The song Elton John hates singing so much he will “throw a party” when he doesn’t have to anymore
For Elton John, imagining any other life than that of a musician is likely impossible.
For decades at a time, the piano-playing legend has made his career out of working with various creative partners to make some of the most poignant pop songs ever written, from ‘Candle in the Wind’ to ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’.
While all new creations might come from John’s soul, not every single melody he has written has necessarily stood the test of time for him. It has meant that there are a few songs which have fallen down the pecking order.
For almost every artist, the favourite song is the newest one, and there was likely a time when all of his tracks meant the most to him. But it would seem that some of his most adored songs have seen John become disdainful of them. Including ‘Crocodile Rock’.
Before he had even started working in the field of rock and roll, John was used to working in the various pubs around his neighbourhood, playing to any of the patrons who wanted to hear top 40 music. As he started to get his live chops down, a chance meeting at a record label led him to Bernie Taupin, who would provide the lyrics to some of his best work.
Starting with ‘Your Song’, nearly every Elton John song throughout the 1970s had its own classic on it, from the lonesome drifter in ‘Rocket Man’ to looking at a seamstress for a rock and roll band on ‘Tiny Dancer’. While John may have been on a winning streak for most of the ‘70s, one of his biggest songs ended up becoming a joke to him.
When creating Don’t Shoot Me…I’m Only the Piano Player, John’s take on old-time rock and roll led to ‘Crocodile Rock’, which he doesn’t consider among his best compositions. Speaking on the Deeney Talks podcast, John thought that the song was much more tongue-in-cheek than people think, recalling, “The last time I have to sing ‘Crocodile Rock’ I will probably throw a party. It was written as a kind of a joke, like a pastiche”.
However, the song has gone on to become perhaps the most adored of John’s incredible list of tracks. A guaranteed party-starter the tune is bouncing with intent from the very first notes and while it might have been a joke, the tune has outlasted the laughter.
Being a child of the pre-Beatles rock scene, John’s take on the traditional rock and roll single is still surprisingly upbeat, having a brilliant melody that could have fit in with any of the girl groups coming out. Then again, some of the “la-la-la” breaks are probably a good indication of why John was able to play this ridiculous song with The Muppets.
Despite his caginess towards the song, John has never been known to upset his audience by not playing the classics, going on to say, “It became a big hit, and people love to sing along with it. So who am I to say, ‘I am not going to play it’, because I play to amuse and entertain people. But I have to say, when the last show is done at the end of the tour, I will never ever sing that song again”.
Even when John performed the tune back in the day, he was already looking to move on to the next career phase. Having gone through the kinds of classic runs that only rock gods could reach, his colossal double album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was filled with wild left turns that no one saw coming, going from the lonely soul in ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ to the exuberance of ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’.
Despite having even greater hits beyond his ‘70s prime, John’s recent farewell tour still featured ‘Crocodile Rock’ in a prime spot in the setlist. The artist might be in control of writing the songs, but what happens to them after they’re put out into the world is up to the listening public.
