Stealing Beauty is an award-winning coming-of-age film starring Liv Tyler and Jeremy Irons that was released in 1996 and filmed primarily in Italy.
The soundtrack for the album features an array of genres including Portishead, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, Sam Phillips, Stevie Wonder, and of course, Liz Phair.
Liz contributed the track, “Rocket Boy,” a song that she co-wrote with the late Jim Ellison, with whom she also collaborated with on “Turning Japanese” from the Juvenilia EP and “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” from Saturday Morning compilation.
An earlier demo of the track was recorded during the whitechocolatespacegg sessions with slightly different lyrics. An instrumental-only version was also recorded during this time.
Released: July 25, 1996
Label: Capitol Records
Format: CD, Cassette
Country: US, Italy, Bulgaria, Australia, UK, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil
Availability: Moderate
Written by Liz Phair and Jim Ellison
Produced by Liz Phair and Jim Ellison
Published by Civil War Dars/Sony/ATV Tunes LLC/Jim Ellisongs
| No. | Artist | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | Hoover | 2 Wicky | 3:34 |
| 02. | Portishead | Glory Box | 5:01 |
| 03. | Axiom Funk featuring Bootsy Collins | If 6 Was 9 | 5:59 |
| 04. | John Lee Hooker | Annie May | 5:17 |
| 05. | Liz Phair | Rocket Boy | 3:21 |
| 06. | Stevie Wonder | Superstition | 4:27 |
| 07. | Nina Simone | My Baby Just Cares For Me | 3:36 |
| 08. | Billie Holiday | I’ll Be Seeing You | 3:31 |
| 09. | Mazzy Star | Rhymes Of An Hour | 4:11 |
| 10. | Cocteau Twins | Alice | 4:28 |
| 11. | Lori Carson | You Won’t Fall | 4:37 |
| 12. | Sam Phillips | I Need Love | 3:39 |
Trivia
Several other songs used within the film were ultimately absent from the soundtrack, including Helium’s “Comet No. 9,” Hole’s “Rock Star,” Björk’s “Bachelorette,” and “Say It Ain’t So” by Roland Gift (former frontman of Fine Young Cannibals).
Reception
An elegantly programmed mix of trip-hop, vintage jazz, and contemporary female voices (Lori Carson, Sam Phillips, Portishead, and Cocteau Twins included). New tracks by Liz Phair (“Rocket Boy”), Hoover (“2 Wicky”), and Mazzy Star (“Rhymes of an Hour”) are priorities. –Jeff Bateman, Amazon.com
Video
Lyrics
Rocket boy, rocket boy, rocket boy…
Didn’t see, I had no idea, never heard it before
And I said what good are you
Yeah well “Why don’t I?” is the question of the year
You used to be my favorite toy
But what happened to my rocket boy?
Rocket boy, when are you gonna land?
I said go, don’t stop it, go, don’t stop it
How we all understand
You used to be my pride and joy
Now you’re just my rocket
Rocket boy
They don’t know my friends
We got off again
How am I gonna get myself to sleep?
I got stains on my sheets and my nails are torn down to bone
Wouldn’t it be nice to have an ordinary girlfriend?
Laughing ’bout makes it real, makes it happen to me
Well I can reach you
Didn’t see, I had no idea, never heard it before
Well, I said what good are you, why don’t I,
No sense of fear
(Yeah, I don’t I.)
You used to be my favorite toy
But what happened, my rocket
(Now you’re just my little rocket boy.)
(Rocket boy.)
My rocket boy
(My rocket boy)
Rocket boy when are you gonna land?
(Rocket boy yeah.)
I said go, don’t stop it, go, don’t stop it, now we all understand
(Rocket boy yeah.)
I said, rocket boy
When are you gonna land?
(Rocket boy.)
I said rocket boy they just don’t understand
(Die is cast and the dice are rollin’ I’m feelin’ like shit ’cause she’s
Feelin’ like gold.)
(Rocket boy.)
You used to be my pride and joy, my boy
You had me