Songfacts®:

• It's pretty obvious what the "big dipper" is in this song, but we'll tell you anyway: It's a penis.
  
  The song is campy fun, telling the story of a guy whose partner has found another "big dipper," leading him to play the field and find some more stars of his own.
  
  It's the first overtly gay song Elton John released; he admitted he was bisexual in a 1976 Rolling Stone interview, and quickly learned that some people didn't respect his lifestyle choice. This song is a nod to his homosexuality without openly discussing it. In 1981, Elton released a more sincere gay love story in "Elton's Song."
• Members of the Watford Football Club sing on the gang vocals at the end of the song. At the time, Elton was chairman of the team and part-owner. During his tenure, the team rose fro the Fourth Division to the First Division.
• Gary Osborne wrote the lyric. A Single Man was Elton's first album where he didn't team with lyricist Bernie Taupin, as the pair needed a break from each other. It was also Elton's first album since his debut without Gus Dudgeon as producer; Elton co-produced it with Clive Franks. The album was far less successful than his previous efforts, but still produced two modest hits: "Part-Time Love" and "Song For Guy."