‘Rock Lobster’ is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52's. It was twice recorded and released as a single, first by DB Records as their debut release in April 1978, and again the following year for the band's self-titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records. The version of ‘Rock Lobster’ released by Warner Bros. was the band's first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No. 56. A major hit in Canada, the single went all the way to No. 1 in the RPM national chart. ‘Rock Lobster’ reached #37 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1979; when reissued as a double A-side with ‘Planet Claire’ in 1986, it peaked at No. 12. In Australia, it peaked at No. 3 in 1980.
The song became one of their signature tunes and launched the band's career. ‘Rock Lobster’ was well-received by critics, and went on to place at No. 147 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in December 2004.
According to a "Behind the Vinyl" video with B-52's singer Fred Schneider for CHBM-FM, the song was mostly inspired by the 2001 Club in Atlanta, where instead of having a light show, the club projected a slide show with pictures of puppies, babies, and lobsters on a grill. The song's innuendo-laden lyrics describe a beach party while mentioning both real and imagined marine animals ("There goes a dogfish, chased by a catfish, in flew a sea robin, watch out for that piranha, there goes a narwhal, here comes a bikini whale!"), with absurd noises accompanying each, provided by Kate Pierson on the higher-pitched sounds and Cindy Wilson the lower-pitched ones. The chorus features Pierson and Wilson singing a long "ahhh" at an ascending pitch, followed by Schneider exclaiming the phrase "rock lobster!"
Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson's fish noises on this song are an homage to Yoko Ono, whose work is filled with these kinds of screams and blurts. Yoko performed these parts when she joined the band at their 25th Anniversary concert at Irving Plaza in New York City on February 4, 2002. The song has a vintage feel thanks to the Farfisa organ played by Kate Pierson and the surf guitar sound Ricky Wilson created, both throwbacks to '60s music. Fred Schneider and B-52s guitarist Ricky Wilson were listed as the writers on this track, but at some point, the other three band members - Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson and Keith Strickland - were added to the credits.
Labels – DB, Warner Bros.
Songwriters – Fred Schneider, Ricky Wilson
Producers – Kevin Dunn (single), Chris Blackwell (album)
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Sca-do-ba-da, eww
Sca-do-ba-da, eww
(Sca-do-ba-da) We were at a party (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) His ear lobe fell in the deep (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) Someone reached in and grabbed it (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) It was a rock lobster (Eww)
[Chorus]
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Rock lobster
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Rock lobster
[Verse 2]
Eww
Eww
We were at the beach (Eww)
Everybody had matching towels (Eww)
Somebody went under a dock (Eww)
And there they saw a rock (Eww)
It wasn't a rock (Eww)
It was a rock lobster (Eww)
[Chorus]
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Rock lobster
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Rock lobster
[Verse 3]
Rock lobster, rock lobster
Motion in the ocean (Hoorah)
His air hose broke (Hoorah)
Lots of trouble (Hoorah)
Lots of bubble (Hoorah)
He was in a jam (Hoorah)
He's in a giant clam! (Hoorah)
[Bridge]
Rock, rock, rock lobster!
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Down, down…
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
[Verse 4]
Sca-do-ba-da, eww
Sca-do-ba-da, eww
(Sca-do-ba-da) Underneath the waves (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) Mermaids waving (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) Waving to mermen (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) Waving sea fans (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) Seahorses sailing (Eww)
(Sca-do-ba-da) Dolphins wailing (Eww)
[Chorus]
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Rock lobster
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Rock lobster
[Verse 5]
Rock lobster, rock lobster
Hoorah, hoorah
Red snappers snapping (Hoorah)
Clamshells clapping (Hoorah)
Mussels flexing (Hoorah)
Flippers flipping (Hoorah)
Rock, rock
[Bridge]
Rock, rock, rock lobster!
(Ah-ah-ah-ah) Down, down…
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Lobster! Rock!
Lobster! Rock!
Let's rock!
[Breakdown]
Boys in bikinis
Girls in surfboards
Everybody's rocking
Everybody's fruging
Twisting around the fire, having fun
Baking potatoes, baking in the sun
Put on your nose guard
Put on the lifeguard
Pass the tanning butter
Here comes a stingray
There goes a manta ray
In walked a jellyfish
There goes a dogfish
Chased by a catfish
In flew a sea robin
Watch out for that piranha
There goes a narwhal
Here comes a bikini whale! (AHHHHH)
[Outro]
Rock lobster (Lobster, rock lobster)
Rock lobster (Lobster, ah-ah-ah-ah)
Rock lobster (Lobster, rock lobster)
Rock lobster (Lobster, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah