Single:
Rocket Man entered the Australian singles chart* on 15 May 1972 peaked at #13. The song was #67 on the Top 100 of 1972.
Album:
The song is on Honky Château which entered the Australian albums chart* on 24 July 1972 and peaked at #4.
Songwriters:
Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer:
Gus Dudgeon
Record label of Australian release:
DJM
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Video 1
Studio audio – album and single:
Supported by YouTube, The Cut invited filmmakers to create the first official music videos for three of Elton’s most famous songs. In his own interpretation of Elton John’s iconic hit Rocket Man, Iranian filmmaker and refugee Majid Adin reimagines the song to tell a new story of adventure, loneliness and hope.
Video 2
Recorded live in 1972:
Songfacts:
Space exploration was big in 1972; the song came out around the time of the Apollo 16 mission, which sent men to the moon for the fifth time.
The inspiration for Bernie Taupin’s lyrics, however, was the short story The Rocket Man, written by Ray Bradbury. The sci-fi author’s tale is told from the perspective of a child, whose astronaut father has mixed feelings at leaving his family in order to do his job. It was published as part of the anthology The Illustrated Man in 1951.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/elton-john/rocket-man
ABC:
Before Rocket Man, Elton had only one substantial hit, Your Song. When Rocket Man hit the airwaves, it transformed his career almost overnight and saved him from being written off as a one-hit wonder.
Read more: Rocket Man changed Elton John’s career almost overnight — 50 years on, it remains an anthem
Lyrics:
She packed my bags last night, pre-flight
Zero hour, 9 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
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
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