John was raised in the Pinner suburb of London and learned to play piano at an early age, forming the blues band Bluesology in 1962. After leaving Bluesology in 1967 to embark on a solo career, John met Taupin after they both answered an advert for songwriters. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician for artists. John released his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, and a year later formed the Elton John Band and released his first hit single, "Your Song".
John's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s when he released a streak of chart-topping albums in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château (1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies (1975). John continued his success in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and has continued to record new music since then. He has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King, Aida, and Billy Elliot the Musical. In 2018, John began his ongoing farewell tour Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which is scheduled to conclude in 2023. The 2019 biopic Rocketman dramatized his life and career.
Outside of music, John is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million since its inception, and a year later he began hosting his annual Foundation Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. John was the chairman and director of Watford F.C, from 1976 to 1987, and again from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary life president of the club. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, John developed a severe addiction problem to drugs and alcohol but has been sober since 1990. He entered into a civil partnership with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish in 2005; they married after same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014.
John has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number-ones in the UK and US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version of his 1974 single in dedication to Princess Diana, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. In 2021, John became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.
John has received numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards; including for Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legend Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and is a fellow of The Ivors Academy. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and charitable services in 1998 and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) in 2020.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John
Solo studio albums
Empty Sky (1969)
Elton John (1970)
Tumbleweed Connection (1970)
Madman Across the Water (1971)
Honky Château (1972)
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)
Blue Moves (1976)
A Single Man (1978)
Victim of Love (1979)
21 at 33 (1980)
The Fox (1981)
Jump Up! (1982)
Too Low for Zero (1983)
Breaking Hearts (1984)
Ice on Fire (1985)
Leather Jackets (1986)
Reg Strikes Back (1988)
Sleeping with the Past (1989)
The One (1992)
Made in England (1995)
The Big Picture (1997)
Songs from the West Coast (2001)
Peachtree Road (2004)
The Captain & the Kid (2006)
The Diving Board (2013)
Wonderful Crazy Night (2016)
Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021)
Rocket Man '03
Elton John 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
Till touch down brings me round again to find
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
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
Till touch down 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 touch down 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
The song "Rocket Man" by Elton John is a melancholic exploration of loneliness and isolation, both physical and emotional. The opening lines describe the singer's departure from Earth and his anticipation of being "high as a kite" once he's in space. However, this excitement is quickly tempered by the realization of how much he misses his wife and the familiarity of life on Earth. The sense of disconnection and detachment from home is amplified by the endless expanse of space, which amplifies the singer's sense of insignificance and separation.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on his isolation and how the scientific work he is doing feels incomprehensible to him. The line "Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids" underscores the singer's feeling of being disconnected from the human experiences that make life on Earth meaningful. He is a "rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone" and he seems resigned to the fact that he may never return home.
The repetition of the chorus underscores the singer's sense of timelessness, as if he is perpetually caught in this state of disconnection and isolation. It is a poignant portrayal of the emotional toll that space travel can take on an individual, and a reminder that even the most extraordinary experiences can't replace the comfort and warmth of home.
Line by Line Meaning
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
My wife helped me prepare for my space mission
Zero hour nine a.m.
The launch is scheduled for nine in the morning
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I will feel euphoric and exhilarated once I'm in space
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
I feel homesick and long for the comfort of my home and family
It's lonely out in space on such a timeless flight
Being in space is isolating and makes me feel disconnected from the rest of the world
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
I anticipate that my time in space will feel lengthy and drawn-out
Till touch down brings me round again to find
Returning to Earth will be a relief and a welcome change
I'm not the man they think I am at home
The perception of me as a confident and capable astronaut may not match who I am in my personal life
Oh no, no, no I'm a rocket man
I am a person who works with rockets and travels through space
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
The stresses of space travel are taking a toll on me both physically and emotionally
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
The harsh and unforgiving environment of Mars is not suitable for children
In fact it's cold as hell
The temperature on Mars is extremely low and inhospitable
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
Even if someone wanted to raise children on Mars, there is no support system or infrastructure in place to do so
And all this science I don't understand
The technical and scientific aspects of my work are beyond my comprehension
It's just my job five days a week
I go to work and do what is required of me, but it is not a passion or interest of mine
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
Once again, I anticipate a prolonged and difficult time in space
Contributed by Alexis L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@chloegordon1716
Maybe it's from watching Californication but I can't help but associate this particular version of this song with a drastic even or change in life.
When I moved back to my hometown, this song was the only thing I played on that hour and a half drive back.
When I quit my old job and found a new one, this song was playing on my way to and from my new job.
I just got accepted into community college so I can get out of retail and came back to this song today.
I will likely be listening to it again when I graduate.
@brunosousa7407
She packed my bags last night, preflight
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
Ah, 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
Ah, 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
Ah, no no no...
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' out his fuse
Up here alone
She packed by bag last night, preflight
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
Ah, 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
Ah, no no no...
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' out his fuse
Up here alone
@robertshao8274
Californication was always such a powerful show to me. Not sure why, but I've never felt the feels more than from this show. Gonna miss it.
@m1stformer
just saw the ending yesterday. im still feeling it this morning and listening to this song non stop. It was the best thing i saw in my 25 years on this planet
@MoLetalis
m1stformer I also felt the awful ending the day after. Too bad this show has sunk to the bottom of TV-land.. because the first 4 seasons were also the best thing I ever saw in TV history.
@marceljoergmjr
True Story
@evanrohde5521
Best written show ever 💯
@jesspower87
Californication. Amazing series. 👌🏼
@XBOXSUCHTI34
Best Serie i have ever watched!! They should bring more seasons...
@tomdude75
Jessica Power keep seeing comments like that have never heard of the show lol
@jesspower87
Tom CFC oh my god. You need to watch it. Such a great series. Heads up, not one for family viewing. 👌🏼
@SkaffaboysNL
Jessica Power I came here because of Californication after finishing watching the complete serie for the second time. Fucking love Californication!