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 )
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
Rocket Man is a song by Elton John that tells the story of an astronaut leaving on a space mission. The song starts with the astronaut packing his bags for his journey, knowing that he won't see his wife and family for a long time. He hopes that he will be able to get high before takeoff to cope with the feeling of loneliness he already anticipates. As he begins the journey, he finds himself missing the Earth and his family and realizing just how lonely and timeless space travel can be.
As the song progresses, Rocket Man laments that he isn't the same man his family believes he is. He no longer feels like an ordinary man after being chosen to embark on such a unique and dangerous journey. He compares himself to a rocket that burns out its fuel during flight and is left alone in space. The mention of Mars represents the distance and the need for the astronaut to stay focused on the present moment and his mission without being distracted by past connections and emotions. This song is often interpreted as a reflection of the isolation and loneliness that can come with being a public figure or a high-achieving individual with great responsibilities who cannot share their burden openly.
Overall, Rocket Man is a well-crafted masterpiece with an impeccable melody and lyrics that touch on themes of loneliness and the longing for human connections. It has emotional depth to it that connects with many people, especially those who may not have experienced space travel first hand. The song has become an enduring classic loved by many generations.
Line by Line Meaning
She packed my bags last night, pre-flight
My preparations for a rocket launch have been completed with my wife packing my bags last night before my flight.
Zero hour, nine AM
My rocket's scheduled launch time is 9 AM.
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I will be experiencing great excitement during my upcoming spaceflight.
I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife
Being away from my home and wife makes me emotional and I yearn for both.
It's lonely out in space
Being in space can bring in feelings of loneliness.
On such a timeless flight
My spaceflight seems infinite and never-ending.
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
I believe that my journey through space will be an extended period of time before I land back on Earth.
Till touch down brings me 'round again to find
Only after my return to Earth, will I realize my true identity.
I'm not the man they think I am at home
People have perceived me falsely, and I am different from their perceived image.
Oh, no, no, no, I'm a rocket man
I identify as a space traveler, and not the man people see me as.
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
The intense nature of being a space traveler leaves me emotionally drained and alone in space.
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
Mars is not a suitable or habitable location to raise and nurture children.
In fact, it's cold as Hell
The atmosphere on Mars is incredibly cold, and not conducive to human survival.
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
Even if someone was to raise children on Mars, no one else would be around to aid or assist them.
And all this science I don't understand
The scientific details of space travel are beyond my comprehension.
It's just my job five days a week
My work as a space traveler is only a five-day-a-week job.
A rocket man, a rocket man
I am a space traveler who will continue to be one as long as I have the opportunity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, BERNARD J.P. TAUPIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@craighombre4048
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 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
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 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
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
@WhatIsTheDill
I played this song for a few friends. None of them liked it. Clearly I need new friends
@jakethesnake1312
I'll be your friend
@Trolligi
I’ll be your friend lol
@josephchetelat5772
my friends and I still play this around the campfire.
@osjorjoes
TRUE
@joeshmoe7967
VERY clearly!!
@frenzyy34
while going through radiation at the hospital for cancer treatment , they always ask what playlist i want to listen to. my go to is always either an elton john playlist or a queen playlist. but i remember on my last radiation appointment i chose elton and i was listening to this song as i finished. i had been feeling so distant because i couldn’t do much cause how sick i was, but this song brought me so much happiness. and in that moment, for some reason i knew that i’d get through it and be alright in the end. and here i am still alive to this day fighting cancer for the 7th time and i will never give up. don’t care if it takes a long long time , i’ll be okay :).
@syncopatedglory
🤗
@ashtonsides2612
Stay strong.
@ametalhead5676
baiting for likes 🗿.