While Taupin was still a boy, his father decided to try his hand at independent farming, and the family relocated again, this time to a run-down property called Maltkiln Farm in the north-Lincolnshire village of Owmby-by-Spital. Here a third brother, Kit, was born 11 years junior to Bernie. The family attended Holy Rood Catholic Church in the town of Market Rasen, where Bernie and Tony served as altar boys. Bernie attended school at Market Rasen Secondary Modern. Unlike his older brother, he was not a diligent student, although he showed an early flair for writing. At 15 he dropped out of school. He spent his teenage years hanging out with his friends, hitchhiking the country roads to attend youth club dances in the surrounding villages, playing snooker in the Aston Arms Pub in Market Rasen, and drinking ale well before his eighteenth birthday. He had worked at several part-time, dead-end jobs when, at the age of 17, he answered an advertisement that led to his collaboration with Elton John.
In 1967, he answered an advertisement for a lyric writer placed in the New Musical Express by Liberty records A&R man Ray Williams. Thus began the famous and well-loved songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The pair have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date, though John worked with other lyricists between 1977 and 1983. Taupin's lyrics include such memorable tunes as "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer", "Candle in the Wind", "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", and 1970's "Your Song", their first hit.
In 1971, Taupin recorded a spoken-word album entitled Taupin, in which he recites some of his early poems against a background of impromptu, sitar-heavy music created by some members of Elton's band, including Davey Johnstone and Caleb Quaye. Side One is entitled "Child" and contains poems about his early childhood in southern Lincolnshire. The first poem, "The Greatest Discovery," which looks at his own birth through the eyes of his older brother, was also set to music by Elton John and included on the Elton John (album). There are poems about Taupin's first two childhood homes, Flatters and Rowston Manor, and others about his relationship with his brother and grandfather. Side Two includes a variety of poems of varying obscurity, from a marionette telling her own story to a rat catcher who falls victim to his prey. While the lyrics to Side One provide interesting insights into Taupin's childhood, the album makes for a tedious listening experience, and Taupin stated in interviews that he wasn't pleased with the results.
In 1980, Taupin recorded his first album as a singer, He Who Rides the Tiger. Although he demonstrated a more-than-adequate vocal ability, the album failed to make a dent in the charts. Taupin later suggested in interviews that he didn't have the creative control he would have liked over the album.
In 1987, he recorded another album entitled Tribe. The songs were co-written with Martin Page. "Citizen Jane" and "Friend of the Flag" were released as singles. Videos of both singles featured Taupin and then-wife Toni Russo, and the "Citizen Jane" video also included Toni's sister, actress Rene Russo. Once again, neither the album nor the singles made much of a dent in the charts.
In 1996, Taupin pulled together a band called Farm Dogs, whose two albums were conscious (and successful) throwbacks to the grittier, earthier sound of Tumbleweed Connection. While Taupin wrote the lyrics, the music was a collaborative effort among the band members. Their first album, 1996's Last Stand in Open Country, received critical praise but little airplay. As mentioned above, the title track was later recorded by Willie Nelson and Kid Rock for Nelson's 2002 album The Great Divide.
In 1998, Farm Dogs released its second and final album, Immigrant Sons. Again a respectable effort, the album went nowhere despite a tour of small clubs across America.
Rocket Man
Bernie Taupin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Zero hour, nine A.M.
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
'Til 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
Burnin' out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til 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
Burnin' 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
Rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til 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
Burnin' out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til 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
Burnin' 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
The opening lines of Bernie Taupin's Rocket Man describe the preparations for a space launch, with the singer indicating that his bags have been packed and that he is about to leave for his space mission. He is aware that it is going to be a long journey and that it is going to be an isolating experience, and he reflects on how much he misses his life back on Earth. As the rocket takes off, he realizes just how far away from home he really is, remarking how lonely it is out in space.
As the song progresses, the singer contemplates the scientific and social implications of space travel. He observes that Mars, one possible destination for space missions, is not a place where people can make their homes or raise their children. He also reflects on the idea that science can be a challenging subject to understand, but nonetheless, he is motivated by his job as a rocket man, spending five days a week exploring the furthest reaches of space.
Rocket Man is a poignant exploration of the isolation that can come with space travel and the sense of disconnection that can arise from being so far away from home. In addition to speaking to the experience of astronauts, the song has also been interpreted as a reflection on the sense of alienation that people can feel in contemporary society. At its heart, the song is a poignant meditation on the human longing for connection and the challenges that can arise when that connection is broken.
Line by Line Meaning
She packed my bags last night, pre-flight
My wife helped me pack for my trip, knowing that I would be leaving soon.
Zero hour, nine A.M.
My journey will begin at precisely 9 in the morning.
And I'm gonna be high
As a kite by then
I will be exhilarated by the experience of flying to space by then.
I miss the Earth so much, I miss my wife
I feel homesick and miss being with my loved ones on Earth.
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight
The loneliness of being in space and the duration of the journey make time seem to stand still.
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no no no
I anticipate that it will take a while for me to come back home and when I do, people may not recognize me for the person I have become due to my experiences in space.
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' out his fuse up here alone
I am an astronaut who lives a solitary life in space, burning through resources, and trying to accomplish my mission.
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
Mars is not suitable for human habitation and raising children in the harsh environment is nearly impossible.
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job, five days a week
A rocket man
Rocket man
I am not a scientist, but my job is to explore space using the latest technologies, and I work on this mission five days a week.
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til 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
Burnin' out his fuse up here alone
I repeat my earlier thoughts about my journey being a long one, and how my experience will change me, and my life is nothing but isolation, space travel and pursuing my job in space.
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
'Til 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
Burnin' out his fuse up here alone
I reiterate my inner turmoil about my life in space and my life back on Earth after I come back home.
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
I repeat my thoughts about the duration of my journey in space, underscoring how long it will feel and the fear of the impact it will have on my life.
Contributed by Kaelyn O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Harper Craven
Taron Egerton and Jamie Bell had absolutely perfect chemistry and my favorite scenes in this movie had the two of them
Rebecca
One of my favorite scenes. The instant connection is so heartwarming and cute.
Erik the Green of Ireland
I bet Elton John and David Furnish's kids call Bernie Taupin their uncle or godfather.
Ace Ofspades
aww uncle bernie
I'm just some Canadian guy and I say
They have better romantic chemistry than most romcoms!!! And they're not even romantically entwined!
Billy Garcia
The musical cue at the start makes me think the song they’re talking about is Tiny Dancer...
Lolo Lolo
Does someone know what the glasses that Elton is wearing are called???
KatarínaSK
I've heard "You must be Altamont"😂😂
Patrick
superb
alohakat
NO YOU’RE CRYING