Surrender Lyrics
She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch."
Just the other day I heard a soldier falling off
Some Indonesian junk that's going round.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.
"Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines."
Now, I had heard the WACS recruited old maids for the war.
But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.
Ev'ry time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear?
When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch.
Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out.
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.
Away.
Okay, here's what "Surrender" really means. It's such an awesome song, especially if you're a grown-up or a smart enough teenager.
I'll go verse by verse.
Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you. She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch. Just the other day I heard a soldier's _ falling off Some Indonesian junk that's going round."
I corrected the placement of the quotations marks to make more sense. This verse is now pretty self explanatory. A young boy is talking to a girl (probably first encounter w/ opposite sex) and recalling his mother's "urban legend" warnings about STD's....Soldier's <blank> falling off.
I'll get to the chorus later...it'll make more sense.
Father says, "Your mother's right, she's really up on things." "Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines." Now, I had heard the WACS recruited old maids for the war. But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years.
For those who don't know, WAC's is the Womens Army Corp. The father is trying to validate the mother's advice to the son, but at the same time being quite sarcastic to the mother. Someone else clued everyone in on a very important play on rhyming scheme...Things/Philippines, War/Years??? Listener is supposed to anticipate "I've known she was a WHORE". This is just like in the movie, Nacho Libre. Jack Black sings an ode to his forbidden love interest after exiling himself to the desert:
I ate some bugs, I ate some grass I used my hand...to wipe my face
Get it?
Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year? Ev'ry time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear? When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch. Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out.
The first two lines are the teenage boy's of attitude, actually starting to think that maybe parents/adults aren't such losers all the time. He's maturing, discovering that grownups were actually young rebels once too. This is further reinforced by the last two lines, when the boy finds his parents mackin on the couch, doin' lines with rolled dollar bills, rockin' to Kiss records. He's wokin up to the reality.
Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird. Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.
The chorus/song is saying: So what if you're a grown up! Go ahead and surrender your inhibitions now and then. Get freaky and let loose once in awhile...just don't let the kids catch on!!! ;)
I think you've pretty much nailed it, fiomojo. The break in the rhyming scheme in the second stanza looks like a deliberate poetic device. The listener would anticipate "whore" (not sure about "I've known she was a WHORE", though. In the outtake version of this song, an alternate lyric is used:
I think you've pretty much nailed it, fiomojo. The break in the rhyming scheme in the second stanza looks like a deliberate poetic device. The listener would anticipate "whore" (not sure about "I've known she was a WHORE", though. In the outtake version of this song, an alternate lyric is used:
Now I had heard the WACS recruited old maids, dykes and whores But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years.
Now I had heard the WACS recruited old maids, dykes and whores But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years.
Notice how the lyric is "one of those" in both versions? does that mean she's not "old" or a...
Notice how the lyric is "one of those" in both versions? does that mean she's not "old" or a "maid"? or is it just a leftover from a previous version of the lyric? In either case, the alternate version implies to me that the hidden rhyme might not be "whores." Maybe it's somethng like "But mommy isn't one of those, at least not since the war". ;-)
I agree with the third stanza, but i think rolling numbers just means rolling joints.
I think the chorus is just amazing because it has so many simultaneous meanings. Surrender (to lust, conformity, Americans, soldiers, whores, etc.) but don't give yourself away (go too far, lose your moral purity, catch a disease, reveal your true self, etc.). Hell, it might even refer to the Philipines (surrendering to the Japanese, then the Americans, etc.)
It's interesting that it has so many allusions to war (surrender, soldier, WACS, etc.)
overall, a pretty nice interpretation, though some new information from user GuitarGuy057 does make at least part of your theory obsolete:
overall, a pretty nice interpretation, though some new information from user GuitarGuy057 does make at least part of your theory obsolete:
The lyrics about the mother being in the WAC's is a reference to the Women's Army Corps, which was active during World War II. And if you're wondering why those lyrics, "Now I had heard the WACs recruited old maids for the war," don't make much sense, it's because they weren't written that way. The original lyrics were deemed too racy: "Now I had heard the WACs were either old maids, dykes or whores."
