‘Surrender’ is a single by Cheap Trick released in June 1978 from the album Heaven Tonight. It was the first Cheap Trick single to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 62. Its success in Japan, as well as the success of its preceding singles ‘Clock Strikes Ten’ and ‘I Want You to Want Me’, paved the way for Cheap Trick's concerts at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo in April 1978 which were recorded for Cheap Trick at Budokan, the group's most popular album.
‘Surrender’ is a late 1970s teen anthem, describing the relations between the baby boomer narrator and his G.I. Generation parents. His mother frequently warns him about the girls he will meet, as he will never know what diseases he will catch from them, as exemplified by a rumor about "a soldier's [penis] falling off" as a result of "some Indonesian junk that's going around". The mother's expertise on such matters is endorsed by the father, who states that she served with the WACs in the Philippines, a claim which amazes the narrator, who had been under the impression the WACs only recruited "old maids" (and Mommy isn't one of those).
The narrator then describes how his parents are weirder and hipper than many teens would believe. For example, the narrator describes how he discovers his "mom and dad are rolling on the couch" and listening to his Kiss records late at night ("rolling numbers, rock-and-rolling, got my Kiss records out") This mention was a thank you by Cheap Trick who got a career boost by opening concerts for Kiss during the 1977 Love Gun Tour.
Rolling Stone deemed ‘Surrender’ "the ultimate Seventies teen anthem" and ranked it number 471 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2010, number 465 in 2004, and number 365 in 2021.
Songwriter – Rick Nielsen
Producer – Tom Werman
SONG LYRICS
[Intro][Verse 1]
Mother told me, yes, she told me
I'd meet girls like you
She also told me, "Stay away
You'll never know what you'll catch"
Just the other day I heard
Of a soldier's falling off
Some Indonesian junk
That's going 'round
[Chorus]
Mommy's all right
Daddy's all right
They just seem a little weird
Surrender
Surrender
But don't give yourself away
Hey, hey
[Verse 2]
Father says, "Your mother's right
She's really up on things
Before we married, Mommy served
In the WACS in the Philippines”
Now, I had heard the WACs recruited
Old maids for the war
But mommy isn't one of those
I've known her all these years
[Chorus]
Mommy's all right
Daddy's all right
They just seem a little weird
Surrender
Surrender
But don't give yourself away
Hey, hey
[Verse 3]
Whatever happened to all this season's
Losers of the year?
Every time I got to thinking
Where'd they disappear?
Then I woke up, Mom and Dad
Are rolling on the couch
Rolling numbers, rock and rollin'
Got my KISS records out
[Chorus]
Mommy's all right
Daddy's all right
They just seem a little weird
Surrender
Surrender
But don't give yourself away
Hey, hey
Away
Away
[Outro]
Surrender (Mommy's all right)
Surrender (Daddy's all right)
But don't give yourself away
Surrender (Mommy's all right)
Surrender (Daddy's all right)
But don't give yourself away
Surrender (Mommy's all right)
Surrender (Daddy's all right)
But don't give yourself away
Surrender (Bun E.’s all right)
Surrender (Tommy’s all right)
But don't give yourself away (Robin’s all right, Rick’s all right)
Surrender (We’re all all right)
Surrender (We’re all all right)
But don't give yourself away (We’re all all right, We’re all all right)
Surrender (Mommy's all right)
Surrender (Daddy's all right)
But don't give yourself away
Surrender (Mommy's all right)
Surrender (Daddy's all right)
But don't give yourself away
Surrender