Rocket Man
Ofln - Elton John Lyrics


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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
'Til 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
'Til 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
'Til 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




'Til 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

Overall Meaning

In "Rocket Man," Elton John tells the story of an astronaut who is about to embark on a space mission. The song opens with the astronaut's wife packing his bags before his early morning launch. He anticipates the exhilaration of the experience, expressing that he will be "high as a kite" once the rocket takes off.


However, even with the excitement, the astronaut starts to feel the weight of being away from home and longs for Earth and his wife. He describes the loneliness of being in space on an endless, timeless flight. The line "I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife" portrays the deep emotional longing he feels, emphasizing the emotional strain of his journey.


The chorus repeats the idea that it will be a long time until he returns to Earth, and highlights the disconnect between the person he is perceived to be at home and the isolation he feels in outer space. While others may see him as a normal person when he's back on Earth, he identifies himself as a "rocket man" who is slowly burning out his fuel, stranded and alone in the vastness of space.


Elton John includes a thought-provoking verse about Mars not being a suitable place to raise children, reflecting on the harsh conditions and lack of human presence on the planet. The astronaut admits that he doesn't fully comprehend the science behind the mission but views it as just a job he performs five days a week. This depicts the astronaut's sense of duty, doing his part without fully grasping the complexity of the scientific endeavors he's involved in.


The repetition of the chorus reinforces the notion that the astronaut's return to Earth will take a significant amount of time. It also emphasizes the disparity between his public image and the truth of his isolated existence as a "rocket man." The repetition at the end of the song creates a sense of cyclical time, reflecting the repetitive nature of the astronaut's experience and perhaps the eternal solitude he faces.


Overall, "Rocket Man" explores themes of loneliness, longing for connection, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of exploration. It captures the poignant emotions of an astronaut separated from home while illuminating the inherent isolation of space travel.


Line by Line Meaning

She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Before the flight, my significant other packed my belongings


Zero hour, nine AM
The time of departure is 9 AM


And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I will be very happy and excited by that time


I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife
I feel a deep longing for my home planet and my spouse


It's lonely out in space
Being in space is a solitary and isolating experience


On such a timeless flight
This journey feels eternal and without a sense of time


And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
I believe this trip will last for a considerable duration


'Til touch down brings me round again to find
Until I return and regain my bearings


I'm not the man they think I am at home
My true identity is different from the perception people have of me back on Earth


Oh no no no, I'm a rocket man
I am a man who travels in a rocket, not what they assume


Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
As a rocket man, I feel overwhelmed and exhausted in this solitary environment


Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
Mars is not suitable for raising children


In fact it's cold as hell
In fact, it is extremely cold on Mars


And there's no one there to raise them if you did
Even if you tried to raise children on Mars, there would be no one else around to support in their upbringing


And all this science I don't understand
I don't comprehend all the scientific aspects of this mission


It's just my job five days a week
It's simply my occupation for five days in a week


A rocket man, a rocket man
I am a man who operates rockets




Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@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



All comments from YouTube:

@RedDuke777

I think itโ€™s gonna be a long long timeโ€ฆtill I ever stop listening to this classic.

@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 couldnโ€™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 iโ€™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. donโ€™t care if it takes a long long time , iโ€™ll be okay :).

@syncopatedglory

๐Ÿค—

@ashtonsides2612

Stay strong.

@ametalhead5676

baiting for likes ๐Ÿ—ฟ.

@RIXY_DRIFTER_

Stay strong

@louissmith6233

Not gonna lie I actually got a little teared up reading that, donโ€™t ever give up

174 More Replies...

@PeteTash32

This is one of those songs that makes me want to cry but makes me feel incredibly happy at the same time.
Truly beautiful things tend to do that to me.

@willritter4076

I'd be honored if some Elton John fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of LEVON and ROCKET MAN on my YT channel in tribute to the masters of 20th century composition and lyrics (Elton and Bernie Taupin). Live acoustic with no autotune. Thanks and peace.

@Bl4z3purple

Canโ€™t agree more! Just started listening to Elton John actually. Iโ€™ve been missing out.

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