Surf Wax America

Album: Weezer (The Blue Album) (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A live version of this song serves as the B-side to one of the UK versions of the "Buddy Holly" single. This version of the song was recorded in New York City in December 1994.
  • When Weezer plays this song in their live shows, some hardcore fans shout "Smoke Dope!" during the song's breakdown as a reference to an unruly fan that can be heard shouting the same thing in the 1994 live version.
  • Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo once called this song "a total sarcastic call to hedonism, to sing along, drink and be merry. I hate drinking and only do so when I absolutely have to."
  • During The Blue Album and Pinkerton tours of the early and mid '90s, this song was Weezer's go-to show closer. As of 2012, the band has been known to play this song live in almost every concert they do as it's become a fan favorite.
  • A demo of the song was recorded during the sessions for Weezer's third demo, entitled The Real Demo. Unfortunately, the band felt that the demo was missing something, so it was only included on a few copies of the original tape. The Real Demo was only circulated to friends and family of the band, but over the years, bootlegs of this recording have surfaced.
  • An early version of this song features an alternate bridge section instead of the familiar breakdown of the album version.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.