Surf Wax America

Rivers describes Surf Wax America as: "A total sarcastic call to hedonism, to sing along, drink and be merry. I hate drinking and only do so when I absolutely have to (which in these days, seems to be quite often)"

this song is definately about rivers' first drinking experience (the sea is a metaphor for beer obviously and surfing is a metaphor for drinking.") and then his inability to drop the drinking habit ("all along the undertow is strengthen its hold.")

I'm goin' surfin' cuz I don't like your face

Obviously a reference to when sometimes girls seem prettier when you're drunk, makes me laugh every time.

I think this song is about enjoying life and having a good time with your mates and not allowing yourself to become trapped in a "normal life". I think it's hard to describe but I know sometimes all I feel like doing is going to the beach and spending the rest of my life there without any responsibility.

or maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just one big metaphor for his drinking habits. That'd suck tho.

It could be a metaphor for alcoholism, but I've never read any of Rivers' comments on the song. I think it's about living life that is fun and without responsibility. Once you only do this, you lose your motivation to do more. It's a slippery slope.

surfing is also a great metaphore for being carefree, forgetting all of one's worries.

I think that the song is about living a non-traditional life as a musician. He's bailing out of the rat race (normal, boring jobs) to be a musician because its more fun. The lines about not liking someones face and the rat race seem to mean he just doesn't want a normal life.

The undertow part is about how once he took that step he is getting pulled in. In other words, once you bail on a normal life for pursuing a passion like music, you can never go back because you'll never want to go back.

I feel this song is about generational reconciliation. The ostensible start is an exuberant triumph of youth against 9-to-5'ers -- " And when you're out of fuel, I'm still afloat." Eternal youth -- ocean doesn't run out fuel -- is contrasted against the constraints of the industrialized world. Then comes the unexpected -- a solemn, lamenting refrain. "All along the undertow is strengthening its hold. I never though it'd come to this. Now I can never come home." The lyrics are fatal. Rivers is being engulfed by an ocean. The unbridled energy of nature can prove mortal, putting the restraints of adulthood in a new perspective. Brilliantly, Weezer weaves the opposing perspectives in a final and triumphant finale. The final coda, "You take your car, I'll take my board," become less sneering, and more understanding. A affirmation of coexistance, and I think, human love.

i love this song! it's so great when they play it live!! the huge =W= lights up above pat and everybodys rocking out...\m/

Great song... I love it live... probably because it's always the best because it's the last. I dunno.