# Rock Lobster is Kid Apprpriate, Right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914 "2006-03-18T16:55:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/1 "2006-03-18T16:55:03Z")
My wife made a CD for our kid’s first birthday, containing a mix of classic kids’ songs, songs from They Might Be Giants’ albums _No_ and _ABC’s_, and a few other songs she thinks are fun for kids, or at least, for adults and kids together. (Examples: REM’s “Stand,” The White Stripes’ “We’re going to be friends.”) One of the songs in the latter category is the B-52’s “Rock Lobster.” I can’t understand 100% of the lyrics. Just want to make sure–its kid appropriate, right? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/2 "2006-03-18T17:03:09Z")
[You be the judge.](http://www.lyricsbox.com/b-s-lyrics-rock-lobster-7w8q17n.html) They seem fine to me, mostly nonsense, which kids like. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/3 "2006-03-18T17:03:30Z")
Like a good percentage of their songs, the B-52’s _Rock Lobster_ is quirky but fluffy nonsense. I believe it’s kid-safe (warning: I have no actual children of my own, so my viewpoint may differ radically from yours). [The Lyrics](http://www.lyrics007.com/The%20B-52's%20Lyrics/Rock%20Lobster%20Lyrics.html) ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/4 "2006-03-18T17:30:53Z")
“Everybody’s fruggin’”… Hmm… surely they mean [Pretending to be conducting a survey when really trying to raise funds for a cause.](http://www.langmaker.com/db/eng_frugging.htm) Sounds fine to me! -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/5 "2006-03-18T17:44:35Z")
The frug (pronounced “froog”) was a dance in the sixties. Nothing sexual there. ---
**Author:** ![rockystone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@rockystone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockystone)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/6 "2006-03-18T17:53:35Z")
One of my favourite songs. Silly, nearly meaningless lyrics, [as you can see here](http://www.lyrics007.com/The%20B-52's%20Lyrics/Rock%20Lobster%20Lyrics.html) . If you think the line "Everybody’s fruggin’ " sounds a bit suspect, be aware that [the Frug](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frug) was a dance in the 1960s. The only other thing I can think of that might be “damageing” to young minds is near the end of the song, where she represents a dogfish by saying “miaow” and a catfish with “woo-oof”, but if you calmly explain to your kids that “it’s only a song”, and then distract them with ice-cream or biscuits, it shouldn’t cause too much harm. My verdict - Totally Kid Safe, and a great little song. Rocky ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/7 "2006-03-18T19:00:59Z")
_Cake_, on the other hand, is more than a little blatant in its choice of imagery. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/8 "2006-03-18T19:30:23Z")
Hey, if _you_ can’t figure out what the lyrics mean, what are the odds your kid will be able to do it? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/9 "2006-03-18T20:15:00Z")
I don’t trust that narwhal! ---
**Author:** ![MsMitey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@MsMitey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsMitey)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/10 "2006-03-18T22:26:54Z")
I dunno - my husband listened to a lot of B-52s when he was a kid, and he turned out pretty weird. Consider this fair warning. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/11 "2006-03-18T22:40:38Z")
Huh. I once dated an older woman who introduced to me the G Spot with a judicious application of _Rock Lobster_. It seemed to work. Maybe it was the rhythm. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/12 "2006-03-18T22:43:23Z")
> [@MsMitey](#): > > I dunno - my husband listened to a lot of B-52s when he was a kid, and he turned out pretty weird. Consider this fair warning. 😉 Given his parentage, I fully expect my kiddo to turn out pretty wierd, so that’s not my worry. 😛 > [@miller](#): > > Hey, if you can’t figure out what the lyrics mean, what are the odds your kid will be able to do it? I didn’t mention the CD is being distributed to other children. I was more concerned about the other kids’ parents’ reaction than my own kid’s mental health. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/13 "2006-03-18T23:06:56Z")
The only good version of “Rock Lobster” is the Peter Griffin version. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/14 "2006-03-19T07:59:12Z")
My mother used to work with one of the women in the B52’s…at a research company that did phone surveys. I don’t believe any frugging went on. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/15 "2006-03-19T08:00:39Z")
> [@Mirror Image egamI rorriM](#): > > My mother used to work with one of the women in the B52’s…at a research company that did phone surveys. I don’t believe any frugging went on. Kate or Cindy? ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/16 "2006-03-19T08:12:04Z")
Kate, I think. The one with red hair who’s on those VH1 “One Hit Wonders” countdowns. Also Ricky Wilson went to my college (Grinnell). I don’t think he graduated, though. And that’s all my personal connections to the B52’s. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/17 "2006-03-19T10:52:31Z")
> [@MsMitey](#): > > I dunno - my husband listened to a lot of B-52s when he was a kid, and he turned out pretty weird. Consider this fair warning. 😉 Pfft. My Dad raised me on a steady diet of B-52s and Devo since the day I sprung forth from my mother’s loins, and I turned out… Ah, forget it. I’ve got no credibility here. :smack: I’m gonna go wear my red Devo hat and sit in front of the strobe light. And eat Quiche Lorraine. And think about 54 girls, west of venus. I’m through being cool. I’m living in my own private Idaho. Did you know there’s a moon in the sky? It’s called “the moon”. There’s a monster in my pants and it does a nasty dance… oops. Sorry Fred. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/18 "2006-03-19T11:02:44Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > And think about 54 girls, I love you sweetie, but I think you meant [52 girls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_B-52%27s_%28album%29). > [@Anastasaeon](#): > > There’s a monster in my pants and it does a nasty dance… oops. Sorry Fred. and i always thought i was the only person who bought this album 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-lobster-is-kid-apprpriate-right/348914/19 "2006-03-19T11:10:22Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > I love you sweetie, but I think you meant [52 girls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_B-52%27s_%28album%29). Come on, now, that song was popular (with my _dad_) when I was one! _One_! It’s amazing I could remember there was a number in it at all! 😉 > [@](#): > > and i always thought i was the only person who bought this album 😃 My husband secretly loathes me for owning it and subjecting him to it now and then. 🆒