B-52’s: Rock Lobster

Remarks:

This came out in 1979. It made the top ten in Canada and Australia but did not get above #37 in the rest of the Anglosphere. In their native US it only got to #56. I do not remember hearing it before the middle 1980s when it appeared on MTV.

What I love most about this song, aside from the narwhal shout-out, is the guitar, throughout, but particularly from 3:15 to 3:25 in the video above.

See also:

• songs: the 1970s
  • Time Warp Radio: 1979
• MTV
• R.E.M.: Shiny Happy People – features Kate Pierson, the redhead in the video above.

Lyrics:

We were at a party
His earlobe fell in the deep
Someone reached in and grabbed it
It was a rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster

We were at the beach
Everybody had matching towels
Somebody went under a dock
And there they saw a rock
It wasn’t a rock
It was a rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster

Motion in the ocean
His air hose broke
Lots of trouble
Lots of bubble
He was in a jam
S’in a giant clam
Rock rock
Rock lobster

Down, down

Lobster rock
Lobster rock

Let’s rock!

Boy’s in bikinis
Girls in surfboards
Everybody’s rockin’
Everybody’s fruggin’

Twistin’ ’round the fire
Havin’ fun
Bakin’ potatoes
Bakin’ in the sun

Put on your noseguard
Put on the Lifeguard
Pass the tanning butter

Here comes a stingray
There goes a manta-ray
In walked a jelly fish
There goes a dog-fish
Chased by a cat-fish
In flew a sea robin
Watch out for that piranha
There goes a narwhal
Here comes a bikini whale!

Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster
Rock lobster

Source: Songfacts.