‘Bowie said my Space Oddity was the most poignant version ever’: Chris Hadfield’s honest playlist

The first album I bought
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. I wore that thing out. I had no idea songs like Funeral for a Friend and Candle in the Wind could be so deep. I would lie on the living room floor with the great big stereo listening on a pair of headphones. I’ve since met Elton John and got to know him a bit.

The song that I do at karaoke
You want memorable lyrics and a melody everybody knows instinctively. Stand By Me by Ben E King has that soaring chorus: “Darling, darling, stand by me.” If you want to stand up in front of people, it’s a good choice.

The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
Wellerman by Nathan Evans: “There once was a ship that put to sea / The name of the ship was the Billy O’ Tea.” I don’t do a Scottish accent very well, but it’s fun to listen to and has a melody that stays in your head.

The song I streamed last
Caroline by Dave Hadfield, my brother. It’s about the wife of a voyager. I did an updated version on my album From the Space Station, and was recently relistening to the harmonies.

The song I can no longer listen to
This Old Guitar by John Denver. My best friend when I was a combat fighter pilot was a guy named Tristan. We played this song together all the time, but he was killed in an F18 accident. His wife asked me to play at his memorial service on his 12-string guitar. It took me 50 tries in practice before I could make it through without completely choking up.

The song I wish I had written
The Big Bang Theory Song, written by my friend, Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies, in 10 minutes in the shower, just before the phone call with the producers of the show. Now his entire retirement programme is the royalties.

The song that changed my life
When I was on board the space station, there was a clamouring on the internet for me to cover Space Oddity by David Bowie. My son said: “Just do it, Dad, or you’ll regret it for ever.” I had to get Bowie’s permission and he said it was the most poignant version ever. Millions of people have seen my version and it put laughter and joy in the face of David Bowie in the last couple years of his life. So that changed my life.

The song I want played in my funeral
Most songs about death are in first person, but in Danny Boy, it’s the father realising that by the time his son comes back, he’ll be dead. I love the melody and history.

On Earth and Space: Chris Hadfield’s Guide to the Cosmos is on tour now.