Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m too hard on music nowadays. It’s not like the novelty song started with “Laffy Taffy” or “Teach Me How to Dougie” or even “Tootsee Roll” and “Dazzey Duks”. Silly songs-whether dance instructionals or just nonsense tunes-have been around forever and, truthfully, some of the most important songs in rock history have been throwaway songs. “Louie Louie”, anyone?
This brings us to “Surfin’ Bird”, the 1963 classic from The Trashmen that has become popular again over the last year or so thanks to a memorable episode of “Family Guy” on which Peter Griffin develops an unhealthy fixation with the song.
Upon checking out the song’s Wikipedia page, I was somewhat surprised to know that the Trashmen’s hit is actually a combination of two songs recorded by an R&B group called The Rivingtons. I wasn’t very surprised to find out that the song had been re-recorded by The Ramones. I have to find that one on iTunes.
It may not be lyrically substantial or even musically accomplished, but damn is it ever catchy. Could it be that I’ve been a little too hard on songs like “Boom Boom Pow”? Nah. Black Eyed Peas still suck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThquH5t0ow