User:Suzannahw25/Surfin' U.S.A.

Surfin’ U.S.A uses the continued comparison of California to the rest of the United States to drive its stereotypical images of California. The song opens by posing an alternative reality: “If everybody had an ocean across the USA, then everybody’d be surfin’ like Californi-a.” These opening lyrics immediately put California in a favorable light, theorizing that if everyone in the United States had the same California-like privileges to a beach, they would definitely love to go surfing.

Additionally, Surfin’ U.S.A uses a recognizable steady, upbeat drum tempo seen in many Surf Rock songs that seems to “drive” the music forward. The Beach Boys popularized this unique drum style, and is reminiscent of “a locomotive getting up to speed”. This technique was seen earlier in Jan & Dean’s 1963 hit “Surf City”, which was the first Surf song to achieve the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Californian images centered around surfing and cars that Surfin' U.S.A portrays are hallmark for The Beach Boys. Dale Carter argues that The Beach Boys are a symbol of the “good life” in California, citing their 1960s lyrics as: “celebrat[ing] a dynamic nation… enjoying all the material benefits of the promised land (typified by southern California) … liberty and security are accommodated at drive-in and drag strip, on surf board and in T-Bird, from hamburger stand to beach party…”