Rocky Raccoon
| "Rocky Raccoon" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by the Beatles | |
| from the album The Beatles | |
| Released | 22 November 1968 |
| Recorded | 15 August 1968 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Country,[1] ragtime[2] |
| Length | 3:33 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
"Rocky Raccoon" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the White Album). It was primarily written by Paul McCartney, although credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. McCartney began writing the song in Rishikesh, India, where the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation in the early months of 1968. John Lennon and Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, who joined the Beatles on their retreat, also made contributions to the song.[3] A cover version by Richie Havens reached number 76 in Canada in 1969.[4]
Composition
The song, a
The lyrics describe a conflict over a
Legacy
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 McCartney, saying: "Couldn't you guess? Would I have gone to all that trouble about Gideon's Bible and all that stuff?"[9]
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its release, Jacob Stolworthy of The Independent listed "Rocky Raccoon" at number 22 in his ranking of the White Album's 30 tracks. He called the song "proof of McCartney's songwriting versatility" and continued that the song is "bolstered by a vibrant honky-tonk piano from the group's long-time record producer George Martin".[10]
Personnel
According to Ian MacDonald:[8]
- Paul McCartney – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- John Lennon – backing vocals, harmonium, six-string bass, harmonica
- George Harrison – backing vocals, bass[11]
- Ringo Starr – drums
- George Martin – honky-tonk piano
- Yoko Ono – backing vocals
References
- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Beatles [White Album] - The Beatles | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
- ^ Riley 2009, p. 166.
- ^ Miles 1997, pp. 422, 423.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 25, 1969" (PDF).
- ^ Beatles Interview Database 1968.
- ^ "Danny Thomas Interview - 13th Floor Elevators". Texas Psych. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
- ^ Womack 2014, p. 784.
- ^ a b MacDonald 2005, p. 308.
- ^ Sheff 2000, p. 189.
- ^ Stolworthy, Jacob (22 November 2018). "The Beatles' White Album tracks, ranked – from Blackbird to While My Guitar Gently Weeps". The Independent. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ Howlett, Kevin. Abbey Road (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Version) (book). The Beatles Apple Records.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-0-78673-090-2.
- ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
- ISBN 0-8050-5249-6.
- "Radio Luxembourg Interview". Beatles Interview Database. The Beatles Interview Database. 20 November 1968. Retrieved 10 June 2007.
- Sheff, David (2000). All We Are Saying. St Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
- Carlin, Peter (2009). Paul McCartney: A Life. ISBN 978-1-4165-6209-2.
- ISBN 978-0-313-39171-2.
External links
