Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Das Kleine Krokodil"
Single by Schnappi/Joy Gruttmann
from the album Schnappi und Seine Freunde
Language	German
English title	The Little Crocodile
B-side	"Schnappi" remixes
Released	6 December 2004 (2004-12-06)
Recorded	1999
Genre	Pop
Length	2:09
Label	Universal
Songwriter(s)	Rosita Blissenbach Iris Gruttmann Jochen Wagner
Producer(s)	Iris Gruttmann
Schnappi/Joy Gruttmann singles chronology
"Das Kleine Krokodil" (2004) "Ein Lama in Yokohama" (2005)

"Das Kleine Krokodil" (English: "The Little Crocodile"), also known under the title "Schnappi", is the debut single of animated cartoon crocodile Schnappi from his first album, Schnappi und Seine Freunde. The voice of Schnappi is provided by Joy Gruttmann, a child singer. Joy's aunt, Iris Gruttmann, originally wrote the song in 1999 without the "Schni-Schna-Schnappi, Schnappi Schnappi schnapp" refrain, but when the song was uploaded to the internet, this hook was added in without the Gruttmanns' or Universal Music Group's knowledge. However, the song quickly became a viral hit, and it was released as a single on 6 December 2004—Joy's ninth birthday.

"Schnappi" subsequently became a success in several continental European countries, topping the singles charts of Austria, Flanders, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland; it ended 2005 as Europe's sixth-best-selling single. It also became a top-ten hit in Australia and New Zealand. In 2005, the song won an ECHO Award for "Download of the Year". The song has spawned a number of cover versions in different languages that also became chart hits.

Background

German child singer Joy Gruttmann provides the vocals on "Schnappi". Her aunt, Iris Gruttmann, composed the music in 1999 and rewrote the lyrics that her coworker provided. Joy, four years old at the time, was asked to sing the track. After it was recorded, it was included on a 2001 nursery rhyme sampler titled Iris Lieder – Lied für mich, without the signature "Schni-Schna-Schnappi, Schnappi Schnappi schnapp" hook. Several years later, in 2004, the song was featured on a compilation album for popular German children's series Die Sendung mit der Maus, sung by an animated crocodile called "Schnappi", who had never been featured on the programme before. Attention toward the song grew, and it was eventually illegally uploaded to the internet, unknown to the Gruttmanns or Universal Music Group at the time, with the aforementioned hook added in. Around this time, the song received its first airplay exposure when a radio station in Cologne, Germany, added the track to its playlists.

The Gruttmanns were on a family holiday during these events, and after returning home in August 2004, the editorial team for Die Sendung mit der Maus told them of the news. Upon checking the internet, they noticed the song being discussed on many message boards, discovered various remixes of "Schnappi" ranging from heavy metal to techno, and saw a video for Wacken Open Air in which rock fans were singing the track. Soon, the managing director of Bavaria Media, Rolf Moser, decided to handle the recording's licencing and promotional agreements, and it was officially released as a single in Germany on Joy's ninth birthday, 6 December 2004. At this point, Iris hired more employees and began to work on the Schnappi und Seine Freunde album.

Commercial performance

"Schnappi" reached number one on Germany's GfK Entertainment Chart on 3 January 2005, staying at the top for 10 weeks. Despite the next single, "Ein Lama in Yokohama", reaching the top 10 on the same listing, Schnappi is often regarded as a one-hit wonder. In 2005, the single was awarded an ECHO Award for "Download of the Year". The song was then released worldwide and peaked at number one in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland in early 2005. It additionally reached number two in Denmark and number 10 in France.

In April 2005, the song began to experience success in Australasia. It made its first chart appearance on New Zealand's Recorded Music NZ (then RIANZ) chart at number 32 on 25 April. The next week, it jumped to number three before reaching number two for the first time on its third week in. Between 9 May and 18 July, the single fluctuated around the top 10, eventually spending five non-consecutive weeks at number two. It remained in the top 10 until 12 September. On 17 July, the song debuted at number 20 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart, reaching a peak of number six on 21 August.

Cover versions

The song was re-recorded in Dutch by Snappie under the title "Snappie de kleine krokodil", which peaked at number two in the Netherlands and number five in the Flanders region of Belgium. Belgian techno group Dynamite released a cover version that charted at number three in Flanders while the original version was still topping the chart. In Walloon Belgium, the song was covered in French by Charlotte under the title "Schnappi, le petit crocodile", and peaked at number 23. Another French version titled "Crocky le petit crocodile" was also released, as well as a Lithuanian version called "Šnapis mažas klokodilas" and a Japanese version entitled "Togetogeshi, chiisai wani" (刺々し、小さい鰐).

Track listings

Personnel

• Arranged by Iris Gruttmann, Jochen Wagner
• Composed by Iris Gruttmann
• Lyrics by Iris Gruttmann, Rosita Blissenbach
• Producer by Daniel Scholz, Robert Wässer, Kay Wittgenstein
• Vocals by Joy Gruttmann

Charts

Certifications and sales