‘Love Shack’ is a song by American new wave band the B-52s from their fifth studio album, Cosmic Thing (1989). It was released on June 20, 1989, and was produced by Don Was. The song was a comeback for the band, following their decline in popularity in the mid-1980s and the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985. ‘Love Shack’ is considered the band's signature song and has been a concert staple since its release. Commercially, the single topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 (becoming their first top-40 hit), and number five on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart. The song was later named one of the 365 Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America and one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone.
The genesis of the song came from B-52s frontman Fred Schneider, and was inspired by a club outside of Athens, Georgia, called the Hawaiian Ha-Le: "It was an African-American club that had a lot of good shows. It looked like a shack, you wouldn't expect it to be what it was, and when you opened the door, it was a wild band playing." Kate Pierson stated that it was "kind of like the juke joint in The Color Purple", and that the band would hang out there with a large "bohemian" group of friends. Cindy Wilson added, "It used to be this funky building with a tin roof that was old and rusty. They would have Soul Train [dance] lines."
Another inspiration for the song was thought to be a cabin near Athens with a tin roof, where the band had conceived ‘Rock Lobster’, a single from their 1979 debut album. The five-room cabin, which was located on a dairy farm, had once been rented by Pierson and her then-husband, after they had relocated to Athens in the 1970s. Author Mats Sexton recalled that Pierson had stated several of the band's early songs were conceived in the cabin through jamming, including "many different guitar riffs and assorted lyrics". The cabin, which was on the cusp of being reoccupied and renovated, burned down in December 2004.
‘Love Shack’ became the band's biggest hit song as well as their first million-copy seller. It was the band's first song to reach the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three in November 1989, and spending a total of 27 weeks on the chart. It also reached number five in Canada, number two in the United Kingdom, and number one in Australia (eight weeks), Ireland (one week) and New Zealand (four weeks), as well as on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart (four weeks).
Label – Reprise
Songwriters – The B-52's
Producer – Don Was
SONG LYRICS
[Sung by: Fred, Kate and Cindy]If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says
“15 miles to the
Love Shack”
Love Shack, yeah, yeah
I'm heading down the Atlanta highway
Looking for the love getaway
Headed for the love getaway
I got me a car that's as big as a whale
And we're heading on down to the Love Shack
I got me a Chrysler that seats about 20
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money
The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together
Love Shack, baby (a-Love Shack, baby)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)
Sign says (woo!), “Stay away, fools
'Cause love rules at the Love Shack”
Well, it's set way back in the middle of a field
Just a funky old shack and I gotta get back
Glitter on the mattress
Glitter on the highway
Glitter on the front porch
Glitter on the highway
The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together
Love Shack, baby (Love Shack, baby)
Love Shack, that's where it's at
Love Shack, that's where it's at
Hugging and a-kissing
Dancing and a-loving
Wearing next to nothing
'Cause it's hot as an oven
The whole shack shimmies
Yeah, the whole shack shimmies
The whole shack shimmies
When everybody's moving around
And around and around and around
Everybody's moving, everybody's grooving, baby
Folks lining up outside just to get down
Everybody's moving, everybody's grooving, baby
Funky little shack
Funky little shack
[Instrumental Break]
Hop in my Chrysler, it's as big as a whale, and it's about to set sail
I got me a car, it seats about 20
So come on and bring your jukebox money
The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together
Love Shack, baby (a-Love Shack, baby)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)
Bang, bang, bang on the door baby
Knock a little louder baby
Bang, bang, bang on the door baby
I can't hear you
Bang, bang, bang on the door, baby
Knock a little louder, sugar
Bang, bang, bang on the door, baby
I can't hear you
Bang, bang, bang on the door, baby (Knock a little louder)
Bang, bang, bang on the door baby
Bang, bang (On the door, baby)
Bang, bang (On the door)
Bang, bang (On the door, baby)
Bang, bang
Your what?
Tin roof, rusted
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at, yeah)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Hugging and a-kissing
Dancing and a-loving
At the Love Shack