The footage used for the music video of the song was taken from a "live" concert in Chicago with 70,000 fans. "The video was actually shot over several days," confirms Michael Pagnotta, George's publicist. "It was shot in an airline hangar in Burbank, California where George had been rehearsing; Elton came in for a night and they ran through the song a couple of times. Then the song was filmed in its entirety live in Chicago in the middle of October as part of that Cover to Cover tour, and when Elton came out from the wings, that place went crazy." It appears on John's Love Songs compilation. The proceeds from the single were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS and education.
Both John and Michael performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert a year after the single's release.
Crocodile Rock
George Michael & Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and Suzie had so much fun
Holdin' hands and skippin' stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
Was doin' a thing called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were rockin' 'round the clock
Crocodile rockin' is somethin' shockin', when your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will
Oh Lawdy Mama those Friday nights, when Suzie wore her dresses tight and uh
Crocodile rockin' was-a out of-a sight
(La, la la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La la la la la)
But the years went by and the rock just died
Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy
Long nights cryin' by the record machine
Dreamin' of my Chevy and my old blue jeans
But they'll never kill the thrills we got
Burnin' up to the crocodile rock
Learnin' fast as the weeks went past
We really thought the crocodile rock would last, well
Crocodile rockin' is somethin' shockin', when your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will
Oh Lawdy Mama those Friday nights, when Suzie wore her dresses tight and uh
Crocodile rockin' was-a out of-a sight
(La, la la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La la la la la)
I remember when rock was young
Me and Suzie had so much fun
Holdin' hands and skimmin' stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
Was doin' a thing called the crocodile rock
While the other kids were rockin' 'round the clock
We were hoppin' and boppin' to the crocodile rock, well
Crocodile rockin' is somethin' shockin', when your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will
Oh Lawdy Mama those Friday nights, when Suzie wore her dresses tight and uh
Crocodile rockin' was-a out of-a sight
(La, la la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La, la la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La, la la la la la)
(La la la la la)
(La la la la la)
The lyrics of "Crocodile Rock" by George Michael and Elton John are nostalgic in nature. They are about looking back on a time when rock and roll was new and exciting, and the joys and thrills that came with it. The song is structured as a flashback, with the singer remembering a time when he and his girlfriend Suzie had so much fun together, riding in an old gold Chevy and doing simple things like holding hands and skimming stones. But the real rush came when they started dancing the Crocodile Rock, a dance that was unique to their group of friends. The song speaks to a sense of innocence and joy that was lost as time went on, as evidenced by the reference to Suzie leaving for a foreign guy and the singer's subsequent late nights crying by the record machine, dreaming of his lost love.
Overall, "Crocodile Rock" is a celebration of a bygone era, with the lyrics conveying a sense of fondness and longing for a time when life was simpler and more carefree. The unique and catchy melody of the song serves to transport the listener back in time, making it a true classic of the rock and roll genre.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember when rock was young
When I was younger, rock music was new and exciting to me
Me and Suzie had so much fun
I and my girlfriend Suzie enjoyed each other's company and did many exciting things together
Holdin' hands and skippin' stones
We used to play by the water, holding hands, and skimming rocks across the water's surface
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
I owned an old golden Chevrolet and had a place of my own to live
But the biggest kick I ever got
The most exciting thing I ever did
Was doin' a thing called the Crocodile Rock
Was dancing to a specific rock song called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were rockin' 'round the clock
While other kids were dancing to other rock songs all through the night
We were hoppin' and boppin' to the Crocodile Rock, well
Suzie and I were dancing energetically and enthusiastically to the Crocodile Rock song
Crocodile rockin' is somethin' shockin', when your feet just can't keep still
Crocodile Rock dancing is so thrilling and exciting that it is difficult to stay still
I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will
I have not experienced a better time in my life than when I was dancing to the Crocodile Rock song with Suzie, and I believe I never will have that again
Oh Lawdy Mama those Friday nights, when Suzie wore her dresses tight and uh
I loved those Friday nights when Suzie wore her beautiful tight dresses while we were dancing to the Crocodile Rock song
Crocodile rockin' was-a out of-a sight
Crocodile Rock dancing was the best thing ever
But the years went by and the rock just died
As time passed, rock music became less popular and exciting
Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy
Unfortunately, Suzie left me to be with a guy from another country
Long nights cryin' by the record machine
I spent many lonely nights crying by my record player after Suzie left
Dreamin' of my Chevy and my old blue jeans
I longed for the days when I owned my Chevy and wore my comfortable old blue jeans
But they'll never kill the thrills we got
The excitement and thrills Suzie and I experienced while dancing to the Crocodile Rock song will never be forgotten
Burnin' up to the crocodile rock
I felt alive with excitement when I was dancing to the Crocodile Rock song
Learnin' fast as the weeks went past
As we repeated the Crocodile Rock dance, we became better and better at it
We really thought the crocodile rock would last, well
We believed the Crocodile Rock song and dance would be popular forever
Contributed by Brody M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NostalgiaMan
His concerts are golden. I love that Elton is doing fundraisers on Youtube!
@joaojonesdossantosfilho1547
Helton
Jhon si Minas Gerais vai parar tudo Belo Horizonte sou fã dele
@maureenmackey4879
Yes his fundraisers are amazing. L way to go Hercules
@maureenmackey4879
Yes I love his fundraisers! Way to Hercules
@meanyfaceofficial6891
i love how this person is everywhere
@rozetborn8651
Owirw
@Marchant2
This, to me, is one of the best pop song to come out of the '70's.
@bellawood7242
Elton John is one of those musicians who can make the crowd go wild.
@georgecoventry8441
It's what Bill the Cat always hoped to do, but he kept getting his tongue tangled up in the mic stand. And then there was the recurrent hairball problem...
@ajward9112
Legends like Elton John will live forever - he will never die