Surfin ' Bird - wikipedia Surfin ' Bird Jump to : navigation , search `` Surfin ' Bird '' Cover art for the 7 - inch single `` Surfin ' Bird '' Single by The Trashmen from the album Surfin ' Bird B - side `` King of the Surf '' Released November 13 , 1963 ( 1963 - 11 - 13 ) Format 7 '' Recorded 1963 Genre Surf rock garage rock Length 2 : 20 Label Garrett Songwriter ( s ) Al Frazier Carl White , Sonny Harris Turner Wilson Jr . Producer ( s ) Jack Bates The Trashmen singles chronology `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' is a song performed by American surf rock band The Trashmen , and it is also the name of the album that featured this hit single . The song was released in 1963 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 . It is a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons : `` Papa - Oom - Mow - Mow '' and `` The Bird 's the Word '' . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 2 Album track listing 2.1 Side 1 2.2 Side 2 2.3 Bonus tracks ( CD ) 3 Chart performance 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 4 Covers 5 Media portrayal 5.1 Pink Flamingos 5.2 Full Metal Jacket 5.3 Family Guy 5.4 The Big Year 5.5 Birdz 6 Cultural appearances 6.1 Family Guy 6.2 Major League Baseball 6.3 Subway 6.4 Ferdinand ( film ) 7 References 8 External links History ( edit ) The Rivingtons followed up their 1962 Billboard Hot 100 hit `` Papa - Oom - Mow - Mow '' with the similar `` The Bird 's the Word '' in 1963 . The Trashmen had not heard this version but saw a band called The Sorensen Brothers playing it . They decided to play the song that night at their own gig . During this first performance , drummer and vocalist Steve Wahrer stopped playing and ad - libbed the `` Surfin ' Bird '' middle section . Despite not knowing `` The Bird 's the Word '' was a Rivingtons song , the similarity to `` Papa - Oom - Mow - Mow '' was obvious and The Trashmen added the chorus to the end of their new track . A local disc jockey , Bill Diehl , was at the gig and convinced the band to record the track . It was recorded at Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis . Diehl entered it into a local battle of the bands competition and it won . It was then sent to a battle of the bands competition in Chicago where it also won . This led to the group being signed to Garrett Records with the single being quickly released . It reportedly sold 30,000 copies in its first weekend before going on to national success , reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Wahrer was originally credited as the song 's writer , but that was changed to the Rivingtons ( Al Frazier , Carl White , Sonny Harris , and Turner Wilson Jr . ) after the group successfully sued the Trashmen for plagiarism . Album track listing ( edit ) Side 1 ( edit ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( Al Frazier / Sonny Harris / Carl White / Turner Wilson ) -- 2 : 23 `` King of the Surf '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 2 : 30 `` Henrietta '' ( Jimmy Dee / Larry Hitzfeld ) -- 2 : 35 `` Miserlou '' ( Milton Leeds / Nicholas Roubanis / Bob Russell / Fred Wise ) -- 2 : 08 `` Malagueña '' ( Ernesto Lecuona ) -- 2 : 35 `` It 's So Easy '' ( Buddy Holly / Norman Petty ) -- 2 : 06 Side 2 ( edit ) `` Tube City '' ( Steve Wahrer ) -- 3 : 23 `` My Woodie '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 1 : 55 `` Bird Bath '' ( Dan Darnold / Dal Winslow ) -- 2 : 37 `` Kuk '' ( Bob Demmon / Rich Fifield / Jim Gallagher / Dennis Lindsey ) -- 2 : 05 `` Money '' ( Janie Bradford / Berry Gordy , Jr . ) -- 3 : 12 `` Sleeper '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 2 : 33 Bonus tracks ( CD ) ( edit ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( demo version ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( demo version ) `` Walkin ' My Baby '' ( L Mathis / M Mathis ) `` Dancin ' with Santa '' ( L LaPole ) Chart performance ( edit ) Weekly charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1963 -- 64 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 2009 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 50 Chart ( 2010 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Year - end charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1964 ) Position US Billboard Hot 100 75 US Cash Box Top 100 62 Covers ( edit ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by the Cramps as their 1978 debut single on Vengeance Records ; it also appeared on their 1979 album Gravest Hits and on their 1983 compilation album Off the Bone . The Cramps often end their concerts with the song . Paul Reubens ( as Pee - wee Herman ) covered the song on the soundtrack of the film Back to the Beach . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo on the maxi single `` The Bird '' in 1993 . Orbital sampled heavily from the original version on `` Tension '' from their 2001 album The Altogether . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Ramones on their Rocket to Russia album , released on November 4 , 1977 . