Below is an exclusive excerpt from the book I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY! (Collections, Recollections & Personal Reflections About Def Leppard), specifically from the chapter spotlighting the band’s “Rocket” single.
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Single Spotlight (And A Personal One At That!): Rocket
There are plenty of songs in Def Leppard’s catalog that epitomize what the band is all about: “Photograph,” with its gargantuan power chords and masterful melodies; the anthemic, bombastic “Pour Some Sugar On Me”; the escapism and tongue-in-cheek humor of “Let’s Get Rocked,” among many others.
But one song truly embodies Def Leppard’s foundation and the band’s roots: “Rocket.”
Let’s travel through the center of the dark for this in-depth look back at the song.
The Year Was 1989
There are subtleties, at least in some respects, within the lyrics for “Rocket.”
I clearly recall a moment in high school, when “Rocket,” which was receiving heavy rotation on radio stations and MTV at the time, became the topic of discussion with a couple of my classmates. (Yes, I was a passionate Def Leppard fan even back then).
One of them asked me, “What’s that line they sing in ‘Rocket’? Satellite of…love?” (For the record, the fellow students I was talking to were Def Leppard fans, too, but to a much lesser extent; they were more in the Guns N’ Roses camp of late ’80s rock bands, which then morphed into becoming grunge music fans when that era emerged a few years later.)
After confirming that “Satellite of Love” was indeed the song lyric, they laughed, one of them then proclaiming “That’s so dumb,“ not realizing the historical reference to Lou Reed’s classic song.
Putting this oh-so-profound hallway chat aside, it does shine a light on the perceptions and misperceptions of Def Leppard’s music. Whether considered “heavy metal” early on in the band’s career or quickly being dismissed as a “hair band” after grunge overtook radio airwaves in the ’90s, it’s fairly easy to overlook Def Leppard’s origins and musical influences in the whole labeling process.
There are some who are “casual” Def Leppard fans whose favorite tracks don’t extend much beyond, say, “Photograph,” “Love Bites,” or “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” which is fine, more power to them. But there is absolutely a lot more beneath the surface to discover, and to appreciate the artists Def Leppard subtly (and not so subtly) honors in its music.
For some, “Jack Flash” and “Rocket Man” may come across as silly lyrics at first, and perhaps, for the uninitiated, even “Sergeant Pepper and the band.” Just like a seemingly nonsensical, foolish — or in high school speak, “dumb” — line like “Satellite of Love.” But fans of The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Beatles, and Lou Reed would most likely have a different interpretation and appreciation.
“Rocket” has a unique lyrical style, with its verses structured in such a way that they’re sung as if they’re being read off of a checklist, kind of like a who’s-who and a what’s-what. (Billy Joel’s classic song “We Didn’t Start The Fire” resembled the same checklist-like lyric structure, to an even greater degree, when it hit radio airwaves a little over two years after the Hysteria album’s release.)
Never-ending Hysteria
“Rocket” was Hysteria‘s final single release. An edited version was specially created for mainstream radio stations (and used for the music video), which diminished the song’s wallop somewhat, leaving its original six-plus minute version for AOR stations to lay claim to.
The song would go on to peak at #12 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 singles chart, yet another great example exemplifying the depth of Hysteria. Even as its seventh single, and reaching the Top 15, there were arguably still other song offerings from the album that could’ve taken the seventh single slot, or followed up “Rocket” as singles of their own.
The Music Video
The “Rocket” music video, with its frenetic cuts showcasing newsreels and tributes to music icons throughout, effectively counterbalanced the footage with the band’s performance in a warehouse. (More on that in a moment.)
On its surface, the video had a…
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More chapter excerpts from the book: Inside Vault‘s Vault & More! | The Ballad of Joe Elliott | Single Spotlight: “Love Bites”
Available worldwide at these book outlets (select your preferred format):
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Apple: Apple Books
Google: Google Play Books
