Along with the lyrics, the singer's vocals and instrumentation are also very important in deciding the true meaning of a song. The artist's vocal
patterns can help determine if the song is about something pleasant or something a little more serious. At the beginning of "Rocket Man," John's
voice has a somber tone to it, like he is depressed or going through a rough time. When he sings the word "high" in the line, "And I'm gonna be high,
as a kite by then," he makes his voice really high-pitched and sharp. This symbolizes how high he gets when he does cocaine. Throughout the song, his
voice gets more upbeat and powerful, adding intensity to the performance. Specifically at the chorus, his tone gets stronger, and he really enunciates the
consonant sounds in the words "rocket man." The instrumentation makes the song sound prettier, but it does not have much of an affect on the meaning
of the song. It adds to the intimacy of the piece since John plays the piano himself. Leading up to the first chorus, he played the piano slower. This,
along with the somber tone of his voice, made the beginning sound sad. Putting the vocals and instrumentation together at that point made it seem like
he was going through a rough patch in life. Just like his tone, the instruments got louder and more intense when the chorus played. This is typical for
most songs since the chorus is usually supposed to be the main focus of the song. John's musical style and stage performance was very different than
many other Glam Rock artists', but his songs were still just as powerful.