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Post by Lori on Jul 31, 2003 23:24:38 GMT
That November night, looking up into the sky You said
"Hey, wish that was me up there It's the biggest rocket I could find And it's holding the night in its arms If only for a moment I can't see the look in its eyes But I'm sure it must be laughing"
But it seemed to me the saddest thing I'd ever seen And I thought you were crazy, wishing such a thing
I saw only a stick on fire Alone on its journey Home to the quickening ground With no one there to catch it
I put on my pointed hat And my black and silver suit And I check my gunpowder pack And I strap the stick on my back And, dressed as a rocket on Waterloo Bridge Nobody seems to see me Then, with the fuse in my hand And now shooting into the night And still as a rocket I land in the river
Was it me said you were crazy? I put on my cloudiest suit Size 5 lightning boots, too
'Cause I am a rocket On fire Look at me go, with my tail on fire With my tail on fire On fire Hey, look at me go, look at me...
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Post by Lori on Oct 22, 2003 20:18:12 GMT
Ok so after reading MM's own interpretation of this track (well, fantasy video) it's made me realise that I've never took any time to look into the lyrics and have no idea what it's all about. Can someone help me out here please?
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Post by strabley on Dec 31, 2003 20:30:29 GMT
Well, I know what Sigmund Freud would tell you it's about! I seem to recall Kate saying something about how ever since she heard "Rocket Man" she wanted to write a song about space travel. I guess none of them were good enough until 1989. (but what's wrong with "Stranded At The Moonbase"? Kate is such a perfectionist!) I also know that the song is named after her late cat, Rocket. I assume the title is some sort of in-joke pun.
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Post by Lori on Jan 1, 2004 22:27:36 GMT
I prefer 'Stranded at the Moonbase' much more than 'Rocket's Tail'.
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Post by Sto on Jan 1, 2004 22:49:16 GMT
I prefer 'Stranded at the Moonbase' much more than 'Rocket's Tail'. Blasphemy!
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Post by ~ Rocket's Tail ~ on Jan 28, 2004 15:45:05 GMT
I just posted a sort-of patchy interpretation at my site. It's one of two I have, but I think it's the most interesting. It's long, so if you want it, it's in the "This Woman's Work" section
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Post by Al Truest on Jan 28, 2004 19:33:06 GMT
Well written RT. I've read and for the most part concur. The rank of "Rocket's Tail" on this board has a similar connotation. i.e. streaking across the sky, making a name for one's self, specifically being noticed by everyone. I can see her thinking someone else crazy for seeking fame, but her perspective is more narrow than ours. Most of us will never see fame from her eyes. Perhaps it is a reminder for us to stay grounded.
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Post by brillo69 on Feb 28, 2004 3:19:43 GMT
Ok stop me if you already knew this, but I would like to avert your attention to the title of the song in general:
"Rocket's Tail (For Rocket)."
Now for the most part I haven't seen anybody refer to this song by it's full title and especially the part in brackets. For those who didn't know Rocket was Kate's cameraman on her early videos, most specifically the ones directed by Keef MacMillan.He(Rocket) also worked on early series of Red Dwarf. Like "Blow Away (For Bill)" the title in my opinion implies that this song is a tribute of sorts, as Sheila has already mentioned "an In-Joke".I'm not sure what Rocket's real name is/was but the story behind how he got the 'Rocket' moniker does make the lyrics of the song a little more clearer. (At least to me they do). The story goes that he got the name 'Rocket' when one time he was preparing to film an actual rocket launch but he missed the takeoff hence he was from there on referred to as Rocket. As for the lyrics of the song itself, I really don't think that there is any deep meaning there at all, it's just a simple well told song that is just littered with references to Guy Fawkes night and fireworks. It's just a fun song that requires no thought process whatsoever.
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Post by saloldgal on Sept 9, 2005 16:08:40 GMT
For me, "Rocket's Tail" is about thrill-seeking and the seductive power of self-destructive behavior (e.g. drug abuse, promiscuity, and so on). It describes, both in words and in sound, the experience of an essentially conservative/cautious person who is intrigued by the idea that "it's better to burn out than fade away" (please excuse the cliche) and ultimately chooses to "burn out".
P.S. - I find it interesting that the symbolism in this song fits the cliche so neatly, but my interpretation of the song actually isn't based on this similarity.
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Post by saloldgal on Sept 9, 2005 17:02:10 GMT
Ok so after reading MM's own interpretation of this track (well, fantasy video) it's made me realise that I've never took any time to look into the lyrics and have no idea what it's all about. Can someone help me out here please? Who is MM and where can I find the intepretation you mentioned in this post?
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Post by Xanadu on Sept 9, 2005 17:42:40 GMT
Ok so after reading MM's own interpretation of this track (well, fantasy video) it's made me realise that I've never took any time to look into the lyrics and have no idea what it's all about. Can someone help me out here please? Who is MM and where can I find the intepretation you mentioned in this post? He's was a semi-regular poster. You have to check out the thread Fantasy Video that I started ages ago. It's under the Video section. It's about 3 pages, but all the posts are worth reading. Let us know what you think. I really love his thoughts about Rocket's Tail. I actually think about it when I hear the song sometimes.
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Post by saloldgal on Sept 9, 2005 18:00:03 GMT
With reference to the interpretation I posted above...
Following are examples of why I think this song describes how self-destructive behavior is experienced and observed:
But it seemed to me the saddest thing I'd ever seen And I thought you were crazy, wishing such a thing I saw only a stick on fire Alone on its journey Home to the quickening ground With no one there to catch it
The lines above could easily describe the person who is self-destructing from an observer's point of view: Pitiful, isolated, consumed by the force that drives it, and soon to be deep in the ground.
The following lines could as easily describe how the person in question experiences the "high" they get from the same behavior:
'Cause I am a rocket On fire Look at me go, with my tail on fire With my tail on fire On fire Hey, look at me go, look at me...
To me, the point where the fuse is taken in hand represents the point where a person picks up that crack pipe for the first time...
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Post by saloldgal on Sept 9, 2005 18:00:54 GMT
Thanks Xan! I'll take a look...
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Post by saloldgal on Sept 9, 2005 18:08:33 GMT
I guess a milder and more positive interpretation of this song might be that it tells of a timid and cautious person who finally takes the risks needed to fully experience and enjoy life.
This is what I love about Kate's songs. - you can interpret them a dozen different ways, or you can skip the interpretation altogether and just enjoy them!
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Post by Xanadu on Sept 10, 2005 19:40:02 GMT
This is what I love about Kate's songs. - you can interpret them a dozen different ways, or you can skip the interpretation altogether and just enjoy them! Me too, Sal. The most wonderful part is to understand them on many levels, so that there are times where you just enjoy the music and others where Kate's themes will comfort or move you. I like to look at the actual references she makes and use them to support all possible interpretations. The crime would be to believe that there was only one right answer, because I don't even believe Kate knew at the time! She even makes reference to that on the Sensual World interview video before Love and Anger, about not knowing what it was about. But that doesn't mean that some general idea and feeling didn't come across, right? I also liked and really agree with some of the ideas you posted here about the song. It certainly could be considered some sort of emotional event. I do think that the reference to Waterloo Bridge is of great importance. Perhaps it's about the launch into celebrity, or into a relationship, or the highs and lows of destructive behavior. Or about maybe, just maybe, it could be about a rocket? ;D LOL
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