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Sodom on their 2001 album M - 16 . `` Surfin Bird '' was covered by Phil Streva in 1989 . Release on the EP Catahoula in 2010 . Poultry - themed punk band The Radioactive Chicken Heads released a cover as a single in June 2017 and later as a music video in August , the same day the band performed the song on the ABC revival of The Gong Show . Brazilian rock band Os Cascavelletes made a Portuguese - language version of the song , entitled `` Pombo Surfista '' , for their 1987 demo tape Vórtex Demo . Media portrayal ( edit ) Pink flamingos ( edit ) A man lip - synchs his anus to the tune of this song in one scene of John Waters 's 1972 exploitation comedy . Full Metal Jacket ( edit ) In the second half of 1987 Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket , when a journalist news team records and interviews the platoon sent to Phu Bai , `` Surfin ' Bird '' can be heard playing on both the soundtrack and in the background on a radio . Family Guy ( edit ) The song is also featured in the `` I Dream of Jesus '' Family Guy episode , in which Peter Griffin overhears the song at a diner . He proceeds to annoy his family by playing the song virtually nonstop for the rest of the episode . It has since become a running gag on the show . In a subsequent episode it is revealed that Peter served as the original inspiration for the song , having used Stewie 's time machine to travel into the past where he sang it for the Trashmen . The Big Year ( edit ) In the movie The Big Year , Jack Black 's character Brad Harris has `` Surfin ' Bird '' as his cellphone ringtone . Birdz ( edit ) The song was covered as a theme song for the short - lived CBS animated series Birdz . Cultural appearances ( edit ) Family Guy ( edit ) The Trashmen 's Song was featured in the Family Guy episode I Dream Of Jesus . It is shown to be Peter Griffin 's favorite song of all time . In the episode , Peter played it so often that it annoyed the family , and Brian Griffin and Stewie Griffin destroyed it . Major League baseball ( edit ) The Trashmen 's tune was frequently played on Detroit radio and TV stations over the summer of 1976 during segments featuring the Tigers ' 21 - year old rookie sensation Mark Fidrych . Fidrych was nicknamed `` The Bird '' because of his supposed resemblance to Sesame Street 's Big Bird character , and because of his cartoonish antics on the mound , which included talking to the ball between pitches . Fidrych was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1976 , and finished second in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award . Subway ( edit ) The Ramones cover was used in a Fall 2017 television commercial for the Subway sandwich chain . Ferdinand ( film ) ( edit ) Prior to Ferdinand 's release in December 2017 , a television commercial featured a cover by an unknown artist having the Ferdinand 's nickname `` Ferd '' instead of bird . References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : ( 1 ) Archived August 27 , 2014 , at the Wayback Machine . ^ Jump up to : `` A whole new generation is ' hearing the word ' '' . Herald-journal.com . Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 08 . Jump up ^ `` THE TRASHMEN '' . Retrieved 29 April 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Cash Box Top 100 1 / 18 / 64 '' . 19 July 2014 . Jump up ^ `` ChartArchive - The Chart Archive '' . Chartstats.com . Retrieved 2014 - 08 - 08 . Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 '' . Official Charts Company . ^ Jump up to : `` Top 100 Hits of 1964 / Top 100 Songs of 1964 '' . Musicoutfitters.com . Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 27 . Jump up ^ Porter , Dick ( January 12 , 2015 ) . Journey to the Centre Of The Cramps . Music Sales Limited . p. 141 . ISBN 9781783233885 . Jump up ^ Ramones ( 1977 - 11 - 04 ) . `` Ramones - Rocket to Russia '' . Store.ramones.com . Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 27 . Jump up ^ `` CD Baby Artist Login CD Baby Members Dashboard '' . Members.cdbaby.com . Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 27 . Jump up ^ `` Full Metal Jacket - Surfin Bird Part '' . YouTube . 2011 - 01 - 14 . Retrieved 2016 - 09 - 27 . Jump up ^ Steve Kornacki ( 2009 - 04 - 11 ) . `` Mark ' The Bird ' Fidrych owned summer of 1976 '' . mlive.com . Jump up ^ Subway Autumn Carved Turkey TV Commercial ' Mashup ' Song by Ramones . Ispot.tv ( 2 ) Accessed October 22 , 2017 External links ( edit ) Biography and discography of The Trashmen Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics surfin ' bird references Music video on YouTube . ( 3 ) on YouTube . Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Surfin%27_Bird&oldid=821980330 '' Categories : 1963 songs 1963 singles Debut singles Ramones songs The Trashmen songs Novelty songs Songs about birds Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for UK All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano Português Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 23 January 2018 , at 19 : 01 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . 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when did bird is the word come out
