I was 9 when this came out. I remember every word to this day. I've always loved this song.

I´ve never let critics decide what is and isn't good. I like Rocky Raccoon. I also played it for my kids when they were young. And it´s one of the few Beatles songs that´s easy to play. Laugh, if you will, but I also love Don´t Pass Me By.

My dad loved the White Album and this was one of his favorites (the other being Happiness Is A Warm Gun 😄). As a matter of fact, he loved it so much that I had to get a second copy of the album for myself! 😄 It's hard to rebel when your dad keeps borrowing your albums. Had a hard time getting my Queen albums back from him, too. 😄 Even my grandmother....she loved Stairway to Heaven, and thought Rod Stewart was the sexiest guy ever. 😄 The whole family loved music. 😊

A song about the American Wild West, lyrics and matching music by a British musician, including an American accent. I bought the White Album as a 10 year old in 1968. I quickly learned the lyrics and loved to sing along. I still love to sing it at 65 years old A work of genius!

What has been the source of much discussion on Paul’s official forum is the fact that the lyrics which were printed on the back of the poster that came with the album (I still have mine + the 4 color photos) say “black MOUNTAIN hills” whereas apparently it is “black MINING hills.” I only just discovered this after singing the wrong word for 45 years!! I listened to the remastered album with earbuds and had to concede it was “mining!” Love your videos!

Rocky Racoon was a popular part of my guitar-playing repertoire for years. As a fairly decent amateur player, I entertained a lot of my wife's family members during numerous family occasions, and Rocky was one of my most requested tunes. It was also humorous to learn that my wife's niece (a young girl at the time) mistakenly though I wrote it. LOL! I only wish my songwriting talent was that good. Otherwise I wouldn't be as broke as I am. Ha, ha, ha! I didn't know too many people who were familiar with the original recording. And that line about "Her name was Magil, but she called herself Lil, and everyone knew her as Nancy" is something I encountered in real life numerous times. People having several monikers is such a strange to me. Anyway, once again, you cover Beatles material in such a unique way. I always look forward to each episode. BTW, my daughter bought me Paul's lyrics book for my birthday and can't wait to find time to delve into his musical genius.

The 60’s were very different times with very different values. What was cutting edge back then can sometimes seem passé now. That’s all there is to it. I loved the White Album from the day it was released. It has several classic tracks. It also has the experimental Rev 9 and some stuff that would appeal to ‘moms & dads’. That’s what some thought was so great about the Fabs. They had a very wide fan base. A great album I still listen to it occasionally.

Thank you for the wonderful insights. 60 years ago last month the Beatles opened up my mind. And I still like it.

I have a raccoon that visits my back yard. I call him Rocky, of course😊

Groovy!❤

Another excellent lesson, Guitar Trooper. Thank you.

always wonderful Guitar Trooper.....

When we took our kids to a Colorado dude ranch (several times) they always had a guest "talent show"... I usually did Rocky and people always joined in... Great fun

~ Keep the spirit winging ~

Excellent & informative video as usual. Leave it to Paul to construct an awesome song like Rocky Racoon. Pure musical genius! 👍👍

For what it's worth, I was in a cover band in the late 1960's and had a small (heavy) spinnet piano we used to carry around for gigs...I recall 3 of us hoisted the piano into a shot and beer place in the Flats near downtown Cleveland, Ohio up on a small stage platform as well!!:-) LOVED playing and singing the song!!!

You are a charming, mellow presence. Kudos to you.

What a voice ❤

I have always loved Rocky Raccoon. Recently I have been on a Beatle's kick, but when I would take a break and listen to other favorites, I found myself getting a bit bored 3/4s the way through the album. It was mostly the same voice singing songs that were somewhat similar. That never happened with the Beatles. Four different voices singing a multitude of genres and concepts. One never loses interest. All the Beatles contributed to this, but Paul most of all. He is the man of a thousand voices and you never knew what was coming next.

Just thank you! Another great video ❤

I adore this fun song!! Fun to listen and fun to play :) Once again I am amazed at the amount of material George Martin contributed not only to this song but to the Beatles catalogue as a whole.

Ooooooh...Is that someones brand new Casino hiding behind your left shoulder? Thanks for another set of little known factoids, Mr. Guitar Trooper.

you got a sub from me! my dad got me into the beatles, and the white album and its air of mystery were one of the first things that really intrigued me. I swear, I could not listen to revolution 9 all the way through until I was older, that truly scared me lol 😂 I was way into the Paul is dead lore. this and mother nature's son were his favorites off this album, he usually preferred Paul's songs. he died in a drowning accident last year... although funnily enough, it was only a few weeks after his 64th birthday! anyway, I like these videos! liked and subbed 😊

I was a ten year old Beatlemaniac when the 'White Album' came out and I loved Rocky Raccoon as much as everything else! I never heard anyone disparage it or any other song, it was only the 'establishment' that hyped up the narrative about dissatisfaction at the rapid changes musically from '64 to '67.

Love the long form video!!!

