Australian Charts:
Surfin’ USA entered the Kent charts on 6 April 1963 and peaked at #12. It was the band’s first single to chart in Australia and was the #89 song on the Top 100 of 1963. Surfin’ USA was re-released in Australia 11 years later, entering the Kent charts on 4 November 1974, peaking at #66.
Songwriters:
Chuck Berry, Brian Wilson
Producer:
Nick Venet
Record label of Australian release:
Capitol
Wikipedia:
Surfin’ USA by the American rock band the Beach Boys was credited to Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson. It is a rewritten version of Berry’s Sweet Little Sixteen set to new lyrics penned by Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfin’U.S.A.(song)
Songfacts:
Many of the early Beach Boys’ songs were about surfing. Dennis Wilson was the only Beach Boy who actually surfed, but surfing was a very popular at the time, especially with teenagers who bought records. For The Beach Boys, the surfing subculture gave them an opportunity to write songs about adventure and fun while exploring vocal harmonies and new production techniques.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/the-beach-boys/surfin-usa
The lyrics include a surfing location in Australia…
.
Lyrics:
If everybody had an ocean
Across the USA
Then everybody’d be surfin’
Like Californ-I-A
You’d see ’em wearin’ their baggies
Huarache sandals too
A bushy, bushy blonde hairdo
Surfin’ USA
You’ll catch ’em surfin’ at Del Mar (inside, outside, USA)
Ventura County line (inside, outside, USA)
Santa Cruz and Trestles (inside, outside, USA)
Australia’s Narrabeen (inside, outside, USA)
All over Manhattan (inside, outside, USA)
And down Doheny Way (inside, outside)
Everybody’s gone surfin’
Surfin’ USA
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 60s
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