Beatles' 'Rocky Raccoon' Inspired Marvel's Rocket Raccoon

Released in 1968, The Beatles' White Album included the country-style ballad 'Rocky Raccoon,' which Paul McCartney wrote while the band was in Rishikesh studying Transcendental Meditation. The White Album marked a turn toward more individual creative work from each member, and 'Rocky Raccoon' stands out for its folky, narrative approach.

The song unfolds in the 'black mining hills of Dakota' and follows a young man named Rocky Raccoon after his woman leaves him for another man. Rocky checks into a saloon armed with a gun, confronts the rival, and meets a tragic end. McCartney has said the song grew out of a folky spoof influenced by Bob Dylan, describing it as a 'train ride of the mind' written tongue-in-cheek.

Marvel later borrowed the name for Rocket Raccoon, who debuted in 1979 in Marvel Preview #7. Like his musical namesake, Marvel's Rocket is stubborn, impulsive and competitive; modern audiences also know him as the genetically modified, trigger-happy raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy.

India, Rishikesh

beatles, rocky raccoon, white album, paul mccartney, rishikesh, transcendental meditation, dakota, rocket raccoon, marvel, guardians