Rocket's Tail

While we were in the Army Band, in 1989, Ralph purchased Kate Bush's new album The Sensual World. It affected me like few albums I've ever heard. So emotional, lyrical, passionate, and occasionally, completely rocking out. This is one of the songs that covers all of that territory. The moment at about 1:30 where the guitar and drums kick in is still one of my favorites in any song ever. 

We listened to it together many times in the Army, and I felt like it had a real emotional hold on me, sometimes making me just bawl. I've never completely understood how something can at once be so heartbreakingly lonely and sad, and yet also somehow triumphant and wonderful.

Now, in retrospect, the song has meaning to me in relation to Ralph's life in a way I never intended or wanted. In our discussions about life and death, and our hopes for life extension, we passionately wanted to figure out how we could become rockets which would never come crashing to the ground. And if we had to come crashing to the ground, we at least wanted there to be someone there to catch us.

Damn.

Rocket's Tail - Kate Bush