Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)

The song's harmonic brilliance lies in its dual-tonality. The verses are grounded in G Dorian, creating an atmospheric, melancholic sense of isolation. The transition to the relative major (Bb) for the chorus provides emotional release. The most distinctive feature is the C7 chord used in both sections: in the verse, it provides the Dorian character; in the chorus, it acts as a non-resolving secondary dominant (II7), a hallmark of Elton John's piano-driven songwriting that adds a bright, slightly regal tension before returning to the subdominant Eb.

Lyricist Bernie Taupin conceived the lyrics while driving to his parents' home in Lincolnshire. He had the opening lines in his head and had to repeat them for nearly two hours to avoid forgetting them before he could write them down. Elton John then composed the music on the piano in the breakfast room of the Château d'Hérouville in France.

Released in 1972, 'Rocket Man' is a definitive staple of 1970s soft rock that explored the loneliness of space travel as a metaphor for stardom. Its blend of Elton John's melodic piano work and David Hentschel's ethereal synthesizers helped define the 'Space Rock' subgenre.