The album is a MASTERPIECE. I love every song. (I only like Don't Pass Me By.🙂)

Another great episode. Thank you

Nice take on the song, I only have the cassette tapes of the Beatles White album, I may one day get the CDs, I always thought Rocky Raccoon is more like was a children's song for an audience of children played live.

Good information. I'm just saying the song Rocky Raccoon was the inspiration for Rocket name in the Guardians of the Galaxy.

1:40-- I believe Donovan's contribution to this and "Julia" was his Guitar Picking style. Apparently he gave lessons to John and Paul (separately). Then they each crafted songs incorporating their new skill

Back again. Love this song!!! Totally fascinating, as always. I sort of wonder why there is so much studio footage for The Beatles, but rarely is any for any other group. Just because they're the Beatles??? Not that I'm complaining about all that great footage.

New viewer…70 years old, saw Beatles in 1966 at Crosley Field, so appreciate anything Beatle…little known Beatle FACTOID…their payroll was robbed also in Cincinnati at the Gardens in ‘65…reportedly $87k

Good 👍 job

Enjoyable as always but I think it’s important to also understand that “Rocky Raccoon” is a DIRECT tribute to/parody of Bob Dylan’s outlaw ballad “John Wesley Harding” which had emerged in early 1968… From the reference to Minnesota (where Bob was from) in the deleted preamble to John’s short harmonica blast… it’s a nod to what Bob was sounding like to their ears in 1968… From Jimi Hendrix covering “All Along The Watchtower” to The Stones rootsy “Beggars Banquet” album and beyond, the whole music world was in awe of the writing and sound of Bob’s “John Wesley Harding” Album

I would like to offer up Number 11: In the Guardians of the Galaxy film franchise, the furry little fellow known as Rocket got his name directly from this song. His full name in the series is Rocket Raccoon.

I believe Martin used the "jangle" or "tack" piano for this, as it has brass tips over the felt hammers to give the piano a more percussive tone. It's also known as the "Mrs. Mills" piano as she was a well-known musician to use the piano on her own albums.

It was an interesting number

When my kids were born, each time, I ran a little thought experiment that said if i put The White Album on repeat play the minute we called for the ambulance to take us to hospital, which song would be playing when the child was born. My second son was a "Rocky Raccoon" (First was a "Sexy Sadie", third who shot straight out was an "Ob La Di Ob la Da"). Oddly enough, all three of them dislike their birth-songs.

Wild Honey Pie may be studio trash to some, but to me it reminds me of the bits and pieces that were recorded on those fan club-only Christmas singles, so I like it. Some of the most creative music by the Beatles came off of those records, maybe not "classics" but wonderful pieces.

Rocky Raccoon is from Minnesota, he lived the Dakotas.

If i remember right, Donovan contribution was that he helped teach finger picking technique.

At the time of the White Album's release a friend in the music business had told me that the different musical styles were an attempt by the Beatles to show that they could succeed at such a task. Supposedly Rocky Racoon was an attempt to write a successful country western song. Back in the USSR was made as a homage to Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys who used Chuck Berry's music to make their Back in the USA. It sounded reasonable at the time however I yield to the guitar troopers knowledge of Beatles facts.

"He came from Minnesota" would have been a veiled reference to Bob Dylan, who came from Hibbing MN. In fact, the simple guitar strum and the harmonica are decisively Dylanesque. In my college dorm we all thought the song was a sendup of Dylan's folksy persona.

Love your use of the J37 Waves image...I use it often... do you ever post any of your recordings?

It’s funny how many animals are mentioned or the inspiration (Martha My Dear, Why Don’t we do it in the Road) for side 2 of The White Album

I'm sure it's true about the Dangerous Dan Magrew link, but it always felt very obvious to me that Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding album - which cane out shortly before the Beatles left for India - began the shift away from psychedelia and freak out rock to the simpler, folksy western ballad style so prevalent in that LP. Don't think it's ever been acknowledged, but surely Dylan collection mythologising the old West must have put Paul on the trail to Rocky Raccoon?

I seem to remember that on flip Wilson's show that the entire song was played while Wilson did this goofy kind of acting out the song thing it was appropriately silly as was most of flips comedy does anybody else remember this

Wild Honey Pie is not really a song as much as it was a link between songs. It's weird and trippy and I prefer it to Goodnight. Rocky Raccoon is one of my favorite songs on the Album. I cringe when people rag on either song, as I see them as essential parts of the album.

Was it John's last recorded harmonica even beyond the Beatles? I don't recall his using the instrument in his solo work.

Dylan takeoff?

I don’t believe that all of this information that you’ve acquired is done by you alone I think it’s a compilation and eventually you start asking money for it you start it out for free and then you’re creeping up on contributing money with the amount of people who watch these videos if everyone can fit If everyone contributes $20 $50 even $10 it comes out to quite a bit of money I’m sure if I had a chance to lay a bit somewhere you are not the soul guitar trooper

As a Beatles fan , I must admit that Rocky Raccoon is on my NEVER play list. It stinks.

For God’s sake, get your eyes fixed if you’re going to use right shots of yourself. They track in different directions and it’s really distracting.

Not one of McCartney's best.

Ridiculous song