✕
German
Original lyrics
Major Tom (völlig losgelöst)
Gründlich durchgecheckt
Steht sie da
Und wartet auf den Start.
Alles klar!
Experten streiten sich
Um ein paar Daten.
Die Crew hat dann noch
Ein paar Fragen, doch
Der Countdown läuft.
Effektivität
Bestimmt das Handeln.
Man verlässt sich blind
Auf den Andern.
Jeder weiß genau,
Was von ihm abhängt.
Jeder ist im Stress,
Doch Major Tom
Macht einen Scherz.
Dann hebt er ab und...
[Refrain:]
...Völlig losgelöst
Von der Erde,
Schwebt das Raumschiff
Völlig schwerelos.
Die Erdanziehungskraft
Ist überwunden.
Alles läuft perfekt,
Schon seit Stunden.
Wissenschaftliche
Experimente -
"Doch was nützen die
Am Ende?" denkt
Sich Major Tom.
Im Kontrollzentrum,
Da wird man panisch:
Der Kurs der Kapsel, der
Stimmt ja gar nicht!
"Hallo, Major Tom,
Können Sie hören,
Woll'n Sie das Projekt
Denn so zerstören?",
Doch er kann nichts hör'n,
Er schwebt weiter...
[Refrain:]
...Völlig losgelöst
Von der Erde,
Schwebt das Raumschiff
Völlig schwerelos.
Die Erde schimmert blau.
Sein letzter Funk kommt:
"Grüßt mir meine Frau!"
Und er verstummt.
Unten trauern noch
Die Egoisten,
Major Tom denkt sich:
"Wenn die wüssten!
Mich führt hier ein Licht
Durch das All,
Das kennt ihr noch nicht.
Ich komme bald.
Mir wird kalt..."
[Refrain 2x:]
...Völlig losgelöst
Von der Erde
Schwebt das Raumschiff
Schwerelos.
...Völlig losgelöst
Von der Erde
Schwebt das Raumschiff
Völlig schwerelos.
- Major Tom:
"Space Oddity" David Bowie (1969)
domuro
Freigeist
maluca
florazina
magicmulder
Coopysnoopy
ScieraSubtitles created by 
Taratemus on Wed, 26/03/2025 - 12:32
Taratemus on Wed, 26/03/2025 - 12:32Play video with subtitles
Major Tom (completely unchained)
Thoroughly checked
it stands there,
waiting for the start.
All is clear!
Specialists are arguing
over some data,
the crew still has
a couple of questions, but
the count-down runs.
Efficiency
dominates the actions,
everyone relies blindly
on the other,
they all know precisely
what depends on them,
they all are stressed,
but Major Tom
cracks a joke.
Then he takes off and ...
[Chorus:]
completely unchained
from the ground/Earth
the spaceship is hovering,
totally weightless.
Earth's gravity
has been overcome,
everything runs perfectly.
Already for hours
scientific
experiments -
"but of what use are they
in the end", wonders
Major Tom.
In the control center
they are panicking:
"The course of the capsule
is totally wrong!
"Hello Major Tom,
can you hear us,
do you want to
destroy the project this way?",
but he can't hear a thing,
he keeps on hovering...
[Chorus:]
completely unchained
from the ground/Earth
the spaceship is hovering,
totally weightless.
Earth is glowing blue.
His last radio comes in:
"Send greetings to my wife!"
and he falls silent.
Down below,
the egoists are still mourning,
Major Tom thinks by himself:
"If only they knew!
A light is guiding me
through space,
you don't know that yet,
I'll be coming soon..
I feel cold..."
[Chorus 2x:]
completely unchained
from the ground/Earth
the spaceship is hovering,
weightless.
completely unchained
from the ground/Earth
the spaceship is hovering,
totally weightless.
Sascha Olrogge✕
Translations of "Major Tom (völlig ..."
Comments
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About translator
I've tried to be as close to the German original as possible without making it sound too "google translate". Maybe you can feel the esoteric vibe the song carries in the German version.
"Erde" in German can either be the ground or the planet. I think Peter Schilling deliberately chose this word because of its double meaning.
I chose the translation "totally unchained" to best reflect the meaning of leaving the earth, not only physically but metaphysically. Major Tom is unchained, no earthly boundaries, liberty of the stars. It remains uncertain if Major Tom died but the sentence "mir wird kalt" suggests that he did - the sensation of dying as a feeling of getting colder. A light is guiding him (something we people on Earth have not yet any knowledge of) - might suggest that his body died but he transcended. So "unchained" fits very well, I think.