blue, whoa whoa
Want an axe to break the ice
Wanna come down right now
[Chorus]
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low
[Outro]
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
My mama said to get things done
You'd better not mess with Major Tom
Sound + Vision
- Buddha of Suburbia
- Shopping for Girls
- The Drowned Girl
- Blue Jean
- Rebel Rebel
- Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
- Ricochet
- Boys Keep Swinging
- Look Back in Anger
- Kingdom Come
- Ashes to Ashes
- Red Sails
- Up the Hill Backwards
- Time Will Crawl
- Pallas Athena
- South Horizon
- It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide (Live ’73)
- Ziggy Stardust (Live ’73) [Stereo]
- White Light/White Heat (Live ’73) [Stereo]
- Watch That Man (Live) [Stereo]
- Suffragette City (Live) [Stereo]
- Nite Flights (Moodswings Back to Basics Remix)
- Dead Against It
- London Bye Ta Ta
- Baal’s Hymn
- Round and Round
- I Can’t Read
- Helden
- 1984/Dodo
- After Today
- Dancing with the Big Boys
- Jump They Say
- You’ve Been Around
- Moonage Daydream
- Sons of the Silent Age
- Joe the Lion
- Warszawa
- The Prettiest Star
- Be My Wife
- Speed of Life
- Changes
- Cracked Actor
- John, I’m Only Dancing
- Sound and Vision
- Breaking Glass
- Space Oddity
- Drive-In Saturday
- Sorrow
- China Girl
- Fascination
- Young Americans
- Loving the Alien
- Big Brother
- Wild Is the Wind
- TVC 15
- The Bewlay Brothers
- Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
- Don’t Bring Me Down
- Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud
- Panic in Detroit
- Black Country Rock
- Station to Station
- Modern Love
- The Man Who Sold the World
- Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
- Changestwobowie (1982)
- Sound + Vision (1989)
- Changesbowie (1990)
- Best of Bowie (2002)
- The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987 (2007)
- Nothing Has Changed (2014)
- Legacy (The Very Best of David Bowie) (2016)
- Space Oddity
- ★ (Blackstar)
- Heroes
- Life on Mars?
- Lazarus
- Starman
- Changes
- The Man Who Sold the World
- Girl Loves Me
- Ashes to Ashes
- Ziggy Stardust
- Moonage Daydream
- Modern Love
- Five Years
- ’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore
- I Can’t Give Everything Away
- Dollar Days
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide
- Rebel Rebel
- Young Americans
- Station to Station
- Suffragette City
- Let’s Dance
- Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)