Sir Elton thanks the 'Rocket Men' who inspired his hit

This inspirational montage of space scenes intercut with Sir Elton John's 40th anniversary celebration performance of "Rocket Man"-- filmed in Las Vegas -- includes his special thanks to real Rocket Men for the "boyhood dreams of traveling beyond the stars and looking back on Earth" that inspired him to write the hit.

And while most of us listen with feet firmly planted on the ground, it turns out the song is a fave onboard actual rockets -- it features in astronaut André Kuipers's playlist of perfect picks for a space mission, which also includes "If There's a Rocket, Tie Me to It," "Come Fly With Me" and "The Great Gig in the Sky."