The lyrics about the mother being in the WAC's is a reference to the Women's Army Corps, which was active during World War II. And if you're wondering why those lyrics, "Now I had heard the WACs recruited old maids for the war," don't make much sense, it's because they weren't written that way. The original lyrics were deemed too racy: "Now I had heard the WACs were either old maids, dykes or whores."
After...
After hearing this, the line makes a lot more sense.
Great rock song.
No, no, and no. Your "alternate" rhyming scheme makes no sense (war actually meaning whore). None of the ending words in the first verse rhyme; therefore, none of your 'implied' rhymes about the WACs are plausible.
No, no, and no. Your "alternate" rhyming scheme makes no sense (war actually meaning whore). None of the ending words in the first verse rhyme; therefore, none of your 'implied' rhymes about the WACs are plausible.
Also, "rolling numbers" has nothing to do with cocaine. It's about rolling joints. Marijuana is a wholly different drug than cocaine, and the terminology you claim for one is only used for the other.
Also, "rolling numbers" has nothing to do with cocaine. It's about rolling joints. Marijuana is a wholly different drug than cocaine, and the terminology you claim for one is only used for the other.
So before you start your diatribe with "Okay, here's what "Surrender" really means," perhaps you should have a clue as to what you are speaking about....
So before you start your diatribe with "Okay, here's what "Surrender" really means," perhaps you should have a clue as to what you are speaking about. Because you are completely wrong in most of what you stated. I'm really curious if you consider yourself a "grown-up or a smart enough teenager," because your interpretation of this song is ridiculous and incorrect.
I feel compelled to finally spell some of this out for people:
"Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you. She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch." Just the other day I heard a soldier falling off Some Indonesian junk that's going round."
-- This is the about the mother warning her son about loose girls because they are trouble. She also tells him that she has heard that some soldier's you-know-what actually fell off from an Indonesian V.D.
"Father says, "Your mother's right, she's really up on things." "Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines." Now, I had heard the WACS recruited old maids for the war. But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years."
-- This is the father telling the son that the mother is really up on things because she used to server in the WACs (Womens Army Core) in the Phillipines. The kid doesn't buy it. I'm not certain but it sounds like the father is actually being sarcastic poking fun at her for trying to claim she knows about soldiers and VDs.
"Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year? Ev'ry time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear?"
-- Never really understood this one, more information is needed.
"When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch. Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out."
-- Mom & Dad smoking some weed, making out on the couch, playing their kids "hip" music while they thought their kids were in bed. Any parent understand this one ... parents have two faces, the one they show their kids, and the real one they show each other after they think the kids are in bed.
"Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away, ay, ay, ay."
-- Not 100% sure on the actual meaning of Surrender ... but I have always assumed it meant that you have to give in and realize that your parents, like you, are strange and quirky and unique. It also could mean that as parents you surrender to being parents, without fully revealing your secrets/dark side, etc.
I think Helj mostly has it right. The one thing I disagree about though is that this whole song is about someone who grew up knowing his parents had been around the block and totally levelled with him about that. His mother warns him about the type of girls who can give him STD, his father tells him she would know since she was a WAC. What the father (or possibly kid, unclear) doesn't believe in the second verse though is that the WACs were all virgins ("old maids" -- women who won't get married).
I think Helj mostly has it right. The one thing I disagree about though is that this whole song is about someone who grew up knowing his parents had been around the block and totally levelled with him about that. His mother warns him about the type of girls who can give him STD, his father tells him she would know since she was a WAC. What the father (or possibly kid, unclear) doesn't believe in the second verse though is that the WACs were all virgins ("old maids" -- women who won't get married).
This is all...
This is all pretty shocking for a lot of 1970s midwestern kids: mom had a life before marriage, dad knows all about it (she didn't lie or trick him), they still like each other & their kid & get it on & have fun. I'm sure there are still parents in the midwest not this honest.
