The chorus is to blame: “Completely detached from the earth,” “Major Tom” floats through space in Peter Schilling’s classic. A feeling of exhilaration that Germany’s football fans know well – whenever the national team has sunk the ball into the opponent’s net. A few days ago, fans started a petition to have “Major Tom” become the DFB’s official goal anthem for the European Championships. So far, “Zombie Nation” by Kernkraft 400 has been recorded as a German success. According to consistent media reports, “Major Tom” will be heard in the German team’s friendly against Holland in Frankfurt on Tuesday evening if a goal is scored. Peter Schilling, 68, also seemed completely detached and pleased during the quick interview. Because his song seems immortal: number 1 in Germany, number 14 in the USA, a radio standard since 1982 – and now it goes into the next extra time as a potential goal anthem for the DFB.
Mr. Schilling, what was your first thought when you found out about the online petition? To be honest, I was initially surprised, as the song “Major Tom” has been consistently requested for Hollywood films and international series for the past 40 years. The fact that it could be the possible goal anthem for the 2024 European Championship in Germany would of course be another highlight for this song.
Do you have a personal connection to football? Yes, I played football myself and was invited to a trial training session at VfB Stuttgart as a teenager. Back then, I quickly realized that there were limits to my performance in football, but not in music. So the decision for music was quick and easy to make. Over the course of my life, I have had a few favorite players: from Uwe Seeler, Franz Beckenbauer, Lothar Matthäus to Toni Kroos today. Has the DFB already contacted you about permission to use the song? If the time comes, I would make this public in consultation with the DFB.
Would you change a line of lyrics or even record a new version to update the song to be more football-compatible? The song has been played several times in stadiums and sporting events and has proven to be very suitable in these tests. Therefore, as a songwriter, I am pleased that in this case such momentum for the 2024 European Championship comes directly from the fans. No text changes are planned so far, but who knows…Your tip: How far will Germany get at the European Championships? As it looks at the moment, the DFB team is one of the extended favorites for me.
If you were offered a favor in return, and you were allowed to ask for something, what would it be? Maybe an appearance in front of the fans in the stadium at a European Championship game for the German national team – keyword final?
