George Harrison Based ‘Crackerbox Palace’ on a Comedian’s House
George Harrison based his 1976 song, “Crackerbox Palace,” on a comedian’s house, not his own eccentric home, Friar Park. Although, he did shoot the music video there.
George Harrison based ‘Crackerbox Palace’ on a comedian’s home
In his 1980 memoir, I Me Mine, George wrote that the idea for “Crackerbox Palace” came after meeting the manager of Lord Buckley.
George wrote, “I was in Cannes for the Midem Music Festival in 1975 and I met a man and talked to him and said, ‘I don’t know if this is an insult or a compliment, but you remind me of Lord Buckley.’ He said, ‘I managed him for 18 years,’ which was an incredible coincidence.
“Lord Buckley was a hip comedian. He was very ‘up’ all the time and he was very important to me during the ’60s. So I was talking with this guy, George Greif, in France, about Lord Buckley, and he said Buckley lived in an old beaten-up house in Los Angeles which he called ‘Crackerbox Palace.’
“I thought, ‘Ah, that sounds like a song,’ and wrote it down on a cigarette pack. I came home and wrote the song.”
In the last verse of the song, George mentions Greif. Greif’s cousin, Eric Greif, told Songfacts, “George was aware of the song, and was very proud that Harrison had included the story in ‘Crackerbox Palace.’ The big coincidence is that George represented Lord Buckley, a hero of Harrison’s, and that sparked the friendship and interaction that Harrison memorialized in the song.”
The Lord in the lyric, “Know that the Lord is well and inside of you,” is Lord Buckley. Although, George could very well be singing about a Lord or Krishna, as he was very spiritual. He also liked lyrics that had double meanings and were up to interpretation.
George added a line from ‘Blazing Saddles’ to the lyrics for ‘Crackerbox Palace’
According to Song Facts, George also added a line from Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles. The lyric, “It’s twoo, it’s twoo,” is spoken by Madeline Kahn’s German seductress-for-hire character Lili Von Shtupp in the film. Brooks was one of George’s favorite directors.
Regarding directors, George’s friend and Monty Python actor Eric Idle directed the music video for “Crackerbox Palace.” Idle shot the video at George’s own eccentric palace, Friar Park, which Sir Frank Crisp built. There are odd plaques with equally weird sayings printed on them littered all over the 60+ acre property. Gargoyles, in strange positions, stare down at the gardens.
George aired the video for “Crackerbox Palace” along with the one for “This Song” during his 1976 appearance on Saturday Night Live.
The former Beatle tried to make ‘Crackerbox Palace’ a reggae song
George was a huge fan of Bob Marley. During a 1979 interview for BBC Radio 1 (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), George told David Jensen that he wanted “Crackerbox Palace” to sound like a reggae song.
“Well, I’ve tried a couple of times–I must say, not too serious–but I’ve tried to make a tune into like a reggae feel–’Crackerbox Palace.’ But like I say, it’s harder than it appears, you know?
“And the one thing I like about it is the drum sound they always get, like the high [vocalizes timbale-like fill] ta-tang-tang! The toms-toms… fantastic.”
“Crackerbox Palace” is one of George’s most lighthearted songs. He adds elements of different kinds of music. In terms of the lyrics and video, there’s room for interpretation, which George loved, and it’s almost an ode to his own wacky home.
