This, That, and the Other

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Jim Adams has given us “surf rock.” I suppose I could have gone with The Beach Boys or Jan & Dean, but I decided to go with something more off-beat. I chose a song by The Trashmen called “Surfin’ Bird.”

The song “Surfin’ Bird” is actually a medley made up of the choruses of two R&B classics by the ’60s doo-wop group, The Rivingtons: “The Bird Is the Word” and “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow.” The brainchild of Trashmen drummer Steve Wahrer, the song was a quirky and consumable hit, boldly combining surf music with novelty R&B. The Rivingtons were awarded writing credit for the song, since it was based on their compositions.

The Trashmen was a garage band from Minneapolis, which isn’t exactly surfing territory. But the quartet soaked up the sunshine and sounds of California when they took a road trip there in the spring of 1963. Returning home, they incorporated the surf sound into their shows when they played local gigs, and eventually worked up “Surfin’ Bird.”

The single was released shortly before the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, so it took longer than usual to climb the chart. It reached its U.S. chart peak at number 4 on January 25, 1964.

Interesting factoid: You may have noticed in the video above that there is only one band member shown. That was lead singer and drummer Steve Wahrer. The video was shot during the January 4, 1964 episode of American Bandstand. Before introducing the band, Dick Clark called “Surfin’ Bird” one of the most “strange and unusual” songs of 1963. But Wahrer performed the song solo, doing a chicken-like dance as he gamely lip-synched along. Wahrer’s three bandmates didn’t join him because the band’s management wouldn’t pay to fly them to Philadelphia where the show was taped.

Here are the lyrics to “Surfin’ Bird.”

A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird
B-b-b-bird, b-birdd's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, bird is the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, well-a bird is the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, well-a bird is the word
A-well, a bird, bird, b-bird is the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, well-a bird is the word
A-well, a bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word

A-well-a-bird, bird, b-bird's the word, a-well-a

A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird
Bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody's talking about the bird!

A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a bird, surfing bird, brr, brr, ah, ah
Ah, bap-a-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pap

Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-ma-ma, ma-ma-mow
Ma-ma-ma-ma, ma-ma-mow
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow

A-well-a don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word

A-well, a bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A-well-a mow, mow, pa-pa, ma-ma-mow, pa-pa
Ma-ma-mow, ma-ma, mow, pa-pa