LENA HORNE & GABOR SZABO : ROCKY RACOON [1970]

Μια υποτιμημένη από διάφορους “κριτικούς” βερσιόν του τραγουδιού του McCartney, από το άλμπουμ Watch What Happens, που η Lena Horne κυκλοφόρησε με τον Ούγγρο κιθαρίστα Gabor Szabo στα early ‘70s. Κατά την άποψή μου πρόκειται για μια πειστική μεταμόρφωση του πιο αδύναμου track που έχει κυκλοφορήσει σε άλμπουμ των Beatles.

An underrated by various “critics” version of this McCartney’s song, from
Watch What Happens, an album Lena Horne released in the early ’70s with Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo. In my opinion, this is a pretty persuasive transformation of the weakest track ever been released on a Beatles album.

Now somewhere in the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota
There lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon
And one day his woman ran off with another guy
Hit young Rocky in the eye
Rocky didn’t like that
He said, “I’m gonna get that boy”
So one day he walked into town
Booked himself a room in the local saloon
Rocky Raccoon, checked into his room
Only to find Gideon’s Bible
Rocky had come equipped with a gun
To shoot off the legs of his rival
His rival, it seems, had broken his dreams
By stealing the girl of his fancy
Her name was Magill and she called herself Lil
But everyone knew her as Nancy
Now she and her man, who called himself Dan
Where in the next room at the hoedown
Rocky burst in and grinned in a grin
He said, “Danny boy, this is a showdown”
But Daniel was hot, he drew first and shot
And Rocky collapsed in the corner
Now, the doctor came in stinking of gin
And proceeded to lie on the table
He said, “Rocky, you met your match”
And Rocky said, “Doc, it’s only a scratch
And I’ll be better, I’ll be better, Doc, as soon as I am able”
And now Rocky Raccoon, he fell back in his room
Only to find Gideon’s Bible
Gideon checked out and he left it no doubt
To help with good Rocky’s revival, oh, ooh, yeah, yeah
Come on Rocky boy, do the do-do-do
Come on Rocky boy, do the do-do-do
Do-do-do, yeah, I saw you rockin’ at the top

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5 Comments

  1. Anonymous August 21, 2022 at 11:51 pm

    What a difference this version is from the original! Horne gives the song a certain something that the Beatles’ version lacked.

    Reply
    1. Oannes August 22, 2022 at 7:38 am

      That’s exactly my point. To me “Rocky Raccoon”, undoubtedly a McCartney song, is a harbinger of his forthcoming ‘Wings’ era.

      Reply
  2. Resa August 28, 2022 at 12:20 am

    Wow! Love this rendition. Lena & Gabor bring a whole new experience to the listener! Bravo!!!

    Reply
    1. Oannes August 28, 2022 at 11:01 pm

      They certainly do. I prefer this from the original version. Thank you!

      Reply
      1. Resa August 28, 2022 at 11:09 pm

        I agree!

        Reply

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