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The song "Boom Like That" contains the following verse:

Or my name is not Kroc, it's Kroc with a K
Like crocodile but not spelt that way now

(The lyrics are available online).

Why is Kroc spelt with a K? It seems like a random thing to say, but that particular phrase comes up several times during the song, so I assume it's important.

terdon
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1 Answers1

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According to Knopfler himself, this song is about Ray Kroc, the entrepreneur who manipulated a small California burger joint away from its two founders and into the McDonalds fast-food empire. There's an article about it here: https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2017/01/track-of-the-day-boom-like-that-by-mark-knopfler/513740/.

In Knopfler’s portrayal, he’s a guy who sets out to “drown” his competition and does it, shaking hands and smiling all the while.

Kroc started out selling milkshake mixers to the McDonald brothers, eventually buying them out and aggressively expanding the franchise. Before composing the song, Knopfler read books about Kroc's life and business philosophy. The singer found inspiration in some quotes that were attributed to Kroc. He says, "I remember coming across a quote in a book. It was something like, 'If the opposition is going to drown, put a hose in their mouth.'"

Based on the business philosophy of Kroc, it could be a play on words, i.e., my name may be Kroc with a K, but I act like a croc spelt with a c.

  • This is helpful, but I'm not entirely sure if it's a full answer to the question. Do you have any explanation why it's important to repeat the "Krok" with a K line several times in the song? –  Nov 23 '17 at 17:27
  • It's only a guess, but based on the business philosophy of Krok, it could be a play on words, i.e., I may act like a croc (crocodile), but it's spelt with a k in my case. –  Nov 23 '17 at 17:41
  • Or rather, my name may be Krok with a K, but I act like a croc spelt with a c. –  Nov 23 '17 at 17:44
  • Seems like a good explanation to me; I recommend editing it into your answer. –  Nov 23 '17 at 17:54