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Key
C Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Capo
None
Chords
C · F · G · Am · Dm
Elton John’s sci-fi classic about an astronaut’s loneliness is one of rock’s greatest songs. The sweeping chord progression creates a sense of vast space and melancholy.
Sweeping Rock Ballad (4/4 Time)
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Tip: The intro uses arpeggiated Am and Dm chords to create that floaty, spacey feel. Build the dynamics throughout – the chorus should feel like liftoff. Let chords ring and sustain.
Lyrics & Chords
Full Song
Verse 1
Am Dm
She packed my bags last night, pre-flight
F C
Zero hour, nine a.m.
F C F C
And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then
Chorus
C F
And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time
C
‘Til touchdown brings me ’round again to find
F C
I’m not the man they think I am at home
F G
Oh no, no, no, I’m a rocket man
Am F G C
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here a-lone
Verse 2
Am Dm
Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids
F C
In fact it’s cold as hell
F C F C
And there’s no one there to raise them if you did