A man of rare poetic honesty, Whitleymaintained a resolute musical integrity throughout his career. His more than a dozen albums range from raw-boned folk-rock to lush electro-blues.
Whitley was born in Houston, Texas. Though relatively unknown to the mainstream, he worked with many top named musicians throughout his career. In 1991, U2/Peter Gabriel producer Daniel Lanois and his protégé, Malcolm Burn, recorded Whitley's debut album Living With the Law (Malcolm Burn also produced 2005's Soft Dangerous Shores). In 2000, Whitley worked with Chris Wood and Billy Martin from the famed trio of Medeski, Martin and Wood, on the Perfect Day album. Others like Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby also appeared on 2001's Rocket House.
Whitley played a unique brand of confessional acoustic and electric blues, mixed with inspired modern rock. His lyrics often contained overt sexual references and sometimes bordered on the surreal. An avid fan of jazz saxophone legend John Coltrane, Whitley was a master of the National / Dobro, made famous by many of the great Mississippi delta blues players of the 1930's. Whitley also appeared in the concert documentary Hellhounds on my Trail - The Afterlife of Robert Johnson, with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green, jam band Gov't Mule, and blues guitarist Keb' Mo. In addition to recording his original material, Whitley has also guested on albums by Mike Watt, Rob Wasserman, Cassandra Wilson, Dave Pirner (of Soul Asylum) and Shawn Colvin.
"The notable constant has been the quality of craftmanship, and the consistent question of how Whitley's combination of super songs, muscular-but-poetic lyrics, athletic voice and rock-god guitar work hasn't earned him a wider audience." - Detroit Free Press
"The post-Hendrix explosion of whammybar wankers hasn't produced a single axeman who can compare to Chris Whitley. His eerie, bluesy voice and American gothic tunes frequently draw attention from the fact that he picks like a pissed off Doc Watson jacked through a Marshall stack" - RollingStone.com
Health and death
In fall 2005, Chris Whitley cancelled his tour due to health issues. Dan Whitley, his brother, revealed on November 11, 2005 that he was "in a comfortable warm home with hospice care at his disposal". Later that week it was revealed that he was terminally ill with lung cancer. On November 20, 2005, his death (at the age of 45) was announced by Dan Whitley and Chris' daughter, Trixie Whitley.
Rocket House
Chris Whitley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Empty buildings go flying by
So trapped above the atmosphere
I got no time to say goodbye
I was only out a thousand miles
All religions fall away
I been running for a hundred years
From counterpane to stratosphere
All conclusions fade to black
Is there freedom from the hemisphere
Where there is no going back
I been living in a rocket house
Empty buildings go flying by
So trapped above the atmosphere
I got no time to say goodbye
The lyrics of Chris Whitley’s “Rocket House” describe the feelings of being trapped and isolated in a space-like environment. The “rocket house” represents a place of confinement, where the singer is unable to escape the emptiness and loneliness of their surroundings. The “empty buildings go flying by” further emphasize the overwhelming sense of nothingness that the singer is experiencing. The reference to religion falling away suggests that the singer has lost touch with a sense of purpose or faith, and is struggling to find meaning in their current situation.
The line “I been running for a hundred years, but I always got some place to pray” indicates the singer’s tireless search for spiritual fulfillment in a seemingly endless journey. However, the repetition of the chorus “I been living in a rocket house, empty buildings go flying by, so trapped above the atmosphere, I got no time to say goodbye” highlights the sense of hopelessness and resignation that the singer is experiencing, despite their ongoing search for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
I been living in a rocket house
I have been isolated from the world in my own little world.
Empty buildings go flying by
I’m traveling so fast that things don't even register for me as anything other than a blur.
So trapped above the atmosphere
I am stuck in my own head and can't separate myself from my own thoughts.
I got no time to say goodbye
I don't have time to say goodbye to anything that I leave behind, whether it be people, places or things.
I was only out a thousand miles
I distance myself from everything so that it doesn't impact me emotionally.
All religions fall away
Despite the distances, I still believe God of some kind, but organized religion is not a part of my world anymore.
I been running for a hundred years
I'm always on the move, even if it’s just in my own mind.
But I always got some place to pray
Despite my isolation, I still have my faith in something.
From counterpane to stratosphere
My world is vast, from the smallest detail (a blanket) to the largest (the Earth's atmosphere).
All conclusions fade to black
All thoughts and logical conclusions fade into obscurity when I'm in this isolated state.
Is there freedom from the hemisphere
Is it possible to escape the confines of one's mind?
Where there is no going back
Once I've made a decision or moved on from something, there is no going back to how things were before.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS WHITLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind