3 Eternal Songs from the Quirky Classic Rock Band The B-52’s

Athens, Georgia, has spawned more great rock bands than perhaps many music fans realize. Groups like R.E.M., of Montreal, and Drive-By Truckers have all come from the southern city. But one especially notable outfit to come from Athens is the quirky, classic new wave band The B-52’s.

And here below we wanted to explore three songs from the lively group. A trio of tracks that come from the off-kilter band that have since stood the test of time. Indeed, these are three songs from the classic rock band The B-52’s.

[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: The B-52s]

“Love Shack” from Cosmic Thing (1989)

This song, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, was something of a comeback hit for the band after a downswing and the death of guitar player Ricky Wilson. For the group that started in 1976, the single showcased the idea of a place where strange, artful people could get together and do their thing with big hair and big colors. It was like Pee-wee Herman and the 1960s had a baby in musical form. This tune, which is likely the band’s most famous, is one everyone loves to sing along to. And on it, lead vocalist Fred Schneider offers,

I got me a car, it’s as big as a whale

And we’re headin’ on down to the love shack

I got me a Chrysler, it seats about twenty

So hurry up and bring your jukebox money

“Rock Lobster” from The B-52’s (1979)

From the band’s self-titled debut LP, this song exemplifies The B-52’s strange style. What does “rock lobster” mean? Nobody knows. Just enjoy it! And the band got behind it in such a way that the single was their debut track—their introduction to the world. Sometimes songs don’t have to make logical sense—they just have to make you feel something. And the riff and vocal delivery on this tune does just that. Indeed, sings Schneider,

We were at a party

His earlobe fell in the deep

Someone reached in and grabbed it

It was a rock lobster

Rock lobster

Rock lobster

We were at the beach

Everybody had matching towels

Somebody went under a dock

And there they saw a rock

It wasn’t a rock

It was a rock lobster

Rock lobster

Rock lobster

Rock lobster

Rock lobster

“Roam” from Cosmic Thing (1989)

Perhaps a more traditional release from the band, “Roam,” from their 1989 comeback LP Cosmic Thing, is sung by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, and does not include any vocals from Schneider. Blending their voices into a lovely, propellant harmony, Pierson and Wilson sing about traveling and departure on the track, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Offer the two singers,

Roam if you want to

Roam around the world

Roam if you want to

Without wings, without wheels

Roam if you want to

Roam around the world

Roam if you want to

Without anything but the love we feel

Skip the airstrip to the sunset, yeah

Ride the arrow to the target, one

Take it hip to hip, rock it through the wilderness

Around the world the trip begins with a kiss

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