Born in the New York City, New York district of Brooklyn, the son of Canadian singer Charles Jordan, Marc grew up in a musical household in Toronto after his father returned to Canada. He studied filmmaking at Brock University, but he soon turned to music; he first came to public attention as a guitar player for Bobby Vee.
With the Canadian division of CBS Records, Jordan released some singles in 1974 (titles: "It's a Fine Line", "New York Kids", "Original Sin"). They were not very successful themselves, but they impressed American music producer Gary Katz, and in 1977 Jordan reached a U.S. deal with Warner Bros. Records. This period with Warner would spawn the Canadian hit songs "Marina del Rey" and "Survival" from the record Mannequin and a second record with Jay Graydon producing called Blue Desert (released 1980). This recording is a classic of the "West Coast Sound".
In the 1980s, Jordan was signed to RCA. For two records, Paul Devilliers, produed the first Talking Through Pictures and Kim Bullard the second called C.O.W.. In 1988 Jordan sang and co-wrote the theme song to the hit Australian movie Boulevard of Broken Dreams which was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Film. In 1993, Jordan was signed to EMI/Blue Note. His records Reckless Valentine, Cool Jam Black Earth, This Is How Men Cry, and Make Believe Ballroom were much more jazz-oriented. Many of his older recordings have also been re-released.
Jordan is married to fellow singer-songwriter Amy Sky. They live in Toronto and cottage in the Muskokas with their two children.
Jordan and Sky are both national UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors for Canada.
Rockets
Marc Jordan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Biting my hands and making it all red
Healing my heart sores baby I can't fight.
I see rockets, I see riockets,
I see rockets,
Everytime I see your face.
There's nothing left but the rain,
My heart is aching and I can't say goodbye.
I think that the mood is ending,
I think that the messages we're sending,
are going down in flames.
I see rockets, I see rockets,
I see rockets,
Everytime I see your face.
Girls down here they'll do you right,
They'll steall your money,
But they'll hold you oh so tight.
And break your heart every Saturday night
Where the fates collide,
And all the sadness goes to die.
Hey
Going down in flames,
Going down in flames,
Everytime I see your face.
I see rockets x3>
The opening of Marc Jordan's song Rockets is quite powerful with the singer expressing the fact that he is too numb to feel the pain. He compares himself to John Lewis standing in the rain, and it is not clear if this alludes to a specific incident in the civil rights icon's life or if it is a general comparison to someone standing helpless in the midst of stormy weather. Jordan goes on to reveal that his pain is so acute that he has been biting his hands until they turn red. However, despite his best efforts, he cannot fight or heal the sores in his heart.
The chorus of the song has the ambiguous line "I see rockets" repeated three times. While it is easy to assume that this is a metaphorical phrase that could mean anything from feeling a sense of euphoria to experiencing intense pain, it is never quite clear what the rockets represent. The image of rockets is juxtaposed with the reference to seeing someone's face every time, which could mean that the rockets are connected to this individual in some way.
The second verse of the song sees the mood becoming darker as the singer confesses that his heart is aching and he cannot say goodbye. The messages that he and the other person are sending to each other are going down in flames, which could refer to the communication breaking down or the relationship coming to a fiery end. There is a mention of girls who will do you right, but they will also steal your money and break your heart every Saturday night. Still, the sadness and heartache of the singer seem to dissipate when he sings "going down in flames" at the end of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm too numb to feel the pain,
I am emotionally numb and cannot feel the pain of heartbreak.
I feel like John Lewis standing in the rain.
I feel isolated and alone in my pain, just like John Lewis standing in the rain.
Biting my hands and making it all red
I am so upset that I am physically harming myself by biting my hands until they are sore.
Healing my heart sores baby I can't fight.
Despite my pain, I am still hopeful that my heart will eventually heal.
I see rockets, I see rockets,
Whenever I see your face, I feel a rush of excitement and passion - like I'm seeing rockets.
There's nothing left but the rain,
My heart is broken and all that's left is the rain - a symbol of sadness and despair.
My heart is aching and I can't say goodbye.
I am still in love with you and can't bear to say goodbye, even though our relationship is over.
I think that the mood is ending,
I sense that our relationship is coming to an end.
I think that the messages we're sending,
Our communication is failing and we are not on the same page.
are going down in flames.
Our relationship is falling apart and is headed towards disaster.
Girls down here they'll do you right,
There are other women who will treat me well.
They'll steall your money,
But these women may not be trustworthy and could take advantage of me financially.
But they'll hold you oh so tight.
Despite their flaws, these women will still provide comfort and affection.
And break your heart every Saturday night
However, these relationships will ultimately end in heartbreak.
Where the fates collide,
In this world, it seems like fate is in control and our romantic destinies are predetermined.
And all the sadness goes to die.
In this place, sadness and heartbreak seem to be the norm rather than the exception.
Going down in flames,
Our relationship is collapsing and everything is falling apart.
Everytime I see your face.
Every time I see you, I feel a powerful attraction that is both exciting and painful.
I see rockets x3
These feelings are so intense that I feel like I am seeing rockets whenever I see you.
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.