Rock Lobster (song)
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This article is about the song; for the animal, see Rock lobster.
| "Rock Lobster" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by The B-52's | ||
| from the album The B-52's | ||
| B-side(s) | "52 Girls" | |
| Released | 1978 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | 1978 | |
| Genre | Rock/New wave | |
| Length | 4:54 (single version) 6:52 (album version) |
|
| Label | Boo-Fant Records | |
| Writer(s) | Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson | |
| Producer(s) | Chris Blackwell | |
| Chart positions | ||
| The B-52's singles chronology | ||
| "Rock Lobster" (1978) |
"Rock Lobster (album version)" (1979) |
|
"Rock Lobster" is The B-52's' first single, released in 1978 and in a longer version placed on the band's self-titled debut album, The B-52's, one year later. It has become one of their signature tunes, and it helped launch the band's success. "Rock Lobster" was the band's first single to appear on Billboard's Hot 100. The song is mainly instrumental; some instruments used include a twangy, baritone surf-style electric guitar (a Mosrite), a Farfisa or Vox organ, and drums. Unlike most pop and rock songs, no bass guitar was present. In place of the bass guitar, a baritone guitar was used for the bass lines.
The album version of "Rock Lobster" (released in 1979) clocks in at about seven minutes and contains superficially nonsensical lyrics about a beach party and excited rants of absurd and inaccurate marine animal noises; the chorus consists of the words "Rock lobster!" repeated over and over. Critic Rick Anderson commented "despite the song's self-consciously weird texture and silly lyrics about earlobes falling off and communal towel coordination, there's a thread of darkness weaving through it. Make no mistake: this is not a song with hidden meaning lurking below the surface. But its surface is a little more complicated than it seems to be at first."
The song "Rock Lobster" is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.[1]
Rock Lobster also appears at number 146 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of greatest songs. -
- "Rock Lobster" (1978) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- The song includes nonsensical lyrics about a beach party and mock marine animal noises.
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
