☝️ Key Points
- The song takes place in Egypt and tells the story of Mrs. Potiphar, who satisfies her sexual needs in Thebes, a place of debauchery, despite her husband's impotence.
- The bar 'The Crocodile' in Thebes is a popular meeting place where people dance and meet their lovers; it alludes to sexual freedom.
- Among the regulars at the bar are Joseph and the Pharaoh, who hide there incognito.
- In a humorous plot twist, Mrs. Potiphar's husband discovers what she is up to and decides to travel to Thebes himself to visit the bar, where he meets his own disguised wife.
- The song manages to address the themes of sexuality, adultery, and double standards in a humorous and playful way, placing them in a historical context and using wordplay and allusions to entertain the listener.
Interpretation
"In the Bar of the Crocodile" by the
Comedian Harmonists is a humorous and slightly suggestive song that transports to ancient Egypt. The story revolves around Mrs. Potiphar, who, despite her older and rather impotent husband, lives out her sexual desires. Her husband discovers her nightly excursions to Thebes, a city portrayed as a place of debauchery, comparable to today's nightlife in bars and clubs.
In Thebes, there is a specific bar called "The Crocodile," where people gather, dance, and meet their lovers. Joseph and the Pharaoh are regulars who stay incognito there. The song alludes to sexual freedom by emphasizing that the dancers are "only three-quarters naked."
When Mrs. Potiphar's husband discovers what his wife is doing, he decides to travel to Thebes himself and experience the bar. He and the Pharaoh disguise themselves and mingle among the guests. In a humorous twist, the husband attempts to kiss a slim, masked girl, only to realize it is his own wife.
The narrative is humorous and playful, playing with the concept of adultery, sexual freedom, and double standards. The song humorously addresses the themes of sexuality and infidelity in a historical context, using wordplay and innuendos to entertain the listener.