Rocket Man

[stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu (Steve VanDevender)]

I have finally been able to listen to Kate's cover of "Rocket
Man" and study it in detail.

It passes two important tests:  I got the tingly feeling the
first few times I listened to it, and I not only can stand to
listen to it over and over again, but really _want_ to.

There has been some argument lately over whether Kate's cover of
"Rocket Man" communicates the overall feeling of sadness that
some people are saying is fundamental to the song.  I think that
these people are missing the true genius of Kate's
interpretation, whether they say the song successfully
communicates a feeling of sadness or that its seemingly
light-hearted melody is at odds with the sad tone they think the
lyric requires.  In that Kate does successfully evoke sadness
when she thinks the song requires it, the first group is right;
however, they do not discuss the ways in which the song
communicates joy, and the opposing threads of joy and sadness
that run through the song.  Kate's interpretation of the song
disappoints those who think it should be sad throughout, but I
consider her interpretation more balanced and realistic, as well
as artistically more interesting.

   She packed my bag last night, pre-flight
   Zero hour, nine AM
   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

The first two verses of the song are accompanied by somber,
sparse music, and sung with a corresponding sense of wistfulness.
They frame a period prior to the Rocket Man's flight, a time when
he is apparently feeling anxious, and anticipating the unpleasant
aspects of his trip.  However, note that he says that he will be
"high as a kite" during the actual launch--a phrase usually used
to indicate a feeling of intense joy.

   [Chorus:]

      And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
      Til 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

The chorus is introduced with a change of the musical
accompaniment--the music becomes more upbeat and has the
controversial reggae beat.  Kate's vocals here are also stronger
and happier, and they reflect the joy that the Rocket Man feels
in his job--a joy tinged by his loneliness, which Kate also
expresses deftly.

   Mars ain't the kind of place to raise the 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
   A Rocket Man
   Rocket Man

These verses return to a more somber tone, and they reflect the
isolation and harshness of space, and the times when the Rocket
Man feels only the boredom of his duty.

The final choruses, and the closing vocals of the song, continue
to waver between joy and sadness, and emphasize the aspect of "a
long, long time."  In particular, the wordless vocals at the end
express this combination of joy and longing perfectly.
   
To me, Kate's version of "Rocket Man" is not intended to be
purely a song of sadness--it instead tries to communicate the
entire emotional experience of this rocket pilot.  He is anxious
in preparing for a launch, exhilarated by the launch and the
beauty of space, depressed by the tedium and isolation of the
journey.  When in space, he misses his home and family--and after
touchdown, he misses the grandeur of spaceflight.

Richard Caldwell, in particular, considers the song completely
unsuccessful and feels that it violates the original intent of
its authors.  I would say that he is disappointed with the song
because it violates his preconceptions.  It was up to Kate to
interpret the song for her cover, and she has developed a
self-consistent version that is more complex and interesting than
the original, by painting a detailed emotional picture of its
narrator and portraying those emotions accurately in her vocals
and music.  She has done what she does best.