“Perfect Day” is a song written by Lou Reed in 1972, originally featured on Transformer, Reed’s second post-Velvet Underground solo album, and then as the B-side of his major hit, “Walk on the Wild Side”. Its fame was given a boost in the 1990s when it was featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting, and after a star-studded version was released as a BBC charity single in 1997, which became the UK’s number one single for three weeks. Reed re-recorded the song for his 2003 album The Raven.
Category: 1972
Elton John – Rocket Man (live version)
“Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)” is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and originally performed by John. The song echoes the theme of David Bowie’s 1969 song “Space Oddity” (both recordings were produced by Gus Dudgeon), but according to an account in Elizabeth Rosenthal’s book His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John, the song was inspired by Taupin’s sighting of either a shooting star or a distant airplane. The account goes on to relate that the notion of astronauts no longer being perceived as heroes, but in fact as an “everyday occupation” led him to the song’s opening lines, “She packed my bags last night, pre-flight. Zero hour: 9 a.m. And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then.”