I think you are surrendering to the truth that we are all going to be like our parents (and theirs), but don't give up on the idea that you are still yourself, special, something to value (and be careful of STD).
I know it's been quite a long time since you wrote this, but I saw "surrender, but don't give yourself away" as meaning things are going to change, you're going to have to grow up,don't fight it, but you don't have to lose the wildness, you can still be "weird"
I know it's been quite a long time since you wrote this, but I saw "surrender, but don't give yourself away" as meaning things are going to change, you're going to have to grow up,don't fight it, but you don't have to lose the wildness, you can still be "weird"
@Helj Great interpretation! An amazing thing about this song is that its simple lyrics accurately capture complicated feelings from the perspective of a young teenager, not a rockstar trying to appeal to young teens. The simple lyrics may have helped it with Japanese audiences (i.e. Budokan) with limited English.
@Helj Great interpretation! An amazing thing about this song is that its simple lyrics accurately capture complicated feelings from the perspective of a young teenager, not a rockstar trying to appeal to young teens. The simple lyrics may have helped it with Japanese audiences (i.e. Budokan) with limited English.
im still a kid (12) and i understand the song completly. not all kids are as naive as to think that their parents had no life befor them and no life after them.
Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year? Ev'ry time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear?
This is probably the hardest part to interpret. Well, what's a "loser of the year"? To me, it sounds like something kids call someone at school. For example, "check out that dweebus Marsha, she's got to be the loser of the year". The "season" probably refers to the school semester, the school year, session, or whatever. It implies that every semester there was a different "loser of the year"; it wasn't always the same person. Now he's wondering, what ever happened to all those people, all those "losers of the year"? Many of them, of course, grow up to be normal, everyday people, seemingly like his parents...
The "surrender" part probably has multiple meanings, along the lines of (1) You have to grow up someday, so accept it (2) you're going to end up like your parents, more often than not (3) You are who you are, so best to accept that and learn to love it. The "don't give yourself away" part is almost a plea to the listener to remember his/her childhood and younger years and to stay true to the boundless dreams of our youth...or somesuch poetic gibberish
@Levster Yeah! I love that bit about "surrender" and "don't give yourself away". Surrender to the fact that you'll grow up someday, but don't let that jade you. Don't forget the joys and dreams of youth. That's more or less the meaning I always got from this, but you spelled it out very nicely!
@Levster Yeah! I love that bit about "surrender" and "don't give yourself away". Surrender to the fact that you'll grow up someday, but don't let that jade you. Don't forget the joys and dreams of youth. That's more or less the meaning I always got from this, but you spelled it out very nicely!
@Levster the "surrender" part sounds correct. After all this is what his parents did. They surrendered to the fact that they are now adults and have children, jobs, responsibilities but they never "gave their teenage years away". Their still rockin out at nite and smokin pot when they think the kids r sleeping. I never thought about this until i looked up the lyrics here. This song is awesomw. Ive always loved the way it grooved&the way he sings. Im 42 but dont have kids. I do have a job, bills and responsibilities but i just got my Mmj card...
@Levster the "surrender" part sounds correct. After all this is what his parents did. They surrendered to the fact that they are now adults and have children, jobs, responsibilities but they never "gave their teenage years away". Their still rockin out at nite and smokin pot when they think the kids r sleeping. I never thought about this until i looked up the lyrics here. This song is awesomw. Ive always loved the way it grooved&the way he sings. Im 42 but dont have kids. I do have a job, bills and responsibilities but i just got my Mmj card so im able to heavily relive my reenage years if yall know what i mean :)
@Levster the "surrender" part sounds correct. After all this is what his parents did. They surrendered to the fact that they are now adults and have children, jobs, responsibilities but they never "gave their teenage years away". Their still rockin out at nite and smokin pot when they think the kids r sleeping. I never thought about this until i looked up the lyrics here. This song is awesomw. Ive always loved the way it grooved&the way he sings. Im 42 but dont have kids. I do have a job, bills and responsibilities but i just got my Mmj card...
