Surfin' Bird

Hah, the Derrida rumor's actually pretty plausible! I've got a feeling it's about drugs too-I formed this interpretation around some references to this song I heard in the lyrics of "Garbageman" by the Cramps, who also did two different covers of this song (Surfin' Death's the best!). I think "the Bird" is a reference to John Coltrane and his use of heroin; I've read that it was a widespread belief that Coltrane had virtually no musical talent before he descended into his heroin addiction. Might be true, might not; regardless-

Hah, the Derrida rumor's actually pretty plausible! I've got a feeling it's about drugs too-I formed this interpretation around some references to this song I heard in the lyrics of "Garbageman" by the Cramps, who also did two different covers of this song (Surfin' Death's the best!). I think "the Bird" is a reference to John Coltrane and his use of heroin; I've read that it was a widespread belief that Coltrane had virtually no musical talent before he descended into his heroin addiction. Might be true, might not; regardless-

"Don't you know about the Bird?...

"Don't you know about the Bird? Well, Everybody's sayin that the Bird is the Word!" -to me seems to be communicating the message that, when it comes to determining whether or not drug usage, particularly that of heroin, is able to make you a better musician, well, Coltrane (the Bird) is the proof-positive example (The Word) that the rumor is true, the "Word" here meaning the testament to the fact of a possible fiction. C'mon, the band's name is The Trashmen; trashmen is just a different way of saying junkmen, and junk has always been just a different way of saying heroin.

All those weird, guttural noises he makes? Perhaps the spoken representation of a heroin trip? Heroin trips are supposedly pure ecstasy, with the user essentially rendered completely immobile and mute, so it makes sense that the only way to describe or express that kind of pleasure would be through a crazed barrage of pleasant and blissful sounding gibberish. Then again, I could be wrong, and just seeing what The Cramps allude to repeatedly in their cover and other of their songs, especially since The Trashmen's song itself is also just a cover. However, the great god wikipedia says their cover is...

All those weird, guttural noises he makes? Perhaps the spoken representation of a heroin trip? Heroin trips are supposedly pure ecstasy, with the user essentially rendered completely immobile and mute, so it makes sense that the only way to describe or express that kind of pleasure would be through a crazed barrage of pleasant and blissful sounding gibberish. Then again, I could be wrong, and just seeing what The Cramps allude to repeatedly in their cover and other of their songs, especially since The Trashmen's song itself is also just a cover. However, the great god wikipedia says their cover is actually two covers of two different pop hits by The Rivingtons; The Trashmen just stole and put together the two choruses of both songs. So, maybe there's room to assume artistic intent, maybe they were just another nobody garage band trying to score bigeasy. Whatever; listen to The Cramps, they're way better anyway.