"Searchin'" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for the Coasters. Atco Records released it as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in March 1957, which topped the R&B Chart for twelve weeks. It also reached number three on the ''Billboard'' singles chart. Although the Coasters had previously done well on the R&B charts, it was "Searchin'" (along with " Young Blood" on the flip side) that sparked the group's rock and roll fame.

Composition

The lyrics, written by Leiber, use vernacular phrasing. The plot revolves around the singer's determination to find his love wherever she may be, even if he must resort to detective work. The song's gimmick was to cite law-enforcement figures from popular culture such as

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

, Charlie Chan, Joe Friday,

Sam Spade Sam Spade is a fictional character and the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel '' The Maltese Falcon''. Spade also appeared in four lesser-known short stories by Hammett. ''The Maltese Falcon'', first published as a serial in the pulp ...

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him an ...

, Bulldog Drummond, and the

North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory ...

(the Mounties). The vocals of the Coasters' lead singer Billy Guy are raw and insistent. Driving the song is a pounding piano rhythm of two bass notes alternating on every second beat. The theme of the song is searching for love: "Well, I'm searching, Yeah I'm gonna find her". The

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

is simple variations of this phrase, "Gonna find her, yeah ah, gonna find her".

Personnel

The song was recorded in Los Angeles on February 15, 1957. *

Mike Stoller Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" ( ...

, piano * Gil Bernal, saxophone *

Barney Kessel Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...

, guitar/mandolin *

Adolph Jacobs Adolph Jacobs, later known as Al Jacobs (April 15, 1939 – July 23, 2014), was an American guitar player, best known as an original member of The Coasters. Biography Born Adolf Jacobs in Pineland, Sabine County, Texas, he played guitar with Vern ...

, guitar * Ralph Hamilton, bass * Jesse Sailes, drums * A.L. “Abe” Stoller, drums * Joe Oliveria, congas

Other versions

Johnny Rivers released a version of the song as a medley with " So Fine" which reached number 113 on the U.S. pop chart in 1973. Singer/songwriter Paul McCartney chose "Searchin'" as one of his Desert Island Discs in 1982.

McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

performed the song with the Beatles during their audition for Decca Records on January 1, 1962 (with somewhat mangled lyrics that included a mention of Peter Gunn).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Searchin' Songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 1957 singles The Coasters songs The Beatles songs The Hollies songs The Spencer Davis Group songs Atco Records singles The Crickets songs