The B-52's, and their new wave contemporaries such as Blondie and the Talking Heads, were to the US music scene in the '70s what punk was to the British pop - a much needed shot in the arm in an era when rock music was getting stale. And while the London punks broke the mold by being as obnoxious and offensive as possible, the B-52's mustered a far more sophisticated brand of sarcasm, taking their fans on a witty trip back to the fifties, complete with leisure suits and bee-hive hair. The 1978 single "Rock Lobster" was the world's introduction this band from Athens, Georgia.. The piece had everything a '50s throw-back band could ask want: some very James Bond-esque surf guitar, inane lyrics, Hammond organ, cheesy dolphin sounds, and even an opportunity to drop "down, down" onto the floor while dancing. In short, "Rock Lobster is one of the best dance songs ever written. While the song didn't exactly take the world by storm, it did expose their sense of humor and style, which helped them land gigs at New York's new wave breeding grounds such as CBGBs, which in turn landed them a record deal. Their self-titled 1979 album made it clear that the B-52's would be a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s. They have continued to record, score hits, and expand their audience, though in many of their works it is clear the band considers zaniness to be more important than the quality of their music. The band's low point came in 1985 with the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson, though their music didn't suffer after the loss.

Rock Lobster

We were at a party
His ear lobe fell in the deep
Someone reached in and grabbed it
It was a rock lobster 

We were at a beach
Everybody had matching towels
Somebody went under a dock
And there he saw a rock
Only it wasn't a rock
It was a rock lobster 

Rock lobster! 

Motion in the ocean
His air hose broke
Lots of trouble
Lots of bubble
He was in a jam
S'in a giant clam 

Rock lobster! 

Rock, rock, rock lobster!
Down, down 

Underneath the waves
Mermaids wavin'
Wavin to mermen
Wavin' sea fans
Sea horses sailin'
Dolphins wailin' 

Red snappers snappin'
Clam shells clappin'
Muscles flexin'
Flippers flippen' 

Rock, rock, rock lobster!
Down, down 

Lobster,
Rock! 

Let's rock! 

Boys in bikinis
Girls in surfboards
Everybody's rockin'
Everybody's fruggin'
Twistin round the fire
Havin' fun
Bakin' potatoes
Bakin' in the sun 

Put on you noseguard
Put on the Lifeguard
Pass the tanning butter 

Here comes a stingray
There goes a manta-ray
In walked a jelly fish
There goes a dog-fish
Chased by a cat-fish
In flew a sea robin
Watch out for that piranha
There goes a narwhale
HERE COMES A BIKINI WHALE! 

Rock lobster...