Released 22 November 1968 Genre Country, folk rock Label Apple Records | Recorded 15 August 1968 Length 3:33 Writer(s) Lennon–McCartney | |
"Rocky Raccoon" is a song by the Beatles from the double album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, who was inspired while playing acoustic guitar with John Lennon and Donovan in India (where the Beatles had gone on a retreat).
Contents
Composition
The song, a folk rock ballad, is titled from the character's name, which was originally "Rocky Sassoon", but McCartney changed it to "Rocky Raccoon" because he thought "it sounded more like a cowboy". Former 13th Floor Elevators' drummer Danny Thomas claims the name "Rocky" was inspired by Roky Erickson, the American rock band's then vocalist and guitarist. The Old West-style honky-tonk piano was played by producer George Martin, and the song is notable as the last Beatles song to feature John Lennon's harmonica playing.
The lyrics describe a conflict over a love triangle, in which Rocky's girlfriend Lil Magill (known to the public as Nancy) leaves him for a man named Dan, who punches Rocky in the eye. Rocky vows revenge and takes a room at the saloon in the town where Dan and Nancy are staying. He bursts into Dan's room, armed with a gun, but Dan out-draws and shoots him. A drunken doctor attends to Rocky, who insists that the wound is only a minor one. Stumbling back to his room, Rocky finds a Gideon Bible and takes it as a sign that he is meant to revive.
During take 8 of the song (featured on Anthology 3), McCartney flubbed the line "stinking of gin", singing "sminking" instead. This caused him to laugh, exclaim "Sminking?!" and make up the remaining lines in the song. This take also has a noticeably different spoken-word introduction, with Rocky coming from "a little town in Minnesota", rather than the album version's "somewhere in the black mountain hills of Dakota", and McCartney's faux-Western accent is more pronounced.
In Mojo magazine in October 2008, McCartney acknowledged that the style of the song is a pastiche, saying: "I was basically spoofing the folksinger." Lennon attributed the song to Paul, saying: "Couldn't you guess? Would I have gone to all that trouble about Gideon's Bible and all that stuff?"
Personnel
Cover versions
Richie Havens, Ramsey Lewis, Jack Johnson, Andrew Gold, James Blunt, Phish, Jimmy Buffett, Maureen McGovern, Kingston Wall, Charlie Parr and Andy Fairweather Low have recorded cover versions of this song. Folk/jazz artist Jessie Baylin covered the song on her 2009 concert tour. Steel Train have covered the song in the past. Phish covered the song as part of their 1994 Halloween musical costume, the Beatles' white album. Lena Horne (with Gábor Szabó) recorded a memorable version in 1969, which was subsequently re-released on several LP and CD compilations. Crowded House covered the song live as an intro to "Chocolate Cake". This performance was later released on their singles "Instinct" and "Everything Is Good for You". A bizarre allusion to the song was made by TISM on their 1990 album "Hot Dogma". The song, entitled "While My Catarrh Gently Weeps", tells the story of the Rocky Raccoon from the perspective of the victim of an unacknowledged plagiarist – "An imposter Rocky, diabolical, hell-sent, had pinched my spot, and with it fame and glory."
The song's title and some of the lyrics were inspirations for the Marvel Comics character Rocket Raccoon, created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen.
In 1978 Benny Goodman featured the song in his Carnegie Hall 40th Anniversary concert, with Vocals by Jack Sheldon. The concert was released by Decca/London as a Phase 4 stereo double album.
Jason Mraz covered Rocky Raccoon at least once in his early years as a singer/songwriter in San Diego.