Rocketman
William Hung Lyrics


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She packed by bag last night, preflight
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
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Ah, no no no...
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' 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
Rocket Man

And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Ah, no no no...

And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Ah, no no no...
I'm a rocket man
Rocket man
Burnin' 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

Long, long, time
Long, long, time





Ah, no, no, no...
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to William Hung's song "Rocketman" tell the story of an astronaut who is preparing for a space mission. As he packs his bags and gets ready to leave Earth, he reflects on the things he will miss, particularly his wife. He describes the loneliness of space travel and how he will be "high as a kite" when he launches. The astronaut then talks about his destination, Mars, and how it's not a suitable place to raise children.


Throughout the song, the astronaut struggles with his identity: he feels misunderstood by those on Earth and is unsure of his own place in the world. He repeats the chorus several times, emphasizing the phrase "I'm not the man they think I am at home," suggesting a disconnect between his public persona and his true self.


The song's lyrics were originally written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and were first released in 1972. William Hung's cover of the song became famous after his audition for American Idol in 2004, in which he performed a comically bad version of the song. Despite the initial negative reaction from the judges and audience members, Hung's performance has since gained a cult following and has been viewed millions of times online.


Line by Line Meaning

She packed by bag last night, preflight
She packed her bag last night before the spaceship launch


Zero hour, nine a.m.
It's the scheduled time for the launch at 9 AM


And I'm gonna be high
I'm going to be weightless in space


As a kite by then
As high as a kite due to the anti-gravity environment


I miss the earth so much
I'm homesick for Earth


I miss my wife
I'm missing my wife


It's lonely out in space
Being in space can be lonely


On such a timeless flight
The flight feels endless due to the vastness of space


And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
The journey is going to be long


'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find
I won't be back on Earth until I land


I'm not the man they think I am at home
People have misconceptions about me at home


Ah, no no no...
I don't agree with those misconceptions


I'm a rocket man
I'm an astronaut


Rocket man
Just emphasizing that I'm an astronaut


Burnin' out his fuse
Using up all my energy/resources quickly


Up here alone
Being alone in space


Mars ain't the kind of place
Mars isn't a good place to live


To raise your kids
It's not suitable for raising kids on Mars


In fact, it's cold as hell
It's bitterly cold on Mars


And there's no one there to raise them
There's no one on Mars to help raise children


If you did
Even if someone tried to raise children on Mars


And all this science
I don't understand all the science involved in space travel


I don't understand
I admit that I don't understand everything


It's just my job
But it's my job to be here


Five days a week
I work five days a week like any other job


And I think it's gonna be a long, long, time
Again, emphasizing the long duration of the trip


Ah, no no no...
Disagreeing with misconceptions about me


Long, long, time
The journey is going to be a long time


Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...
Disagreeing with those misconceptions more loudly




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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