Coverinfo
Bruce used the song only one as a snippet:
during RAMROD
2016-07-16 Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
"Ramrod" includes a snippet of The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird". just singing "Everybody heard about the bird"
photo credits Henry Ruggeri
Songinfo
"Surfin' Bird" is a song performed by American surf rock band the Trashmen, and it is also the name of the album that featured this hit single. The song was released in 1963. The Rivingtons followed up their 1963 Billboard Hot 100 hit "
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" with the similar "
The Bird's the Word" in 1963. The Trashmen had not heard this version but saw a band called the Sorensen Brothers playing it. They decided to play the song that night at their own gig. During this first performance, drummer and vocalist Steve Wahrer stopped playing and ad-libbed the "Surfin' Bird" middle section. Despite not knowing "The Bird's the Word" was a Rivingtons song, the similarity to "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" was obvious and the Trashmen added the chorus to the end of their new track. A local disc jockey, Bill Diehl, was at the gig and convinced the band to record the track. It was recorded at Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis. Diehl entered it into a local battle of the bands competition and it won. It was then sent to a battle of the bands competition in Chicago where it also won. This led to the group being signed to Garrett Records with the single being quickly released. It reportedly sold 30,000 copies in its first weekend before going on to national success.Wahrer was originally credited as the song's writer, but that was changed to the Rivingtons (Al Frazier, Carl White, Sonny Harris, and Turner Wilson Jr.) after the group threatened to sue the Trashmen for plagiarism.
Bruce on the artist
2021-07-21 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce played the song during the 25th episode of 'From My Home to Yours' series, themed "Frat Party":
"That was the immortal "Surfin' Bird", by a group with one of the greatest names in rock 'n' roll, The Trashmen. Sung in a state of transcendental grace by their drummer and vocalist, Steve Wahrer, this wild motherfucker of a record reached Number 4 on the charts - impossible to believe - and as far as I know, they never had a comparable hit. How do you follow up perfection? One and done. Put this record in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "
Lyrics
A-well-a everybody's heard about the bird!
Bird bird bird, b-bird'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's 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 bird
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 bird
A-well-a bird!
Surfin
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Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa
Oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa pa oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Oom m-oom m-oom m-oom
M-oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-oom m-oom m-oom
M-oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-oom m-oom m-oom
M-oom m-mow mow
Oom m-oom m-oom m-oom
M-oom m-mow mow
Oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Oom mow m-mow
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 bird
A-well-a oom m-mow mow
Pa pa oom mow m-mow
Ba pa oom m-mow mow
Oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow
Oom mow m-mow
Pa pa oom m-mow mow