Surrender

by

Cheap Trick

Album: Heaven Tonight      Released: 1978

US Chart: 62     

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Though this was not a big chart hit, this teen anthem is one of Cheap Trick's best known songs. The singer thinks of his parents as a bit overprotective and kind of weird, but he gains a new respect for them at the end of the song when he wakes up and they are rolling around on the couch listening to his KISS records. Cheap Trick guitarist-songwriter Rick Nielsen recalls in Rolling Stone's Top 500 songs magazine that when he wrote it, he had to "go back and put myself in the head of a 14-year-old."

This song is featured in a number of films. In Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1983) the ticket hustler Mike Damone sings "Surrender" to help try to persuade a girl to buy tickets to a Cheap Trick concert. Band members Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander appear in the film Daddy Day Care (2003), which also features this song.

This appears on Cheap Trick's live album At Budokan. Robin Zander's speech, which opens the live version is sampled on the Beastie Boy's 1992 single "Jimmy James."

In a Blender magazine interview, Cheap Trick 's drummer Bun E. Carlos recalls, "We had that track back in 1975. We used to rehearse in the basement of Rick [Nielsen] 's dad 's music shop on Seventh Avenue in Rockford, Illinois. As soon as I heard it, I thought it was a really interesting lyric."

Rick Nielsen said: "I used to hear my friends saying they thought their parents were strange. The first thing I got was the opening of the chorus: 'Mommy 's all right, daddy 's all right.' It just rolled off at one sitting. Those opening lines, 'Mother told me, yes, she told me I 'd meet girls like you.' that 's advice to the lovelorn, and obviously inspired by the old Shirelles hit 'Mama said that there 'd be days like this.' It 's a good way to start a song, if you can make it go with a chord progression." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above)

The live version of this song from the Budokan concert was used on the Detroit Rock City soundtrack. The movie was about some kids going to a KISS concert. (thanks, Katie - Goulburn, Australia)

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. This indicates that the singer is from the Baby Boom generation. (thanks, Michelle - Anaheim, CA)

This song was played on episode 19 of season 1 on the TV show Scrubs. (thanks, Brett - Parma Heights, OH)

Cheap Trick's version of "In The Street," originally recorded by Big Star, was used as the theme song of That '70s Show. In this version, they incorporate the "We're all alright" chant from "Surrender."

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Comments:

This song is also featured in the film "Over The Edge". Which is about teens who get in trouble.
- DAVE, Toledo, OH

I think that the subject of John Hiatt's song, "Perfectly Good Guitar" is Rick Nielsen who early in Cheap Trick history, during a long solo would sling 5 or so guitars around his neck. As he finished a part of a solo, he would drop the guitar he was playing at the time down a 2 or 3 step riser. He would do this until the last guitar which he sometimes dropped and sometimes wouldn't. Hamer Guitars later build him a guitar with 5 necks, which I think ended his guitar dropping thing.
- Kent, Lodi, CA

chris frome chicago if it doesnt refer to the band kiss why do they through a kiss record in the crowd at most of their conserts after they sing that lyric
- derek, shrewsbury, MA

Ed from Westport has it right. The "WACS" reference means that the singer is aware of the reputation of the women for being lesbians. Eisenhower was asked to do something about this, but he said that he wasn't going to purge anyone who might help win the war.
- Steve, St. Peter's, Vatican City

The "kiss" in the kiss records line reffers making out, kissing not the band KISS
- Chris, Chicago, IL

Cheap Trick opened for KISS on one of their tours, so the line "got my KISS records out" is a homage.
- Walt, Astoria, OR

Good Catch on the Rick's alright, but if you listen closely they actually go through the whole band. Bun E.'s alright, Tommy's alright, Robin's alright, Rick's alright- we're all alright, we're all alright, etc. Also I have long wanted to know what the original lyric was following the old maid line. Thanks for the clarification.
- W, Big Lake, TX

This song is really good, and the band Less Than Jake made a pretty good cover of this song on their album Anthem from 2003
- Christina, Karlstad, -

I guess that Johnny and I are the only ones who spent time rollin numbers on kiss albums.
- steve, middletown, CT

Interseting song Love the refrain
- Allie, Clarkston, MI

True story about the lyrics: The lines from the song that appear on the record/CD were different in the original, demo version. Here is the final recorded version: <<"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.>> The original line that Rick Nielsen wrote was: "Now I had heard the WACS recruited old maids, dykes and whores." The record company made him rewrite it so it would get more airplay on the radio. And, yes, at the end you can hear them sing "Rick's alright" and it refers to Rick Nielsen, the Cheap Trick guitarist. But I thought everybody already knew that part!
- Ed, Westport, CT

Dont Trust Anyone OVER 30!!! damn baby boomers....
- Garoud, Arica

The moral of the story is, surrender to your parents, but not all the way - just enough to lubricate the situation. They're not ALL bad.
- Don, San Antonio, TX

I don't think there are any morals to the story here. It's an excellent song i'll always love it and I'm 14 myself
- Shelby, Idiotville , KY

This song isn't about that. It's about how the singer's parents are uptight and tell him "do this" and "be like this" but it turns out his parents are smoking pot and listening to KISS, disobeying the rules they set for him. So the moral of the story is: don't listen to your parents kids.
- Johnny, Los Angeles, CA

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