Major Tom
Major Tom is a fictional astronaut who appears in the songs "Space Oddity" and "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie, and the song "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling. He symbolises the typical American astronaut, in the "comic super-hero" style, but leaves the Earth, never to return.
In "Major Tom", he simulates the loss of control of his craft and his death to live in Space:
far beneath the ship
the world is mourning
they don't realize
he's alive
no one understands
but Major Tom sees
now the life commands
this is my home
I'm coming home
In "Space Oddity", his departure for deep space is more mournful and involuntary:
Ground control to major Tom
Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong
Can you hear me, major Tom?
Can you hear me, major Tom?
Can you hear me, major Tom?
Can you....
Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the moon
Planet earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do.
The Major Tom of Bowie's "Space Oddity" is referenced as a character in the Venture Bros. animated action-comedy series, as a test pilot with Jonas Venture's team who is killed in the crash of an experimental aircraft at the beginning of the episode Ghosts of the Sargasso; much of the dialogue in this scene is quoted from "Space Oddity". The Action Man, featured in Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes", is also featured as a character and Major Tom leaves him a message - "I’m happy, hope you’re happy too, I’ve loved all I’ve needed to love" - quoting a line from the latter song.