In 1981, Burnette toured Europe with the final version of his late father's The Rock and Roll Trio. He also used the band on his next album, Get Hot or Go Home! on Enigma Records. It also sold poorly, and Enigma dropped Burnette and the Trio rather than release a follow-up.
Burnette worked with Rosie Flores and Dwight Twilley in the mid-1990s, and also contributed vocals and the original "Trouble Is I'm in Love With You" to Paul Burlison's 1997 Train Kept A-Rollin' . In 1996, Burnette released Tear It Up on Core Records, which went bankrupt almost immediately after its release.
Burnette continued to tour internationally, and wrote the European hit "You Got Away With Love" for Percy Sledge in 1997.
Riding On A Rocket
Rocky Burnette Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Metal plate chrome
Never gonna stop
Never comin' home
Riding on a rocket
Candy apple red
Open her up
Well, we're ridin' on a rocket deep in outer space
Galactic cops got me in a highspeed chase
Through the whole drive, down a black hole
Burnin' up rocket fuel and rock & roll
Riding on a rocket
Keep movin' on
With my space cadet
From Planet Gone
Riding on a rocket
Everybody's wishin'
They were with my baby
On an outer space mission
Well, we're ridin' on a rocket
What it's gotta be
Don't give a darn about gravity
Don't gotta be Einstein to figure it out
Ridin' on a rocket what it's all about
Riding on a rocket
Metal plate chrome
Riding on a rocket
Never gonna stop
Never comin' home
Riding on a rocket
Riding on a rocket
Well, it's a-rock,
A-rock,
A-rockabilly boogie
A-rock, a-rock,
A-rockabilly boogie
A-rock, a-rock,
A-rockabilly boogie
The song "Riding On a Rocket" by Rocky Burnette is a fun and catchy rockabilly tune that speaks to the thrill of adventure and the desire to break free from the constraints of everyday life. The lyrics paint a picture of someone riding a rocket with no plans to come back down to earth. The use of imagery, such as metal plate chrome and candy apple red, adds to the futuristic feel of the song.
The chorus emphasizes the sense of exhilaration and the feeling of being unstoppable, with the repeated "Never gonna stop, never comin' home" adding to the overall theme of endless exploration. The second verse introduces a bit of conflict, with the mention of "galactic cops" chasing the singer on their journey.
The final verse brings in the idea of being accompanied by a "space cadet" from "Planet Gone," introducing the idea of finding companionship in the unknown reaches of space. The repeated refrain of "riding on a rocket" highlights the central theme of the song - the joy of adventure and the thrill of the unknown.
Overall, "Riding On a Rocket" is a fun and playful song that speaks to the universal desire to explore and break free from the constraints of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Riding on a rocket
Traveling in a spacecraft at a high speed
Metal plate chrome
The spacecraft is shiny and has a chrome exterior
Never gonna stop
No plans to halt the rocket's motion
Never comin' home
The rocket is not returning to Earth
Riding on a rocket
Still traveling in space at high speed
Candy apple red
The spacecraft is red like candy apples
Open her up
Accelerating and going faster
Full speed ahead
Using maximum power to go forward
Well, we're ridin' on a rocket deep in outer space
The singer is flying in space really far away
Galactic cops got me in a highspeed chase
Being chased by policemen in space
Through the whole drive, down a black hole
Traveling through a black hole while being chased
Burnin' up rocket fuel and rock & roll
Using up fuel and listening to rock music while traveling
Riding on a rocket
Sustaining continued high-speed space travel
Keep movin' on
Continuing on in the rocket's journey
With my space cadet
The singer's companion on this space journey
From Planet Gone
The singer's companion is from a faraway planet
Riding on a rocket
Still traveling on this space journey
Everybody's wishin'
Everyone desires to join the singer and the companion
They were with my baby
The singer's companion is affectionately referred to as 'baby'
On an outer space mission
Describing the space journey as a mission
Well, we're ridin' on a rocket
Still on this thrilling space journey
What it's gotta be
The singer doesn't care about anything else
Don't give a darn about gravity
The singer doesn't worry about the force of gravity
Don't gotta be Einstein to figure it out
It's easy to understand this space journey with the singer and companion
Riding on a rocket what it's all about
The space travel with the singer and companion is the entire focus
Riding on a rocket
Continuing the space journey
Metal plate chrome
The shiny and sleek exterior of the spacecraft
Never gonna stop
Not planning on ending this space journey
Never comin' home
Not returning to Earth after the space journey
Riding on a rocket
Continuing the exciting adventure of space travel
A-rock,
Slang-style repetition of the word rock
A-rock,
Slang-style repetition of the word rock
A-rockabilly boogie
Referring to the musical style of this song
A-rock, a-rock,
Further repetition for emphasis
A-rockabilly boogie
Continuing to refer to its musical style
A-rock, a-rock,
More repetition for emphasis
A-rockabilly boogie
Continuing to refer to its musical style
Contributed by Alyssa L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.