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
Were in the next room at the hoe down
Rocky burst in, and grinning 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"

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


Lyrics submitted by Ice

Rocky Raccoon Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Rocky Raccoon song meanings
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  • +9
    General Comment

    In my opinion, this song is really much more straightforward and about an experience almost all of us have been through first hand.

    In the first half, Rocky has his woman stolen. He runs off to try winning her back, or at least chase the other guy off.

    He fails miserably.

    The rest of the song is about moving on with life. "It's only a scratch, and I'll be better doc - as soon as I'm able". It doesn't have to be about religious conversion. At the end, the exact thing Paul interjects is "Sorry, Rocky - better luck next time". There is a next time. It's a message of hope.

    It's about that supremely painful feeling - being abandoned by someone you love. Responding irrationaly, with anger. You come out of this looking like a fool, and take an even deeper wound in the process. You eventually come full circle to acceptance, and you can move on.

    aaronv15on November 27, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think you can read too much into the Nancy/Lil Magill lines. Basically, her real name is plain old Nancy Magill, but she prefers to be called Lil, as in Lily or Lilian, not as in 'little'. Nancy is quite a plain name and Lil sounds like the name a Wild West showgirl might have. Haven't you ever met anyone who hated their name and tried to get you to call them by some obscure nickname or their middle name, and then it turns out that all their family and old friends call them the old name? Lil is just plain old Nancy Magill putting on airs, and that's all there is to it. She traded in her name for something fancier, and then she traded in her man for the more dashind Dan. I really think this is just a playful song with no hidden message or deep themes :-)

    luciemabelleon June 25, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song's so cute... as a kid I thought it was a tragedy indeed... even now I'll still break into "Rocky you met your match/Rocky said 'Doc it's only a scratch/and I'll be better, Doc, I'll be better, as soon as I am able...'" on occasion...

    Acey_Deareston January 22, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The only thing I don't understand, is that it sounds like the doctor is the one lying on the table.

    radmarcon December 09, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    For me, this song has personal meaning. Jealousy is serious problem for me. I keep it hidden, but whenever I begin to act on it, absolutely nothing good comes of it. Rocky, jealous of the man that took his girl from him, acts on his jealousy, instead of coming to terms with the fact that she had found someone else, and it ultimately leads to his downfall. Just how I interpret the lyrics.

    Assessedfallon January 15, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Who has the most elaborated Explaination for this song???

    JayZ03on April 30, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    if you can find the version of this song where they're just fucking around, you should listen to it. it's pretty funny. mccartney:"...doctor came in, shminking of gin" ringo: "shminking?" lennon: "it's actually shminking OF gin."

    twentytwoon May 15, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a catchy Western story written by Paul. Apparently the character of the doctor is based on an experience of Paul's. He fell off his moped and the doctor that treated him was stinking of gin and made a bad job of his stitches that he needed on his lip.

    kaylalaon June 14, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    F-ing beautiful. It occupies some perfect space between Cartoon, Western, and Horribly Realistic Tragedy. And it places religion in the most absudist spot - implying the ridiculousness of the entire comcept of religious salvation.

    defgripon June 11, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    best on the album

    Philadelphia Eagleson June 13, 2004   Link

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