Bernie Taupin has been Elton John’s song writing partner since the late 1960’s. Bernie wrote Rocket Man and got his inspiration from a song by Pearls Before Swine and a short story by Ray Bradbury. The song was released at a time when space exploration was really booming.

LYRICS

She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour nine AM
And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It’s lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
‘Till touchdown brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
‘Till touchdown brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it’s cold as hell
And there’s no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don’t understand
It’s just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
‘Till touchdown brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
‘Till touchdown brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time

LEARN WITH THESE LYRICS

High as a kite: being as high up in the sky as a kite

Timeless: lasting forever

Gonna: going to

‘Till: until

Round: around

Ain’t: informal way of saying is not

Cold as hell: Extremely cold (as hell– a strong way of saying very or really)

It’s your turn. Sing along with the lyrics.

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Credits: Ernst Vikne – originally posted to Flickr as Elton John in Norway