Rocket Man
A song about a Mars-bound astronaut's mixed feelings at leaving Earth to do his job.
"Rocket Man", also known as "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)", is a song written by British musician Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally released on 31 March 1972 in the US, as the lead single to John's album Honky Château. The song first charted in the UK on 22 April, rising to No. 2 in the UK singles chart and No. 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming a major hit single for John. It is considered to be John's signature song.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Elton John
- Album
- Honky Château
- B-side
- Susie (Dramas)
- Released
- 31 March 1972
- Recorded
- 16 January 1972
- Studio
- Château d'Hérouville (Hérouville, France)
- Genre
- Pop rock
- glam rock
- psychedelic pop
- Length
- 4:35
Lore & Background
The song was inspired by Ray Bradbury's short story "The Rocket Man" in The Illustrated Man, about a professional astronaut whose work keeps him away from his anguished family for months at a time. It echoes the theme of David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity" (both recordings were produced by Gus Dudgeon). Taupin has denied that the Bowie song was an inspiration, but has acknowledged borrowing from Pearls Before Swine's 1970 "Rocket Man", written by Tom Rapp, which was also influenced by the Bradbury story. 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 aeroplane. The first stanza of "Rocket Man" was thought of by Bernie Taupin while he was on the motorway heading to his parents' home; he had to "repeat it to himself for two hours", which was "unfortunate", but in later interviews he said that since it gave him a hit, it was all worthwhile.
Reader's Guide
Originally released on 31 March 1972 in the US as the lead single to John's album Honky Château, the song first charted in the UK on 22 April, rising to No. 2 in the UK singles chart and No. 6 in the US Billboard Hot 100. On 5 June 2026, the song was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams of 2,400,000 digital downloads and streaming equivalent sales. With sales of five million in the US, the song was certified 5× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rolling Stone lists it at No. 149 of its 500 greatest songs of all time. On 6 January 2024, Rocket Man surpassed one billion streams on Spotify. The song has been covered by many artists, most notably by Kate Bush in 1991, and by Portuguese singer David Fonseca in 2007. John himself, alongside producer Pnau and singer Dua Lipa, included the song in his 2021 mashup single "Cold Heart (Pnau remix)". William Shatner's spoken-word version from 1978 has been widely parodied.
Track listing
UK 7-inch and cassette single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) | 5:02 |
| 2 | Candle in the Wind | 4:29 |
UK 12-inch and CD single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) | 5:02 |
| 2 | Candle in the Wind | 4:29 |
| 3 | Candle in the Wind (instrumental version) | 4:28 |
Did You Know?
- On the cover of the UK 7-inch single, John wears a Nudie Cohn-made suit originally made for John Christopher Ethridge of The Flying Burrito Brothers, which was later recovered and placed on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Elton John performed 'Rocket Man' at the launch site of Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998.
- In 2021, the song was sampled in Elton John and Dua Lipa's collaborative song 'Cold Heart'.
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