"Shooting Star" is a song by Elton John

Elton John

Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

 with lyrics by Gary Osborne

Gary Osborne

Gary Osborne is an English singer and songwriter from the United Kingdom.-Career:Osborne was born in London, educated in Switzerland, and followed his father into the music industry at the age of fifteen....

. It is the eighth track off his 1978 album, A Single Man.

Musical structure

This song carries an arrangement new to John, which he would use in the next couple of years to come. An electric Fender Rhodes is used here carrying the song, instead of the usual grand piano. A saxophone

Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...

 solo is also featured. The song is the quietest song on the album, along with "Song for Guy

Song for Guy

"Song for Guy" is a mainly instrumental piece of music by Elton John. It is the closing track of his 1978 album, A Single Man.-Musical structure:Elton said this in the sleeve notes of the 7" single:...

", and seems out of date as it was released during the disco

Disco

Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...

 and punk

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 era. It is the second shortest song on the album, clocking at 2:44. No guitar is featured. After the song finishes, it fades into the next track "Madness

Madness (Elton John song)

"Madness" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Gary Osborne. It is the ninth track off his 1978 album, A Single Man.-Musical structure:...

".

Lyrical meaning

Osborne's lyrics describe a man who has lost a girlfriend who is now famous; the song is mostly about the loss of her. He comes to her shows (Indicating that she could either be an actor or musician), and hopes that she one day will think of him and they might reunite. If that day would ever come, he would be there for her.

Performances

Elton played the song live in a handful of shows in 1978, mainly for promotion. It was later included on several low-fi compilation CD's.

Personnel

• Elton John - vocals
• Herbie Flowers
  Herbie Flowers
  Herbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink, T...
  
   - acoustic bass
  Acoustic bass guitar
  The acoustic bass guitar is a bass instrument with a hollow wooden body similar to, though usually somewhat larger than a steel-string acoustic guitar...
  
  
• Steve Holly - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Ray Cooper
  Ray Cooper
  Ray Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
  
   - percussion
• John Crocker - tenor sax, electric piano
  Electric piano
  An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
  
  , Fender Rhodes