Wake Up Little Susie
Encyclopedia
"Wake Up Little Susie" is a popular song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and published in 1957
.
The song is best known in a recording by The Everly Brothers
, issued by Cadence Records
as catalog number
1337. The song reached number one on the Billboard
Pop chart and the Cash Box Best Selling Records chart, despite having been banned from Boston
radio stations for lyrics that, at the time, were considered suggestive. "Wake Up Little Susie" also spent seven weeks atop the Billboard country chart and got to number two on the UK Singles Chart
. The song was ranked at #311 on the Rolling Stone
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
during the 2000 U.S. presidential election
, then-Governor George W. Bush
named "Wake Up Little Susie" as his favorite song. According to filmmaker David Lynch
, "Wake Up Little Susie" was the first single he ever bought.
Although banned in such places as Boston, the song does not state that Susie and her boyfriend had sexual relations. Indeed, it strongly implies that they did not; the couple simply fell asleep because they were bored by the movie. One line in the lyrics states that the movie "wasn't so hot, it didn't have much of a plot. We fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot."
1957 in music
-Events:*January 5 – Renato Carosone and his band start their American tour in Cuba.*January 6 – Elvis Presley makes his final appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show.*January 16 – The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool, UK....
.
The song is best known in a recording by The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, issued by Cadence Records
Cadence Records
Cadence Records was an American record company based in New York City. It was founded by Archie Bleyer, who had been the musical director and orchestra leader for Arthur Godfrey in 1952...
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
1337. The song reached number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop chart and the Cash Box Best Selling Records chart, despite having been banned from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
radio stations for lyrics that, at the time, were considered suggestive. "Wake Up Little Susie" also spent seven weeks atop the Billboard country chart and got to number two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song was ranked at #311 on the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
during the 2000 U.S. presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, then-Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
named "Wake Up Little Susie" as his favorite song. According to filmmaker David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
, "Wake Up Little Susie" was the first single he ever bought.
Song premise
The song is written from the point of view of a high school boy to his girlfriend, Susie. In the song, the two go out on a date to a drive-in movie theater, only to fall asleep during the movie. They do not wake up until 4 o'clock in the morning, well after the 10 o'clock curfew. They then contemplate the reactions of her parents and their friends.Although banned in such places as Boston, the song does not state that Susie and her boyfriend had sexual relations. Indeed, it strongly implies that they did not; the couple simply fell asleep because they were bored by the movie. One line in the lyrics states that the movie "wasn't so hot, it didn't have much of a plot. We fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot."
Cover versions and parodies
- Joe MelsonJoe MelsonJoe Melson , is an American singer and a BMI Award–winning songwriter.Melson was born in Bonham, the seat of Fannin County in northeast Texas. He was reared on a farm until he was sixteen. He attended high school in Gore, Oklahoma, and in Chicago before he returned to Texas to study at the two-year...
on the album Wake Up Little Susie - Blue Suede Daddys
- In 2008, a part of the song was sung in the bluegrass version of The RaconteursThe RaconteursThe Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
' "Old Enough", featuring Ricky SkaggsRicky SkaggsRickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
and Ashley MonroeAshley MonroeAshley Monroe is an American country music singer-songwriter. She has released two solo singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The singles "Satisfied" and "I Don't Want To" reached #43 and #37, respectively...
. - The musical duo Evan and JaronEvan and JaronEvan Mitchell Lowenstein and Jaron David Lowenstein are American musicians and identical twin brothers who performed as Evan and Jaron. Evan and Jaron have recorded three studio albums and charted three singles on the Pop Songs charts...
recorded a version of the song on their album, 52 Sundays. - During Simon and GarfunkelSimon and GarfunkelSimon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
's "Old Friends" tour in 2003-2004, they performed this song and others in a segment with the Everly Brothers, who toured in support. Simon and Garfunkel have cited the Everly Brothers as strong influences on their own music. Their live version of "Wake Up Little Susie," recorded in the duo's concert in New York's Central Park on September 19, 1981, reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, and is the duo's last Top 40 hit. - The Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
played "Wake Up Little Susie" 13 times in their acoustic sets between February and November of 1970. - Brand New Rockers
- Count Dee's Music Explosion
- David Ross
- Frankie LymonFrankie LymonFranklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
- Golden Boys
- Loggins and MessinaLoggins and MessinaLoggins and Messina are an American rock-pop duo consisting of Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina who achieved their success in the early to mid 1970s...
- Sam Levine
- Stavely Makepeace
- Suzi QuatroSuzi QuatroSusan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
- The Booze Bros
- The Flying Burrito BrothersThe Flying Burrito BrothersThe Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
- The King BrothersThe King BrothersThe King Brothers were a British pop vocal trio popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They are best remembered for their cover versions of "Standing on the Corner" and "A White Sport Coat ".-Career:...
- The Magic Time Travellers
- Outlaws
- The RattlesThe RattlesThe Rattles are a rock band from Germany. Their biggest selling record was their 1968 recorded song, "The Witch", which sold over one million copies globally.-Career:...
- The Rockhouse Brothers
- ApologetiXApologetiXApologetiX is a Christian parody band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The band was founded in 1992, and since then, has played in 44 states, released 17 studio albums, and built up a fan club that includes 45,000 people. The band is currently composed of J...
parodied this song in their 2004 album, "Adam UpAdam UpAdam Up is the 9th studio album by ApologetiX released in 2003. 4 songs would be featured on their next album , while another 3 were later included on their first live album.- Track listing :...
". The song was called, "Wake Up Talitha Cumi". - RockapellaRockapellaRockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
parodied this song in an episode of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? as "Look Out, Double Trouble".