@Levster the "surrender" part sounds correct. After all this is what his parents did. They surrendered to the fact that they are now adults and have children, jobs, responsibilities but they never "gave their teenage years away". Their still rockin out at nite and smokin pot when they think the kids r sleeping. I never thought about this until i looked up the lyrics here. This song is awesomw. Ive always loved the way it grooved&the way he sings. Im 42 but dont have kids. I do have a job, bills and responsibilities but i just got my Mmj card so im able to heavily relive my reenage years if yall know what i mean :)
Excellent song that I only just rediscovered. I rediscoverd it by finding it in Winamp's media library under the music video section. This live version is totally awesome. It was only shot in the last couple of years I think but they sing and play it perfectly true to original specs.
But, I give up regarding the actual meaning of the song.!?! Some of you guys are implying something about a kid that walks in on his parents gettin' busy.
Ok, sure, the last verse is obviously talking about that. But, I don't see how the rest of song is about that.
Is anyone else a little confused here?
Can anyone walk us through the verses and tell us what they mean. Especially the first verse about soldier's falling off some ....etc. I have no idea what that's referring to and how it interconnects with the rest of the song.
The first verse is about STDs/STIs (or what was probably VD as they called it in the past).
The first verse is about STDs/STIs (or what was probably VD as they called it in the past).
"Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you. She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch. Just the other day I heard of a soldier's falling off Some Indonesian junk that's going round.""
"Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you. She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch. Just the other day I heard of a soldier's falling off Some Indonesian junk that's going round.""
"heard of a soldier's falling off" is implicitly "heard of a soldier's (genitalia) falling off" due to "some Indonesian junk that's going 'round" - "you'll never know what you'll catch"....
"heard of a soldier's falling off" is implicitly "heard of a soldier's (genitalia) falling off" due to "some Indonesian junk that's going 'round" - "you'll never know what you'll catch".
@eWe yeah, I don't think the entire song is about sex either. I think that last verse just reinforces that the parents are weird, but fun. That may be when the teenager realizes that mommy's alright and daddy's alright. It seems that the kid grew up with partying parents who are trying to tamp it down now that they're parents. So, I think the song is really about teenagers growing up, and their relationship with their parents.
@eWe yeah, I don't think the entire song is about sex either. I think that last verse just reinforces that the parents are weird, but fun. That may be when the teenager realizes that mommy's alright and daddy's alright. It seems that the kid grew up with partying parents who are trying to tamp it down now that they're parents. So, I think the song is really about teenagers growing up, and their relationship with their parents.
cheap trick did the theme to that 70's show dude
i hate how parents think that kids are stupid coz were younger, its like just coz ur older doesnt mean ur right, it just means your gonna die first
@totallybored GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!!!!
@totallybored GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!!!!
@totallybored I'd love to see how you feel about this comment now, almost 18 years later.
@totallybored I'd love to see how you feel about this comment now, almost 18 years later.
that 70's show makes a reference to this song
"WERE ALL ALRIGHT, WERE ALL ALRIGHT!!"
Mr. Jack - In the repeating lines at the end of the song, there's no "rent's alright." They're actually singing the names of the members of the band. It goes...
Bun E.'s alright, Tommy's alright, Robin's alright, Rick's alright We're all alright, we're all alright... et cetera.
To me, this song is a guy recounting the realisation that parents aren't just parents to the kind of girl he was warned about by his mother. It's about in general the boys relationship with his parents and the changes to it as he overcomes each and every realisation about their past and present.
I wasn't too sure about the "Surrender" part, and not knowing much about American History, if it was related to the Vietnamese/Korean war, I wouldn never have discovered the meaning on my own. I always thought it meant something along the lines of "Surrender to what you want (i.e the girl his mother warned him about), but don't give yourself totally because there's always the thought that you'll get hurt by 'girls like you'." Does this make sens eot anybody else?