# Ther bird is the word. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337 "2006-06-11T21:03:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/1 "2006-06-11T21:03:26Z")
I always loved that song, but my kids hate it with a passion (which makes me love it all that more). I never really heard the song in it’s entirety, I just heard it as the closing scene of the crew singing it in McHales’s Navy. The kids ganged up against me and gave me a singing elmo doll with a bomb attatched to it (really it was a couple of paper towel tubes made to look threatening, but I got the message.) I think momma bear was behind it, she has a dark side. So who did the original song? Can I buy a legal copy? I am paying for two college educations, I think it is get even time. My only other choice is to buy some Barry Manilow albulms from the second hand store and play them to drive the kids over the edge. And yes, my flak jacket is zipped up, helmet in place! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/2 "2006-06-11T21:08:20Z")
The song is called “Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen. [This](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE47E1DDF4CA87620D7940053DBBD67F71BFE5AFB86112F0456D3B82D4598037FEB5DFB95CBAEFB74AB7BAFFF28E85F05D3CDE454FBCC0640&sql=33:mzkqoauaqi1v) lists CD where it can be found. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/3 "2006-06-11T21:10:29Z")
“Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen. Available fairly cheaply on the _Full Metal Jacket_ soundtrack CD. ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/4 "2006-06-11T21:14:45Z")
I hope you are happy. You have just inserted that god awful fucking song into my head. May you spend the entire rest of you life in shoes that are one size too small. ---
**Author:** ![Zachlee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Zachlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zachlee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/5 "2006-06-11T21:19:54Z")
The Ramones do a cover, if you want something with a bit more bite to it. ---
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/6 "2006-06-11T21:40:05Z")
> [@indecisive1](#): > > I hope you are happy. You have just inserted that god awful fucking song into my head. May you spend the entire rest of you life in shoes that are one size too small. sorry, did not mean to offend, perhaps you would prefer to have in your head Little Eva singing “The locomotion”. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/7 "2006-06-11T21:43:37Z")
Or the _Dominique_ by the Singing Nun ---
**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:** [June 11, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/8 "2006-06-11T21:46:28Z")
If you really wanted to annoy your family, you could track down a copy of the old _Back To the Beach_ soundtrack, with Pee-Wee Herman singing a cover of “Surfin’ Bird”! ---
**Author:** ![seenidog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@seenidog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seenidog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/9 "2006-06-11T21:57:08Z")
> [@](#): > > If you really wanted to annoy your family, you could track down a copy of the old Back To the Beach soundtrack, with Pee-Wee Herman singing a cover of “Surfin’ Bird”! C’mon, this is family here, I don’t want to go that far… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/10 "2006-06-11T22:54:46Z")
I had no idea that there was a song with those lyrics. When I had my parrot I used to tell her that “bird is the word” but in my mind I was hearing “grease is the word.” Interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/11 "2006-06-11T23:02:25Z")
I always considered this to be a quasi-nonsense song on a par with “Who Put the Bop?” and “Flat Foot Flooie” – but on more mature retrospection, I’m wondering if there is some sort of reference to Charlie Parker here. Anyone know the significance? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/12 "2006-06-11T23:52:13Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I always considered this to be a quasi-nonsense song on a par with “Who Put the Bop?” and “Flat Foot Flooie” – but on more mature retrospection, I’m wondering if there is some sort of reference to Charlie Parker here. Anyone know the significance? One assumes you are talking about **Flat Foot Floogie with the Floy Floy**. And, on a less than mature note, why would you consider “Who Put the Bop?” to be a nonsense song. Made sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/13 "2006-06-11T23:53:50Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > And, on a less than mature note, why would you consider “Who Put the Bop?” to be a nonsense song. Made sense to me. Now that I think about it, who was that man? I’d like to shake his hand. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/14 "2006-06-12T01:43:17Z")
Someone recorded a version of this song that medleyed it with another song- “Wipeout” maybe??? Any help? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/15 "2006-06-12T11:10:42Z")
One day your kids will see **Full Metal Jacket** and they’ll realize just how amazingly cool that song is, and then you’ll get your revenge, when they look at you in a new light. Any song used in a Kubrick film is, by definition, a cool song. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/16 "2006-06-12T17:07:51Z")
ba ba ba Ba Ba BA BA BAPPA Mau mau ba bap a mau mau… ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/17 "2006-06-12T17:30:49Z")
Lest we forget the benchmark by which all other songs of this genre are measures, I toss in **Louie, Louie**. 😃 I’m enthralled. In my iTunes, I’ve got Wipeout, Louie Louie, Locomotion and Surfin’ Bird. On the other hand, I’ve not yet heard **Flat Foot Floogie**. Is it good ? For those of us who cannot possibly get enough of **Louie, Louie** , I offer you the official [Louie, Louie documentary project website](http://www.louielouie.net/01-welcome.htm) God help us. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/18 "2006-06-12T17:34:13Z")
Uhhh. Hmm. I thought I checked that link. Here is the Louie Louie Link again ! [Linky](http://www.louielouie.net/01-welcome.htm) Mods, can you edit that in for me ? Hmmph. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/19 "2006-06-12T17:41:24Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Now that I think about it, who was that man? I’d like to shake his hand. 🙂 He made my baby fall in love with me, you know. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337/20 "2006-06-13T00:23:56Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Or the _Dominique_ by the Singing Nun Hi! Watcha all doin? Me, I’m just sitting around the house listening to The Lion Sleeps Tonight! Watcha all gonna be thinkin about tonight, oh, around midnight? Glad to be of service, hh [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ther-bird-is-the-word/360337.md?page=2)