Everybody’s Heard…

… about the world’s most beloved Dada anthem, The Trashmen’s top ten hit of 1963-4, Surfin’ Bird. It has been featured in both a John Waters and a Stanley Kubrick film as well as in recurring episodes of Family Guy. Recently, my high school class had its 50th reunion and we managed to get 7 guys from our class to perform. The Trashmen’s founder, Tony Andreason, had graduated from our school a few years before we did so, of course, we had to play this song:



Here are the lyrics in full:

A well a everybody's heard about the bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word
A well a bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word
A well a bird, bird, bird, well the bird is the word
A well a bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word

A well a bird, bird, bird, well the 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 the 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 (drum break)

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

Surfin' bird (extended nonsense vocalese)

Pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa
Pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa, pa pa pa pa
Papa, ooma mow mow
Papa, ooma mow mow

Papa ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow

Papa ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Oom oom oom oom, ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow, papa oom oom oom
Oom ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow

Ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Papa a mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow, ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow, ooma mow mow

Papa oom oom oom oom, ooma mow mow
Oom oom oom oom, ooma mow mow
Ooma mow mow, papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow, ooma mow 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 word

A well a ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow
Papa ooma mow mow