Surfin’ Bird is a song released in 1963 by the American rock band The Trashmen. The song is best known for its repetitious lyrics and surf rock sound. Surfin’ Bird quickly became a hit single, reaching the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Despite its popularity and ubiquity, many people don’t know the full story behind this iconic song. In this article, we will explore the origins of Surfin’ Bird and how it became a culturally significant novelty song in the 1960s.
The Creation of Surfin’ Bird
Surfin’ Bird was written by Al Frazier, Carl White, Sonny Harris, and Turner Wilson in the early 1960s. The song uses lyrics from two earlier R&B songs from the 1950s: The Bird is the Word by The Rivingtons and Papa Oom Mow Mow by The Rivingtons. Frazier and White took lyrics from these two songs and mashed them together to create the lyrical structure of Surfin’ Bird. The repetitive “Papa Oom Mow Mow” and “Bird is the word” phrases are derived from these earlier tracks.
The Trashmen, a surf rock group from Minneapolis, discovered the song and decided to record and release their own version in 1963. The Trashmen sped up the tempo and added in their energetic, wild rock sound. They included a distinctive guitar riff and their shouting, manic vocals to make the track their own. Though the songwriting credits went to Frazier, White, Harris, and Wilson, it was The Trashmen’s style that brought the song to mainstream popularity.
The Release and Reception of Surfin’ Bird
The Trashmen’s Surfin’ Bird single was released on the Garrett Records label in late 1963. The song was initially the B-side to another Trashmen song called King of the Surf. However, Surfin’ Bird quickly gained more attention and radio play than the A-side. Surfin’ Bird stood out for its insanely catchy and funny lyrics as well as the raw, frenetic energy of the performance.
By January 1964, Surfin’ Bird had topped the charts in Minneapolis and started rising on national record charts. The song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late January 1964. It remained on the charts for 10 weeks, making it one of the most successful singles of The Trashmen’s career. They were propelled from a regional surf rock band into a national sensation.
Reviews and Reactions
Critical reviews were mixed about the unconventional Surfin’ Bird. Some reviewers praised it as a fun, party-ready track. However, others derided its repetitiveness and called it annoying. One critic called it “musically repulsive.” Regardless of reviews, it clearly resonated with young record buyers. Teens and college students clamored for the single and listened to it repeatedly on jukeboxes at local hang-outs.
The song’s ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek lyrics also resonated with the youth counterculture and garage rock crowds of the 1960s. Though it was nonsense, it was catchy and irreverent enough to become an anthem for many young people. The absurdity was part of its appeal.
Legacy and Later Uses
After peaking in early 1964, The Trashmen were unable to replicate the success of Surfin’ Bird, being relegated to one-hit wonder status. However, the song itself took on a life of its own. In the following decades, Surfin’ Bird became ingrained in pop culture as iconic novelty hit of the early 60s rock era.
Later Covers and Appearances
Later in the 1960s, Surfin’ Bird was covered by popular groups like The Beach Boys, adding to its notoriety. In the 1970s, political parody artist Dickie Goodman used samples of Surfin’ Bird for his comedic act, further cementing its status as a pop culture curio.
In the late 1970s, the song saw a resurgence in popularity after being featured in the film Dawn of the Dead. This re-ignited interest in Surfin’ Bird and introduced it to new generations of listeners. The Cramps also covered the song in the ’80s, showing its influence on emerging psychobilly and garage rock revival bands.
Surfin’ Bird in Media
Beyond music, Surfin’ Bird became ingrained in films, TV shows, and commercials. The song was featured in the iconic dance scene in the Ramones movie Rock ‘n’ Roll High School in 1979. It also appeared in shows and movies like Married With Children, Full House, Forrest Gump, and more over the following decades.
Perhaps most significantly, Surfin’ Bird was performed by Peter Griffin on the TV show Family Guy in 2008. Peter’s inane impromptu concert recreated The Trashmen’s wild energy and turned the song into a viral internet meme. This reintroduced Surfin’ Bird to millennial and Gen Z audiences.
Meme Status in Internet Culture
Thanks to Family Guy and online meme culture, Surfin’ Bird took on new recognition online in the 2000s and 2010s. The song became a popular ironic meme used in mash-ups and remixes. People added surreal visuals and outrageous remixes that matched the song’s ridiculousness.
For many young internet users, encountering the Surfin’ Bird meme online was their first exposure to the vintage novelty song. The recycling of the song into an internet joke has ultimately given it longevity and kept it relevant in mainstream pop culture. Though The Trashmen faded away, Surfin’ Bird persists as a comical internet relic.
Why Does Surfin’ Bird Endure?
What explains the enduring popularity and influence of Surfin’ Bird over six decades after its release? There are a few key reasons this novelty song has maintained its cult status.
The Catchy Melody and Repetition
Firstly, the song itself is absurdly catchy and repetitive. The melody instantly bores its way into the listener’s head. And the redundancy of lyrics like “Bird bird bird, bird is the word” is silly and unforgettable. Once you hear it, you can’t get it out of your mind.
Nostalgia for the 1960s
Surfin’ Bird also evokes nostalgia for the early 60s and the golden age of teen garage rock. Even later generations get a kitschy feeling of mid-century Americana when hearing the surf rock riff and wild shouts. It instantly conjures up images of vintage beach parties and sock hops.
Novelty Value
As a novelty song, Surfin’ Bird has maintained appeal because it is intentionally ridiculous. The absurdity has given it an ironic hipster appeal. Later generations have enjoyed the song precisely because it is so silly and weird. Again, this dovetails with internet meme culture which thrives on corny throwback oddities.
High Energy Performance
Finally, The Trashmen’s chaotic energy made the song iconic. Their shouting vocals and off-the-wall performance gave Surfin’ Bird an aggressive, punk spirit before punk existed. This raw power still feels compelling today.
Conclusion
Surfin’ Bird remains a standout track in pop and rock history over 50 years after its release. The story behind this anomaly hit is almost as weird as the song itself. Rising from an obscure mashup of two forgotten 50s tunes, Surfin’ Bird became one of the most unforgettable novelty singles of the 60s. It captured the wild freedom of teenage culture and turned into a surprise chart topper. Though the song easily could have faded away as a fluke hit, it has persevered through later revivals, covers, and meme remixes. For both music historians and internet fanatics, Surfin’ Bird remains an endlessly entertaining and mystifying cult icon. The bizarre journey of this trash rock relic is a testament to the surprises that can emerge in pop music history and online fan culture.