Bush began writing songs at 11. She was signed to EMI Records after Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour helped produce a demo tape. Her debut album, The Kick Inside, was released in 1978. Bush slowly gained artistic independence in album production and has produced all her studio albums since The Dreaming (1982). She took a hiatus between her seventh and eighth albums, The Red Shoes (1993) and Aerial (2005). Bush drew attention again in 2014 with her concert residency Before the Dawn, her first show since 1979's The Tour of Life.
The TV series "Stranger Things" used Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" in Season 4. As a result of the resurgence of interest, in 2022 the song reached #1 on the UK charts, 37 years after its initial release, and generated 100s of millions of streams.
Bush's eclectic and experimental musical style, unconventional lyrics, performances, and literary themes have influenced a diverse range of artists. She has been nominated for 13 British Phonographic Industry accolades, winning for Best British Female Artist in 1987, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. In 2002, Bush was recognized with an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. Bush was appointed a CBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to music. She was nominated three times for induction in the 2018, 2021, and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Rocket Man
Kate Bush 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
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...
The song "Rocket Man" by Kate Bush, which is actually a cover of Elton John's original song, brings to life the life of a lonely astronaut lost in outer space. The lyrics describe how he is packed and ready for his pre-flight, knowing that zero hour nine a.m. is the time for lift-off. He tells us he will be "high as a kite" after he takes off into space. However, the loneliness that comes with space exploration also hits him and he misses his wife and the earth. The astronaut reflects on how lonely it can be in space and how surreal the experience is.
The chorus of the song says "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," indicating that he has changed through his experiences in space, and that his return to Earth may be a difficult one. He’s discovering cosmic solitude, and feels distant from his life, him and his wife. From the phrase "Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone," we know the astronaut will continue with his journey alone and that it's a lot harder than he imagined. "Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids", he reflects on how the barren planet is not a suitable environment to have a family. He highlights the sacrifice he and other astronauts make, and how they often dedicate themselves to their job and missions.
Line by Line Meaning
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
My partner packed my things before I blasted off
Zero hour nine a.m.
The exact moment of my launch was at 9 am
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
Once I'm up in space I'll feel elated, like I'm high on drugs
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
I'm feeling homesick and overwhelmed with longing for my loved ones back home
It's lonely out in space
Being isolated and separated from everything I know has left me feeling very alone
On such a timeless flight
This journey will feel endless and unchanging despite the gradual changes in my surroundings
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
I'm anticipating that it will be a significant amount of time before I'm able to return home
Till touch down brings me round again to find
Only when I land back on Earth will I feel whole again
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Being a rocket man has changed me, I am not the same person I used to be
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
I have transformed into a man whose life is defined by space travel
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
I feel like a firework whose fuse is quickly burning out and I am completely alone up here
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
Mars is not a place where you would want to raise a family, it's just not suitable for them
In fact it's cold as hell
The climate on Mars is extremely cold
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
If someone did try to raise their kids on Mars, they would have to do it themselves as there is no one else there
And all this science I don't understand
I'm not a scientist, and all of the intricacies of space travel can be difficult for me to comprehend
It's just my job five days a week
Being a rocket man is just a job to me, and I leave it behind when I return to Earth on weekends
A rocket man, a rocket man
I am a person who travels in rockets, and that's all that I am
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Naitsabes 1999
I remember buying this when it came out as a single by Elton John. I couldn’t stop playing it - I loved it so much. Most artists in the mid seventies played guitar but Elton played piano and I dreamed of being able to play like him.
Years later in 1989, Elton and Bernie Taupin were putting together an album called Two Rooms, which was a collection of cover versions of their songs, each featuring a different singer. To my delight they asked me to be involved and I chose Rocket Man. They gave me complete creative control and although it was a bit daunting to be let loose on one of my favourite tracks ever, it was really exciting. I wanted to make it different from the original and thought it could be fun to turn it into a reggae version. It meant a great deal to me that they chose it to be the first single release from the album.
That meant I also had the chance to direct the video which I loved doing - making it a performance video, shot on black and white film, featuring all the musicians and... the Moon!
Alan Murphy played guitars on the track. He was a truly special musician and a very dear friend. Tragically, he died just before we made the video so he wasn’t able to be there with us but you’ll see his guitar was placed on an empty chair to show he was there in spirit.
This is the first time this video has officially been released since its original TV broadcast.
From THE OFFICIAL SITE OF KATE BUSH
Brian Arbenz
Kate Bush never pushed her music on the world through hype. She let you discover it. And when you do, you have found perfection!
robbie czajka
discovered, finally
naomi canuto
So true.
Jim Durso Singer/Songwriter
Best review ever
Serhan Sahin
Best summary for her style and music ❤
bethlehem tilahun
❤❤❤❤
Mat Broomfield
The world is so much better with Kate in it. Her music has been an unending source of pleasure since I was a teenager. Never get bored with it, never stop loving her voice, never stop loving her performance persona, never stop loving her mind, never stop loving her lyrics. Thanks Kate! x
Mat Broomfield
@Nellie S It's wonderful to hear that you have discovered Kate's music Nellie. I don't pretend to know her except through her music and her reclusiveness, but she seems to have such a lovely if troubled mind, and it comes across in both lyrics and melodies. Just rediscovered her very first album this year. Owned it for decades, and yet it feels more fresh and exciting to me now than it ever did.
If you haven't listened to Before the Dawn - you have a wonderful treat in store and her son sings on that again - no longer the little boy boy in 50 words for snow, but a young man in his own right. You mentioned another albums you had yet to listen to - which was it?
I hope that you will always derive as much pleasure from Kate's music as I do - it's like an oasis no matter where my life leads.
Vicky Taylor
@Nellie S Go Nellie...love that you have found her.
la vie en rose
“Lily” is extra awesome on Director’s Cut; I love love love Kate and I’m so happy you’ve discovered her. You must watch her Tour of Life; it’s on YouTube..... God bless you 🖤🖤