`` Surfin ' Bird '' Cover art for the 7 - inch single `` Surfin ' Bird '' Single by The Trashmen from the album Surfin ' Bird B - side `` King of the Surf '' Released November 13 , 1963 ( 1963 - 11 - 13 ) Format 7 '' Recorded 1963 Genre Surf rock garage rock Length 2 : 20 Label Garrett Songwriter ( s ) Al Frazier Carl White , Sonny Harris Turner Wilson Jr . Producer ( s ) Jack Bates The Trashmen singles chronology `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' Cover art for the 7 - inch single `` Surfin ' Bird '' Single by The Trashmen from the album Surfin ' Bird B - side `` King of the Surf '' Released November 13 , 1963 ( 1963 - 11 - 13 ) Format 7 '' Recorded 1963 Genre Surf rock garage rock Surf rock garage rock Length 2 : 20 Label Garrett Songwriter ( s ) Al Frazier Carl White , Sonny Harris Turner Wilson Jr . Al Frazier Carl White , Sonny Harris Turner Wilson Jr . Carl White , Sonny Harris Turner Wilson Jr . Producer ( s ) Jack Bates The Trashmen singles chronology `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( 1963 ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( 1964 ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' is a song performed by American surf rock band The Trashmen , and it is also the name of the album that featured this hit single . The song was released in 1963 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 . It is a combination of two R&B hits by The Rivingtons : `` Papa - Oom - Mow - Mow '' and `` The Bird 's the Word '' . The Rivingtons followed up their 1962 Billboard Hot 100 hit `` Papa - Oom - Mow - Mow '' with the similar `` The Bird 's the Word '' in 1963 . The Trashmen had not heard this version but saw a band called The Sorensen Brothers playing it . They decided to play the song that night at their own gig . During this first performance , drummer and vocalist Steve Wahrer stopped playing and ad - libbed the `` Surfin ' Bird '' middle section . Despite not knowing `` The Bird 's the Word '' was a Rivingtons song , the similarity to `` Papa - Oom - Mow - Mow '' was obvious and The Trashmen added the chorus to the end of their new track . A local disc jockey , Bill Diehl , was at the gig and convinced the band to record the track . It was recorded at Kay Bank Studios in Minneapolis . Diehl entered it into a local battle of the bands competition and it won . It was then sent to a battle of the bands competition in Chicago where it also won . This led to the group being signed to Garrett Records with the single being quickly released . It reportedly sold 30,000 copies in its first weekend before going on to national success , reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Wahrer was originally credited as the song 's writer , but that was changed to the Rivingtons ( Al Frazier , Carl White , Sonny Harris , and Turner Wilson Jr . ) after the group successfully sued the Trashmen for plagiarism . `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( Al Frazier / Sonny Harris / Carl White / Turner Wilson ) -- 2 : 23 `` King of the Surf '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 2 : 30 `` Henrietta '' ( Jimmy Dee / Larry Hitzfeld ) -- 2 : 35 `` Miserlou '' ( Milton Leeds / Nicholas Roubanis / Bob Russell / Fred Wise ) -- 2 : 08 `` Malagueña '' ( Ernesto Lecuona ) -- 2 : 35 `` It 's So Easy '' ( Buddy Holly / Norman Petty ) -- 2 : 06 `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( Al Frazier / Sonny Harris / Carl White / Turner Wilson ) -- 2 : 23 `` King of the Surf '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 2 : 30 `` Henrietta '' ( Jimmy Dee / Larry Hitzfeld ) -- 2 : 35 `` Miserlou '' ( Milton Leeds / Nicholas Roubanis / Bob Russell / Fred Wise ) -- 2 : 08 `` Malagueña '' ( Ernesto Lecuona ) -- 2 : 35 `` It 's So Easy '' ( Buddy Holly / Norman Petty ) -- 2 : 06 `` Tube City '' ( Steve Wahrer ) -- 3 : 23 `` My Woodie '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 1 : 55 `` Bird Bath '' ( Dan Darnold / Dal Winslow ) -- 2 : 37 `` Kuk '' ( Bob Demmon / Rich Fifield / Jim Gallagher / Dennis Lindsey ) -- 2 : 05 `` Money '' ( Janie Bradford / Berry Gordy , Jr . ) -- 3 : 12 `` Sleeper '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 2 : 33 `` Tube City '' ( Steve Wahrer ) -- 3 : 23 `` My Woodie '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 1 : 55 `` Bird Bath '' ( Dan Darnold / Dal Winslow ) -- 2 : 37 `` Kuk '' ( Bob Demmon / Rich Fifield / Jim Gallagher / Dennis Lindsey ) -- 2 : 05 `` Money '' ( Janie Bradford / Berry Gordy , Jr . ) -- 3 : 12 `` Sleeper '' ( Larry LaPole ) -- 2 : 33 `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( demo version ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( demo version ) `` Walkin ' My Baby '' ( L Mathis / M Mathis ) `` Dancin ' with Santa '' ( L LaPole ) `` Surfin ' Bird '' ( demo version ) `` Bird Dance Beat '' ( demo version ) `` Walkin ' My Baby '' ( L Mathis / M Mathis ) `` Dancin ' with Santa '' ( L LaPole ) Weekly charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1963 -- 64 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 2009 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 50 Chart ( 2010 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Year - end charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1964 ) Position US Billboard Hot 100 75 US Cash Box Top 100 62 Weekly charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1963 -- 64 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 2009 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 50 Chart ( 2010 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Year - end charts ( edit ) Chart ( 1964 ) Position US Billboard Hot 100 75 US Cash Box Top 100 62 Chart ( 1963 -- 64 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 2009 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 50 Chart ( 2010 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Chart ( 1963 -- 64 ) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 2009 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 50 Chart ( 2010 ) Peak position UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) Chart ( 1964 ) Position US Billboard Hot 100 75 US Cash Box Top 100 62 Chart ( 1964 ) Position US Billboard Hot 100 75 US Cash Box Top 100 62 `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by the Cramps as their 1978 debut single on Vengeance Records ; it also appeared on their 1979 album Gravest Hits and on their 1983 compilation album Off the Bone . The Cramps often end their concerts with the song . Paul Reubens ( as Pee - wee Herman ) covered the song on the soundtrack of the film Back to the Beach . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo on the maxi single `` The Bird '' in 1993 . Orbital sampled heavily from the original version on `` Tension '' from their 2001 album The Altogether . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Ramones on their Rocket to Russia album , released on November 4 , 1977 . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Sodom on their 2001 album M - 16 . `` Surfin Bird '' was covered by Phil Streva in 1989 . Release on the EP Catahoula in 2010 . Poultry - themed punk band The Radioactive Chicken Heads released a cover as a single in June 2017 and later as a music video in August , the same day the band performed the song on the ABC revival of The Gong Show . Brazilian rock band Os Cascavelletes made a Portuguese - language version of the song , entitled `` Pombo Surfista '' , for their 1987 demo tape Vórtex Demo . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by the Cramps as their 1978 debut single on Vengeance Records ; it also appeared on their 1979 album Gravest Hits and on their 1983 compilation album Off the Bone . The Cramps often end their concerts with the song . Paul Reubens ( as Pee - wee Herman ) covered the song on the soundtrack of the film Back to the Beach . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo on the maxi single `` The Bird '' in 1993 . Orbital sampled heavily from the original version on `` Tension '' from their 2001 album The Altogether . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Ramones on their Rocket to Russia album , released on November 4 , 1977 . `` Surfin ' Bird '' was covered by Sodom on their 2001 album M - 16 . `` Surfin Bird '' was covered by Phil Streva in 1989 . Release on the EP Catahoula in 2010 . Poultry - themed punk band The Radioactive Chicken Heads released a cover as a single in June 2017 and later as a music video in August , the same day the band performed the song on the ABC revival of The Gong Show . Brazilian rock band Os Cascavelletes made a Portuguese - language version of the song , entitled `` Pombo Surfista '' , for their 1987 demo tape Vórtex Demo . A man lip - synchs his anus to the tune of this song in one scene of John Waters 's 1972 exploitation comedy . In the second half of 1987 Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket , when a journalist news team records and interviews the platoon sent to Phu Bai , `` Surfin ' Bird '' can be heard playing on both the soundtrack and in the background on a radio . The song is also featured in the `` I Dream of Jesus '' Family Guy episode , in which Peter Griffin overhears the song at a diner . He proceeds to annoy his family by playing the song virtually nonstop for the rest of the episode . It has since become a running gag on the show . In a subsequent episode it is revealed that Peter served as the original inspiration for the song , having used Stewie 's time machine to travel into the past where he sang it for the Trashmen . In the movie The Big Year , Jack Black 's character Brad Harris has `` Surfin ' Bird '' as his cellphone ringtone . The song was covered as a theme song for the short - lived CBS animated series Birdz . The Trashmen 's Song was featured in the Family Guy episode I Dream Of Jesus . It is shown to be Peter Griffin 's favorite song of all time . In the episode , Peter played it so often that it annoyed the family , and Brian Griffin and Stewie Griffin destroyed it . The Trashmen 's tune was frequently played on Detroit radio and TV stations over the summer of 1976 during segments featuring the Tigers ' 21 - year old rookie sensation Mark Fidrych . Fidrych was nicknamed `` The Bird '' because of his supposed resemblance to Sesame Street 's Big Bird character , and because of his cartoonish antics on the mound , which included talking to the ball between pitches . Fidrych was named American League Rookie of the Year in 1976 , and finished second in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award . The Ramones cover was used in a Fall 2017 television commercial for the Subway sandwich chain . Prior to Ferdinand 's release in December 2017 , a television commercial featured a cover by an unknown artist having the Ferdinand 's nickname `` Ferd '' instead of bird .
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