Posted by You must always pay attention when a movie from the Guardians of the Galaxy series begins. You must pay close attention to the opening song because it will represent a specific meaning in the film. As happened with the first movie and that song that marked the beginning of Peter Quill’s dedication to music. The opening song of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, though, did even more, rendering in music a part of the story that we need to understand. Let’s have that track’s meaning explained in the plot’s context.
You can watch the official trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 here on Youtube.
The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 opening song, explained
The opening song you hear at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is Creep by Radiohead, in its acoustic version. You can listen to it in its full version below.
Creep is one of the most beloved rock songs of the 90s. It belongs to Radiohead’s debut album Pablo Honey, although it’s definitely more famous in the official studio version you can hear here. It’s Radiohead’s first big hit, perfectly introducing their poetics to those unfamiliar. As extensively explained here, Creep is the desperate cry of the outcast who feels different from the rest of the world. “I don’t belong here” is the line sung by Thom Yorke in the chorus, perfectly expressing the sensations of those who don’t have a place in this world.
Hearing Rocket Raccoon singing the words of Creep in the opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, we can better understand his character. As we discover in the movie, Rocket never felt loved in his life: he was born as part of an experiment; he was set to die since the beginning, as part of a batch of animals that was supposed to pave the way for a more advanced generation.
In his early years, Rocket had three friends, part of the same batch: Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. The High Evolutionary killed them all. He intended to kill Rocket too, but he reacted and attacked the High Evolutionary, almost killing him. It’s the child who rebels against his “father,” after discovering that there is no father’s love in him. The High Evolutionary appreciates Rocket’s higher intelligence, but he doesn’t consider him worthy of belonging to the new Earth, which is supposed to be populated only by “perfect” individuals.
This way, Rocket grows up cynical and misanthropic. He simply cannot trust anyone easily. He doesn’t have parents, his old friends are dead, and his life is an experiment. Nevertheless, the Guardians of the Galaxy become his new family, and Vol. 3 does a great job explaining the connection between the team members.
The whole plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 spins around the multiple efforts of Rocket’s friend to save his life, and that’s the perspective we need to keep in mind while hearing Rocket singing the opening song, Creep. Rocket sings, “I’m a weirdo, what the hell am I doin’ here?” He feels different than the rest of the group. However, when his life is in danger, the Guardians of the Galaxy don’t hesitate to risk all their lives to save him. Because it’s family. It’s the family they chose, a bond that goes beyond any normal connection.
Rocket misses his old friends, and at some point in the movie, he is close to reuniting with them in the afterlife. But Lylla is sure: now it’s not the right time. Rocket still has a purpose to serve in this life. And that’s the lesson he will learn. He will realize the feelings he had when singing the opening song of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the sensation of “not belonging here” was wrong. The guardians are his family, and he definitely belongs to them.
