94: Floating In a Most Peculiar Way

94. "Space Oddity" by David Bowie {#124 in 1969, then #15; 1/73} [iTunes? Yes.] {Video: Not exactly. But there is this oddity: Space Oddity.}

"Ground control to Major Tom."

Adam Sandler has made some great movies. Really. Of course, Adam Sandler has also made a lot of pretty forgettable movies. One such movie was Mr. Deeds. I saw Mr. Deeds in the theater. I can only remember four things about this movie:
     1) Winona Ryder played Sandler's love interest.
     2) The bad guy kept getting hit with tennis balls.
     3) One of Sandler's friends had some kind of weird, inexplicable foot fetish.
     D) There was a scene on an airplane with a big sing-along to "Space Oddity."

This song has a science fictiony vibe to it. (I like science fiction.) It also has a bit of that "dentist's gas" feel. ("I'm floating in a most peculiar way.")

And, although this song first charted in 1969 and was a Top 20 hit in 1973, I wasn't familiar with it until 1990 when I got "ChangesBowie: David Bowie's Greatest Hits" as one of my Columbia House cassette tape choices. I feel bad that I missed out on all those years of enjoying its spaced out goodness.

This is my favorite David Bowie song. Here's a quick list of my next favorite Bowie songs:

2. "Ziggy Stardust"--Great guitar riff.
3. "Modern Love"--Excellent concert video: Modern Love. (Not many people can rock a yellow suit.)
4. "Let's Dance"--Without a doubt the best song to sing using an Elmer Fudd voice.
5. "Fame"--The first Bowie song I knew.
6. "China Girl"--Sung by Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer. (See, I told you Adam Sandler made some great movies!)

(And, in regards to "Space Oddity" I can tell you this: If there's a better song about an astronaut named "Tom" who happens to be a major…well, I'd like to hear that song!)

COMING UP NEXT: Good advice from a man who's made mistakes.