Rocket Man

Rocket Man, Rocketman, or RocketMan may refer to several articles:

  • Astronaut
  • Works of fiction

  • The Rocket Man (1954 film)
  • RocketMan, a 1997 science-fiction comedy film
  • Rocketman, a film in production by Icelandic director Dagur Kári
  • Rocketman, a film in production starring Tom Hardy as Elton John
  • "Rocket Man" (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent
  • Rocket Man (TV series), a 2005 UK drama series starring Robson Green
  • Rocket Man (manga), a detective fiction manga by Motohiro Katou
  • "Rocketman!!", a chapter of the manga series One Piece
  • "The Rocket Man", a short story by Ray Bradbury, collected in his book The Illustrated Man
  • "Rocketman," an identity adopted by the character Tyrone Slothrop in Thomas Pynchon's novel Gravity's Rainbow
  • Music

  • "Rocket Man" (song), a 1972 song by Elton John
  • Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits, a 2007 album by Elton John
  • Rocket Man: Greatest Hits Live, a 2007–2010 tour by Elton John
  • "Rocket Man", a 1970 song by the band Pearls Before Swine
  • Rocket Man (song)

    "Rocket Man" is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and originally performed by John. The song echoes the theme of David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity" (both recordings were produced by Gus Dudgeon), but according to an account in Elizabeth Rosenthal's book His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, the song was inspired by Taupin's sighting of either a shooting star or a distant airplane. The account goes on to relate that the notion of astronauts no longer being perceived as heroes, but in fact as an "everyday occupation", led him to the song's opening lines: "She packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour: 9 a.m. And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then."

    The song first appeared on John's 1972 album Honky Château (under the title "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)") and became a hit single, rising to #2 in the UK and #6 in the U.S.

    Song information

    The lyrics in the song, inspired by the short story "The Rocket Man" in The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, and written by John's longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, describe a Mars-bound astronaut's mixed feelings at leaving his family in order to do his job. Musically, the song is a highly arranged pop ballad anchored by piano, with atmospheric texture added by synthesizer (played on the recording by engineer Dave Hentschel) and processed slide guitar. It is also known for being the first song in John's catalog to feature what would become the signature backing vocal combination of his band at the time, Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone.

    The Rocket Man (1954 film)

    The Rocket Man is a 1954 comedy film by 20th Century Fox, directed by Oscar Rudolph, and produced by Leonard Goldstein. The script was co-written by Lenny Bruce and Jack Henley from a story by George W. George and George F. Slavin. The film was a comedy with science-fiction elements, with a tag line, “Out-of-this-world laughter and down-to-earth charm when the face from space turns out to be ... the kid next door!”

    The New York Times found the fact that comedian Lenny Bruce was one of the film's writers was the "strangest aspect of the low-budget production", noting that the film contains little of Bruce's trademark humor.

    Cast

  • George "Foghorn" Winslow (Timmy)
  • Charles Coburn (Mayor Ed Johnson)
  • Spring Byington (Justice Amelia Brown)
  • John Agar (Tom Baxter)
  • Anne Francis (June Brown)
  • Beverly Garland (Ludine)
  • Stanley Clements (Bob)
  • Emory Parnell (Big Bill Watkins)
  • References


    Podcasts:

    PLAYLIST TIME:

    Rocket Man

    by: Naked Eyes

    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 touchdown 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
    Rocket man, I'm a rocket man
    And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
    Till touchdown 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
    A rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
    Burning out his fuse up here alone
    Burning out his fuse up here alone
    I'm a rocket man, I'm a rocket man




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