Was the classic Elton John song ‘Crocodile Rock’ a “rip-off”?
Elton John has enjoyed a career that has seen him hit such great heights that he has become one of the most successful artists of all time, eclipsing his early piano-playing heroes of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. From ‘Rocket Man’ to ‘Candle in the Wind’, Elton John has produced several hits so culturally essential that they have metamorphosed into something much bigger than the diminutive man from Pinner.
A fan favourite of Elton John’s vast discography is the 1972 hit ‘Crocodile Rock’ taken from Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player. Established as one of his best singalongs, the song features a busy bassline and many musical nods to the rockers who inspired the young Elton. Purposely configured as a trip down memory lane, the lyrics tell the story of a fictional young man in the 1950s who frequented a restaurant where the customers danced the “Crocodile Rock”.
However, the dance vanished into obscurity because of the social upheaval of the 1960s. Even the man’s girlfriend, who also loved “burning up to the Crocodile Rock” back then, split up with him and moved on. Notably, in contrast to the energetic feel of the music and catchy melody, the song has rather maudlin lyrics that pine for simpler days of the past, offering listeners a sense of where Elton John was at personally when he wrote it.
The song is indebted to the music of Elton John’s youth, and the falsetto hook of the “La La’s” is very similar to Pat Boone’s 1962 hit ‘Speedy Gonzales’. In fact, the writers of the 1962 piece felt they were so alike that they accused John and songwriter Bernie Taupin of plagiarism. Ultimately, no legal action was brought against the pair, with Elton conceding the influence of Pat Boone’s hit. He said ‘Crocodile Rock’ was “a really blatant homage to ‘Speedy Gonzales’ and all the great ’50s and ’60s records that we used to love.”
Interestingly, Elton John’s 1970 hit ‘Rock and Roll Madonna’ is a precursor to the song, which also pays tribute to the rock ‘n’ roll of his youth. “This time, I wanted to do something that was a send-up of the early ’60s rather than an out-and-out rocker,” he explained to Beat Instrumental. “I wanted it to be a tribute to all those people I used to go and see as a kid. That’s why I used the Del Shannon-type vocals and that bit from Pat Boone’s ‘Speedy Gonzales.'”
John continued: “We also tried to get the worst organ sound possible… something like Johnny and The Hurricanes used to manage to produce. This type of song is actually a very hard thing to write because the temptation is to try too hard and go beserk.”
The song is so indebted to the age of traditional rock ‘n’ roll that one of the most famous aspects of it is that Don McLean once drew parallel’s between the track and his 1971 mega-hit ‘American Pie’. McLean’s piece was so impactful that it has been credited with kicking off the wave of nostalgia for the 1950s that the ’70s had enjoyed, which included the George Lucas film American Graffiti.
Both songs are set in the 1950s and talk of rock ‘n’ roll obsessives who become depressed when the music eventually dies. Reflecting the extent of the similarities, both songs also mention a Chevy, one of the key signifiers of the era. McLean’s piece was so impactful that it has been credited with kicking off the 1970s wave of nostalgia for the ’50s, which also features John’s hit.
Elton John has even admitted the derivative nature of ‘Crocodile Rock’ because it mentions everything that was popular with his generation when growing up. In Elton John: The Definitive Biography, he said: “I wanted it to be a record about all the things I grew up with. Of course, it’s a rip-off.”
