Surrender - Cheap Trick (1978) 11/8/21

There is so much interesting stuff packed into today's "Great Song of 1978," I'll be hard-pressed to cover it all--but I'll try!

Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick noticed how all his friends thought their parents were weird, so he summoned his "inner 14-year-old" and started to write a song about it. But somewhere along the way, he twisted it into a tribute to parents who were weird, but really cool. ("Mommy's all right... Daddy's all right...")

The lyrics of "Surrender" mostly tell the story of a mom who spent World War II as a member of the Women's Army Corp) (WAC) and when her son was old enough, gave him some wise advice about women.

By the end of the song, the singer finds his parents rolling around on the couch and listening to his Kiss records (a tribute to the band Cheap Trick opened for when they were starting out).

"Surrender" was released from two 1978 albums, "Heaven Tonight" (studio version) and "Cheap Trick Live From Budokan." (live version)

It never made it higher than #62 on the Hot 100, but it became a "Great Song" anyway. In fact, Rolling Stone Magazine called it "the ultimate '70s teen anthem," and currently ranks it at #356 on their list of the Top 500 Songs of All Time."

In addition, "Surrender" has been used in films like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Daddy Daycare," and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," as well as a number of TV shows, including "Scrubs," "Cold Case," "Supernatural," "South Park," "One Tree Hill," "New Girl," "Californication," and "Life in Pieces." Whew!

From a musical standpoint, it has a very odd chromatic chord progression, starting in B-flat, then switching to B, then to C. It makes the song more interesting to listen to, and adds to its "Greatness."

"Surrender" by Cheap Trick: A "Great (and Fun) Song of 1978!

Live Version:

Studio Version: