Eddie writesTop 5 Songs For the Beach

by Eddie Sayago

The beach is always a refreshing way to cool off in the summer, as many of us make our way to the various spots along the coast (East, West, the Great Lakes, etc.) whenever we need an escape from the heat. Here are five songs to accompany your next beach read or swim.

Ramones “Rockaway Beach”
From the album Rocket to Russia (Sire/Warner, 1977)

A homage to the largest urban beach in the United States, this place must be worth the trek for the Ramones. The original lineup (Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy Ramone) are from the Forest Hills neighborhood in Queens, which means it would take about 40 minutes to get to Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk, or nearly double that if you take the subway and bus.

Luckily they can hitch a ride to the beach once known as the “Irish Riviera” thanks to the large community from the Emerald Isle. A getaway for the idle rich in the 18th century, Rockaway Beach became popular with the masses once the railroad station and the amusement park Rockaways’ Playland opened in the early 1900s.

Sheryl Crow “Soak Up The Sun”
From the album C’mon C’mon (A&M, 2002)

February is probably not the ideal time to release a beach anthem, but Sheryl Crow doesn’t seem to mind or care. Written while recovering from surgery, Crow and co-writer Jeff Trott wanted to write a happy song to cheer her up. By the time the song was recorded and released in February 2002, the song was an instant success, as the United States was still reeling from the September 11th attacks, at war across the globe and dealing with an economic recession. The radio version is three minutes and twenty five seconds, which is the perfect length for a pop song (for this writer.)

Wavves “King of the Beach”
From the album King of the Beach (Fat Possum, 2010)

“Man, Wavves is weird,” is how C.M. Crockford began his review of Wavves’ third studio album (and song) in 2010. The song, a jaunty jingle of surf rock that could only be created in 2009-2010, is a sunny song on the surface but the lyrics are definitely not friendly to the skin. “Let the sun burn my eyes/Let it burn my back/Let it sear through my thighs” does not sound like a fun day at the beach. If you search for sunburn treatments online, some of the results include “Get out of the sun”, “oatmeal”, and “leave blisters alone.”

Weezer “Surf Wax America”
From the album Weezer (The Blue Album) (DGC, 1994)

The closest to a Beach Boys song without going overboard, “Surf Wax America” is actually a sarcastic take on the Boys and others who revel in the hedonism of the beach. Though some could see the beach life as an escape from the (barely) controlled chaos of capitalism and conformity. “I'm goin' surfin 'cause I don't like your face/I'm bailin' out because I hate the race/Of rats that run round and round in the maze/I'm goin' surfin', I'm goin' surfin'...”

In an interview with Billboard to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Blue Album, drummer and co-writer Patrick Wilson reminisced about their youthful take on surfing. “It’s a young person’s take on the world -- saying, ‘this is all bulls–t, I’m just gonna do whatever I want to do.’ I think it’s a rejection of paths chosen for you.”

The Beach Boys “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
From the album Surfin’ U.S.A. (Capitol, 1963)

Of course the Beach Boys (Brian Wilson edition) are on this list. The first hit for the Cali band is a rewritten rendition of Chuck Berry’s 1958 hit single “Sweet Little Sixteen.” (Berry is credited as a songwriter here.) This is a signature staple of SoCal life and what would become known as the California Sound.

While Weezer was critiquing the American Dream, the Beach Boys (at least in the early 1960s) embraced the post-war materialistic world that many Americans were enjoying, from the increased leisure time and new opportunities to enjoy culture, including rock ‘n’ roll. Surfing is often associated with Californian and Hawaiian cultures, but its origins date back to the Polynesians in the 4th century A.D. and the Moche culture of modern-day Peru about 3,000 years prior to the Beach Boys’ first surfing shin-digs.