Rocket Man
William Shatner feat. Steve Hillage Lyrics


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She packed my bags last night pre-flight
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
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 didn't
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

Now 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

The lyrics to William Shatner feat. Steve Hillage's song "Rocket Man" tell the story of an astronaut who is leaving Earth on a long journey in a spacecraft. The astronaut's bags have been packed and he is scheduled to take off at 9 a.m. He knows that he will be high in the sky and he will miss his wife and the Earth very much. The journey will be lonely as he travels on a "timeless flight."


As the astronaut travels into space, he realizes that it will be a long time before he returns. He also knows that he is not the same person he is at home, and that he is a rocket man. He is burning out his fuse up there alone. The lyrics suggest that he is going through a transformative experience as he journeys into space, and that his life will never be the same again.


The astronaut thinks about how Mars is not a place to raise kids; it is cold and inhospitable. He reflects on the fact that he does not fully understand the science behind his job, even though it is what he does five days a week. All of these thoughts and experiences contribute to his sense of isolation from the world he has left behind. The repetition of the lines "I'm not the man they think I am at home…Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone" reinforces the sense of separation and loneliness that the astronaut feels as he travels through space.


Line by Line Meaning

She packed my bags last night pre-flight
My partner packed my bags for me before I depart


Zero hour nine a.m.
I am departing in the morning at 9 AM


And I'm gonna be high, as a kite by then
I will be very excited and feeling free when I go


I miss the earth so much, I miss my wife
I feel homesick and miss both the planet and my loved one


It's lonely out in space
Being in space can be an isolating experience


On such a timeless flight
The journey feels like it will last forever


And I think it's gonna be a long long time
I anticipate the journey to be a lengthy one


Till touch down brings me round again to find
Until I return back to earth, I won't feel grounded


I'm not the man they think I am at home
I have a different persona when I am out in space


Oh no, no, no, I'm a rocket man
I am a space traveler and not just a regular man


Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
I am facing my challenges solo and struggling to manage them


Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
Mars is not a suitable place to bring up children


In fact it's cold as hell
The temperature on Mars can be unbearable


And there's no one there to raise them if you didn't
If you have children on Mars, you have to take care of them all by yourself


And all this science, I don't understand
I don't comprehend all the scientific knowledge out there


It's just my job, five days a week
My work as a rocket man is just a regular job for me, five days a week


Now I think it's gonna be a long long time
I am reflecting on the journey ahead as I prepare to depart


And I think it's gonna be a long long time
I am still reflecting on the lengthy journey ahead


And I think it's gonna be a long long time
Even as I travel, I still feel that the journey will last a long time


And I think it's gonna be a long long time
Reinforcing my belief that my journey will last a long time




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELTON JOHN, BERNARD J.P. TAUPIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@cielobuio

I came accross this on spotify by accident - love it !!

So, did Shatner perform this live with Steve Hillage or was it just a recording plyaed along to ?

@mikereiss4216

Not sure but I don't think they did it live together.

@SteveWattse

Not as good as his Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds! :-)

@tonycarter9840

William Shatner’s?

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