Elton John - Rocket Man (official Music Video) Apr 2026

Elton John: The Cut – Three New Elton Videos Revealed in Cannes

: The song explores a future where being an astronaut is a mundane, exhausting 5-day-a-week job, rather than a heroic feat.

: Remarkably, Elton John himself admitted in a 2023 interview that he had never known about the Ray Bradbury inspiration until decades later. Elton John - Rocket Man (Official Music Video)

The official video is an animated masterpiece co-directed by , an Iranian refugee, and Irish director Stephen McNally . Adin reimagined the "Rocket Man" character not just as an astronaut, but as a metaphor for the refugee experience .

The official music video for Elton John ’s 1972 hit was not actually released until May 2017 . While the song became a global sensation in the early '70s, it lacked a formal promotional film for 45 years until Elton John launched a global competition called "Elton John: The Cut" in partnership with YouTube. The Winning Vision: Majid Adin Elton John: The Cut – Three New Elton

Despite popular belief that the song was a response to David Bowie's "Space Oddity," lyricist based it on the short story "The Rocket Man" from Ray Bradbury's 1951 anthology, The Illustrated Man .

: In the video, a rocket is used to represent the various modes of transport refugees use, such as boats or trains, highlighting the disorientation of starting a new life. Adin reimagined the "Rocket Man" character not just

: Adin used his own personal journey—traveling across Europe and staying in the "Calais Jungle" camp—to ground the lyrics in a story of sacrifice, hope, and the loneliness of leaving loved ones behind.