Rocky Raccoon

Zoo Freaks, get ready for some wild trivia about Rocky Raccoon, the quirky country ballad from The Beatles' 1968 double album, The Beatles (aka the White Album). This tune, penned mostly by Paul McCartney, was born during a rooftop jam session in Rishikesh, India, where the band was studying Transcendental Meditation in early 1968. McCartney, alongside John Lennon and Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, strummed acoustic guitars and improvised the tale of a cowboy originally named "Rocky Sassoon." Paul later swapped "Sassoon" for "Raccoon" because, as he told Mojo magazine, it "sounded more like a cowboy." The song’s honky-tonk piano, played by producer George Martin, gives it that Old West saloon vibe, and it’s the last Beatles track to feature Lennon’s harmonica. Fun fact: the Marvel Comics character Rocket Raccoon, a fan-favorite from Guardians of the Galaxy, was inspired by this song’s title and lyrics, created by Bill Mantlo and Keith Giffen in 1976.

Another juicy tidbit comes from Paul Saltzman, a Canadian photographer who was with the Beatles in Rishikesh. He believes McCartney drew inspiration for the song’s love triangle—where Rocky’s girl, Magill (aka Lil, known as Nancy), runs off with a guy named Dan—from Saltzman’s own story of his girlfriend leaving him for another man. McCartney himself described the song as a playful spoof of folk and talking blues, influenced by Bob Dylan and even Doris Day’s Calamity Jane tune, The Black Hills of Dakota. In a 2021 chat with Bob Mortimer, Paul shared that the drunken doctor in the song, who stinks of gin, was based on a real doctor he encountered after a moped accident. Fans on Reddit love the Anthology 3 version, where Paul flubs the lyrics, saying “sminking” instead of “stinking,” and rolls with it, adding to the song’s charm. Some even speculate the opening line, “Somewhere in the black mountain hills of Dakota,” eerily echoes the Dakota Apartments where Lennon was tragically killed in 1980, though this is likely coincidence.

Now, let’s rewind to how The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—became the most iconic band in history. Hailing from Liverpool, England, they started as a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in 1957, with a teenage Lennon at the helm. McCartney joined soon after, followed by Harrison, and the trio honed their craft playing gritty gigs in Liverpool’s Cavern Club and Hamburg’s rowdy bars. By 1960, they’d become The Beatles, with drummer Pete Best, but it was Ringo’s arrival in 1962 that locked in the classic lineup. Their early sound mixed rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and R&B, inspired by Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly. After signing with EMI and manager Brian Epstein, their 1963 hit Please Please Me sparked Beatlemania, fueled by screaming fans and relentless touring. By the mid-60s, albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver showed their experimental edge, blending psychedelia, Indian music, and studio innovation, cementing their legend.

While The Beatles disbanded in 1970, their legacy lives on through their official channels and fan communities. Check out their official website at thebeatles.com for news, like the upcoming 2028 Sam Mendes-directed biopics. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates and throwback content. Fans can dive deeper on sites like The Beatles Bible, a treasure trove of song facts and history, or The Paul McCartney Project, which chronicles Paul’s work, including Rocky Raccoon. Join the conversation on The Beatles Fans Facebook group or r/beatles on Reddit, where Zoo Freaks can geek out with fellow obsessives over trivia like the hidden backing vocal in Rocky Raccoon—is it “Nobody knows” or “Oh, Bobby, oh”? Spin that record and decide for yourself!