Crocodile Rock

On my way to work in the morning I tend to listen to the radio in the car. It passes time and generally puts me in a better mood than I was when I first left the house. I’m not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve never been and probably never will be.

My good mood is due to Colm & Jim-Jim on the Strawberry Alarm Clock (FM104) and this week particularly to their Strawberry Pick of the Week. The “Strawberry” is entertaining, dynamic and truth be said… rather brainless: just what a girl who doesn’t reach her maximum brain potential before 10:30am needs on a bleak September morning.

Anyway, for those of you who do not listen to it, the Strawberry Pick of the Week (around 8:40am usually) is a single the team thinks will be a big hit in the future. However, the DJs are not averse to picking really quirky songs that have made it to the number 1 spot abroad. This week, they delight us with this marvelous German title: Schnappi – das kleine Krokodil.

Now, I lived in Germany for a year. You don’t fool me… Their taste in music is generally…. Well… Shite. Between Scorpions, David Hasselhoff (whose singles are only released in Austria, Germany and Switzerland), the Kelly Family and the home-baked Schlagers, it’s enough to break the defenses of the best-trained Intelligence agents. Indeed, there are ways to make you talk… (I am perfectly aware of the fact that some German music is good like Die Toten Hosen, Die Fantastischen Vier and even Rammstein on small doses but… that’s not my point. I am also aware that the Kelly Family and David Hasselhoff are not German, but we’d all agree that they are REALLY bad… and yet, they are loved over there…)

Now take aforementioned Rammstein and imagine the complete opposite. You get Schnappi, the little crocodile. It's disturbingly catchy like most kids songs and it WILL stick to you like a bad smell if you listen to it more than 3 times in a row. Even if you don't know a word of German, you WILL sing along (then again, how hard is Schni Schna Schnappi / Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp / Schni Schna Schnappi /
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp to pick up? Anyway, I love it like cigarettes... the first time it's minging but then you get used to it and without you knowing how it happened... you're hooked.

While you listen to it here, you can sing along!! If you're feeling adventurous, here are the full lyrics:

Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil.
Komm aus Ägypten, das liegt direkt am Nil.
Zuerst lag ich in einem Ei,
dann schni-,schna-,schnappte ich mich frei

Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp

Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil,
hab scharfe Zähne, und davon ganz schön viel.
Ich schnapp mir was ich schnappen kann,
ja ich schnapp zu, weil ich das so gut kann.

Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp

Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil,
ich schnappe gern, das ist mein Lieblingsspiel.
Ich schleich mich an die Mama ran,
und zeig ihr wie ich schnappen kann

Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp
Schni Schna Schnappi
Schnappi Schnappi Schnapp

Ich bin Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil,
und vom Schnappen, da krieg ich nicht zu viel.
Ich beiß dem Papi kurz ins Bein,
und dann, dann schlaf ich einfach ein.