"Surrender" is a single by
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...
released in June 1978 from the album ''
Heaven Tonight
''Heaven Tonight'' is the third studio album by American rock band Cheap Trick. It was produced by Tom Werman and released on April 24, 1978. The album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint in 1998. The album ...
'' and also the album's opening track. It was the first Cheap Trick single to enter the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 62. Its success in Japan, as well as the success of its preceding singles "
Clock Strikes Ten" and "
I Want You to Want Me
"I Want You to Want Me" is a song by the American Rock music, rock band Cheap Trick. It is originally from their second album ''In Color (album), In Color'', released in September 1977. It was the first single released from that album, but it ...
", paved the way for Cheap Trick's concerts at
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wres ...
in Tokyo in April 1978 which were recorded for ''
Cheap Trick at Budokan
''Cheap Trick at Budokan'' (or simply ''At Budokan'') is the first live album by American rock band Cheap Trick, and their best-selling recording. Recorded at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, the album was first released in Japan on October 8, 1978 ...
'', the group's most popular album.
Content
"Surrender" is a late 1970s teen anthem, describing the relations between the
baby boomer
Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century baby boom that ...
narrator and his
G.I. Generation parents. His mother frequently warns him about the girls he will meet, as he will never know what
diseases
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that are asso ...
he will catch from them, as exemplified by a rumor about "a soldier's
enis
Enis is a male given name.
In the Balkans, Enis is popular among Bosniaks in the former Yugoslavia, Yugoslav nations. It is also popular among Albanians. The name is a modification to the name Anis (disambiguation), Anis, and it holds the same m ...
falling off" as a result of "some Indonesian junk that's going around". The mother's expertise on such matters is endorsed by the father, who states that she served with the
WACs in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, a claim which amazes the narrator, who had been under the impression the WACs only recruited "old maids" (and "Mommy isn't one of those"). The narrator then describes how his parents are weirder and hipper than many teens would believe. For example, the narrator describes how he discovers his "mom and dad are rolling on the couch" and listening to his
Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
records late at night ("rolling numbers, rock-and-rolling, got my Kiss records out"). This mention was a thank you by Cheap Trick who got a career boost by opening concerts for Kiss during the 1977
Love Gun Tour.
Reception
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said it has "energetic drumming and excellent rhythm guitar work" and that "the singing is intriguing and melodic."
''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...
'' predicted that it "could easily make it to the top of the pop charts with its catchy teenage refrain."
In the 2007 book ''Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide'', a section on Cheap Trick featured reviews on the top 20 stand-out tracks from the band. One track included was "Surrender", where the author John M. Borack wrote "A no-brainer selection, to be sure, but since I believe that it's clinically impossible to get tired of this rock and roll funhouse, it belongs here. A stone classic for the ages."
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' deemed it "the ultimate Seventies teen anthem" and ranked it number 471 on its list of the "
500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...
" in 2010, number 465 in 2004, and number 365 in 2021. ''Classic Rock'' critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's 2nd best song, saying that "the band found their mark and rhythm, mixing creative musicianship with a teen-friendly melody, all done with an effective eccentricity." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Michael Quinn also rated it Cheap Trick's second-best song.
Personnel
*
Robin Zander
Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...
– lead vocals and rhythm guitar
*
Rick Nielsen
Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, including hi ...
– lead guitar and backing vocals
*
Tom Petersson
Thomas John Peterson (born May 9, 1950), better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known as the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick.
Career
Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands ...
– bass and backing vocals
*
Bun E. Carlos
Brad M. Carlson (born June 12, 1950), better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll ...
– drums
*Jai Winding – synthesizer
Charts
Certifications
References
External links
BMI database listing artists with radio airplay for Surrender
{{Authority control
Cheap Trick songs
Songs written by Rick Nielsen
Epic Records singles
1978 singles
Song recordings produced by Tom Werman
Songs used as jingles
1976 songs
Kiss (band)