“Once Elton had done what he had to do, which was play the piano and sing, he left,” Dudgeon once described. Ironically enough, producer Gus Dudgeon, has worked with The Beach Boys, Mary Wilson, and Voyager, among others, produced both aforementioned tracks. Soon, he arrived and jotted down what would blossom into one of pop’s most iconic ballads. Parallels have been drawn between the isolation of an astronaut alone in space to the isolation a rock. Making his way up to Lincolnshire, England, the song’s opening lyrics sprang into his mind, so he wove through back roads as quickly as he could, repeating the lyrics over and over in his head. Elton John - Rocket Man (Official Music Video) Even though Rocket Man was inspired by a science-fiction story, the meanings of the lyrics have been interpreted in many ways over the year, namely in line with the rock star isolation theory. In mid-1971, Taupin, who had moved to the United States a year prior, was visiting his parents. So I kind of took that idea and ran with it,” explained Taupin, who also, according to Ultimate Classic Rock, later quipped: “It’s common knowledge that songwriters are great thieves, and this is a perfect example.” 'People identify it, unfortunately, with David. In a 2016 video for Elton John's YouTube Channel, Bernie Taupin revealed that he was actually inspired to write the song by a short story featured in a 1951 book by Ray Bradbury. Contrary to popular belief, Taupin was not riffing off David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” (from his 1969 self-titled record), which explores a similar theme ─ but instead author Ray Bradbury’s short story called “The Rocket Man,” found in his 1951 collection “The Illustrated Man.” “ was about how astronauts in the future would become sort of an everyday job. Fans of the song may be surprised to learn, though, that the core inspiration behind 'Rocket Man' is a literary one. Saturday night is givin me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and Ill take that / If youre givin out love.

Words to rocket man by elton john