Ashes to Ashes chords
by David Bowie
- Writer: David Bowie
- Recorded: Feb - April 1980
- Released: Aug 1, 1980
- Album: Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
- Music: Am in 4/4 time at 120 bpm (♩)
- Chords: Am, Am7, A7 , C, D, Dm, E, Em, F, G, G7, G#dim7
Chart Legend
Numbered Circles: Fingers used to play chords O: Optional Note
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings R: Root Note
Unmarked strings: Play open X: Don't play string B: Bass Note
Barre Line: One finger holds down multiple strings R: Root Note
Unmarked strings: Play open X: Don't play string B: Bass Note


























Ashes to Ashes
Capo on 1 if playing with the video
The relative Major of Am is C Major which is highlighted - Transpose to any other key
Am7 G Dm Am7 G Dm
Intro: 4/4 | | | | | | |
G
1. Do you re-mem-ber a guy that's been
Em
In such an ear-ly song?
C
I've heard a ru-mour from Ground Con-trol
D
Oh no, don't say it's true
F
They got a mes-sage from the Ac-tion Man
C Em F
"I'm hap-py, hope you're hap-py too
G
I've loved all I've need-ed love
G#dim7
Sor-did de-tails fol-low-ing"
A
The shriek-ing of noth-ing is kil-ling
E
Just pic-tures of Jap girls in syn-the-sis
G D
And I ain't got no mo-ney and I ain't got no hair | 𝄎 |
F C Em
But I'm hop-ing to kick but the pla-net is glow-ing... glow-ing...
F G7
Chorus: Ash-es to ash-es, funk to fun-ky
C A7
We know Ma-jor Tom's a jun-kie
F G7
Strung out in heav-en's high
Am G Dm Am
Hit-ting an all-time low | | |
G
2. Time and a-gain I tell my-self
Em
I'll stay clean to-night
C D
But the lit-tle green wheels are fol-low-ing me
Oh no, not a-gain
F
I'm stuck with a val-ua-ble friend
C Em F
"I'm hap-py, hope you're hap-py too"
G G#dim7
One flash of light, but no smok-ing pis-tol
A
I've ne-ver done good things
E
I've ne-ver done bad things
G D
I ne-ver did a-ny-thing out of the blue, whoa whoa
F
Want an axe to break the ice
C Em
Want to come down right now
F G7
Chorus: Ash-es to ash-es, funk to fun-ky
C A7
We know Ma-jor Tom's a jun-kie
F G7
Strung out in heav-en's high
Am G Dm Am
Hit-ting an all-time low | | |
Dm Am7
Outro: ||: My ma-ma said to get things done
G Dm
You bet-ter not mess with Ma-jor Tom
Am7 G
My ma-ma said to get things done
Dm Am7
You bet-ter not mess with Ma-jor Tom
G Dm
My ma-ma said to get things done
Am7 G
You bet-ter not mess with Ma-jor Tom :||... repeat to fade
Song Facts
- Released in 1980 as the lead single from Bowie's album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
- Reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 on the US Disco Top 100 (Billboard).
- Written by Bowie and produced by David and Tony Visconti.
- The song is a sequel to Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity", and features the character of Major Tom, an astronaut who has gone missing in space.
- The song's music video, directed by David Mallet in 1980, was one of the most innovative and influential music videos of its time.
- The video features Bowie as a clown, an asylum inmate, and a spaceman.
- Covered by several artists, including:
Tears for Fears - English pop rock band
Uwe Schmidt- German composer, musician and producer of electronic music.
Northern Kings - Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup
The Shins - American indie rock band
The Mike Flowers Pops - English easy-listening band
John Wesley Harding - English folk/pop singer-songwriter and author