Sherman was just a television producer, most famous for the quiz show "I've Got a Secret," not at all known as a comedian or performer, and it shocked everyone in the know when songs from his album My Son, The Folk Singer became popular. In fact, president John F. Kennedy was heard singing the song Sarah Jackman. Sherman's overnight popularity suddenly ended when the nation's attention focused on Kennedy's assassination, and the nation was too sad for such up-beat musical offerings.
Sherman then slipped back into his longtime depression, and died, quietly, at the young age of 48.
the rebel
Allan Sherman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And wore a beatnik beard
He had big thick glasses
And looked real weird
He weighed ninety-eight pounds
But a whole nation feared
The rebel
A college prize
Her long hair hung down
Over her eyes
Kinda half Barbra Streisand
And half Joan Baez
She dug the rebel
Well, they met one day
At a pop art bash
Between a painting of a can
Of succotash
And a high camp sculpture
Of a pile of trash
It was groovy
Rhonda dug the rebel
And the rebel dug Rhonda
So she grabbed her guitar
And rode off on his Honda
To a discotheque
Called the Anaconda
With the Rebel
When the frugging was over
At the discotheque
The Rebel was a-tryin'
To pay his check
But his pockets, they were empty
So he yelled, "oh, heck"
"Heck," said the rebel
Well, the Dean walked by
Just as that occurred
He said, "you can get expelled
For what I just heard
Don't you realize 'heck'
Is a four-letter word
You rebel?"
But the rebel said
To his old adversary
"Just as long as that word's
In the slang dictionary
I swear by Peter, Paul & Mary
I'll use it"
"Furthermore," said the rebel
"I won't let the issue pass
The whole student body's gonna
Sit down en masse
Besides, that way
We don't have to go to class
We're gonna cool it"
Well, the sit-in started
'Bout 7:15
The whole thing was covered
By Time magazine
They even took Batman
Off the TV screen
To show the rebel
Out came the captain
Of the state police
Arresting lots of students
For disturbing the peace
Including his own son
His daughter and his niece
And the rebel
Someone called the governor
To see what he could do
The governor said, "sorry
But I cannot talk to you
'Cause I'm a-sittin' in
At the state house too
Just like the rebel"
Soon the secondary schools
Began to rebel
Kindergarten kids were sitting
During show and tell
Then the older generation
Started sitting down as well
Man, what a protest
Doctors sat, firemen sat
Teachers wouldn't teach
People sat at home
And on the street and on the beach
Jus a-sittin' and a-waitin'
For freedom of speech
Nobody was talkin' to anybody
The nation was in trouble
There wasn't any doubt
The President went on TV
To try to pull us out
And the President shouted
"What the heck's it all about?"
"Heck," said the President
Soon everyone was saying "heck"
They said it everywhere
And the rebel said to Rhonda
"This is terribly unfair
Being hip is getting middle class
Let's you and I be square"
And they did, they squared it up
Rhonda got a haircut
The rebel shaved his beard
They were married and had children
Which they subsequently reared
They moved out to the suburbs
And they really disappeared
Wow, did they conform
Folks built a statue of the rebel
Just to prove the people's love
But the public soon forgot it
Just the pigeons up above
Seem to know the right location
They've all found that statue of
The rebel
Allan Sherman's The Rebel tells the story of a quirky and unconventional rebel who falls for a college girl named Rhonda. The rebel is an eccentric young man who stands four foot eight inches, wears a beatnik beard, big thick glasses, and weighs ninety-eight pounds. He might look weird and awkward, but he is well-known and feared all over the country. Rhonda is his dream girl; she's a college prize that possesses a mixture of Barbra Streisand and Joan Baez's personality. They fall in love and ride out on a Honda, where they attend a discotheque referred to as the Anaconda. After a dance-filled night, the Rebel discovers that he couldn't settle his check because he had no money left. However, when he yelled, “Heck,” to his dismay, the Dean instantly accused him of using a four-letter word.
The Dean cautions him that he could be expelled if he uses that word again because it's considered a curse. Nevertheless, the rebel tells the Dean that he won't back down, considering that the term “Heck'' is not officially listed among the taboo words. And to prove his point, he organizes a sit-in that sets off a nationwide movement in which people of all ages and professions engage in civil disobedience to demand freedom of speech. Even the Governor joins the sit-in, and everyone en masse repeats what the rebel had said earlier, “Heck.” Finally, he and Rhonda grew tired of being 'hip,' and they conformed by getting married, having children, and settling down in the suburbs.
Line by Line Meaning
He stood four foot eight
He was very short in stature
And wore a beatnik beard
He had a scruffy beard like those associated with the beatnik culture
He had big thick glasses
He wore large, thick glasses
And looked real weird
His appearance was unconventional and strange
He weighed ninety-eight pounds
He was very thin and slight
But a whole nation feared
Despite his small size, the entire nation was afraid of him
The rebel
He was known as the rebel
He had a chick named Rhonda
He had a girlfriend named Rhonda
A college prize
Rhonda was highly regarded and considered valuable in academic circles
Her long hair hung down
Her hair was long and covered her eyes
Over her eyes
Her hair obscured her vision
Kinda half Barbra Streisand
She resembled Barbra Streisand to some extent
And half Joan Baez
She also had similarities with Joan Baez
She dug the rebel
Rhonda was attracted to the rebel
Well, they met one day
They encountered each other on a particular day
At a pop art bash
They met at a gathering centered around pop art
Between a painting of a can
In the midst of a painting depicting a can
Of succotash
The can contained succotash, a mixed vegetable dish
And a high camp sculpture
In close proximity to a sculpture characterized by exaggerated and theatrical style
Of a pile of trash
The sculpture depicted a heap of garbage or waste materials
It was groovy
The atmosphere was cool and enjoyable
Rhonda dug the rebel
Rhonda had a strong attraction to the rebel
And the rebel dug Rhonda
The rebel was also deeply enamored with Rhonda
So she grabbed her guitar
Rhonda took hold of her guitar
And rode off on his Honda
Together, they departed on his Honda motorcycle
To a discotheque
They went to a nightclub
Called the Anaconda
The nightclub was named the Anaconda
With the Rebel
The rebel accompanied Rhonda to the Anaconda
When the frugging was over
After they finished dancing the frug, a popular dance at the time
At the discotheque
At the nightclub
The Rebel was a-tryin'
The rebel attempted
To pay his check
To settle the bill
But his pockets, they were empty
Unfortunately, he had no money in his pockets
So he yelled, 'oh, heck'
In frustration, he exclaimed 'oh, heck'
'Heck,' said the rebel
The rebel spoke the word 'heck'
Well, the Dean walked by
The Dean of the university passed by
Just as that occurred
Right at that moment
He said, 'you can get expelled
He warned the rebel that he could be kicked out of school
For what I just heard
Due to the rebellious language he used
Don't you realize 'heck'
A rhetorical question asking if the rebel was aware that 'heck'
Is a four-letter word
Referring to the fact that 'heck' is a mild profanity
You rebel?
Insinuating that the rebel was a troublemaker
But the rebel said
In response, the rebel declared
To his old adversary
To the person he often clashed with
'Just as long as that word's
As long as 'heck' remains
In the slang dictionary
Recognized as part of informal or colloquial language
I swear by Peter, Paul & Mary
He promises or affirms earnestly, using the iconic names of Peter, Paul & Mary as a reference
I'll use it
He will continue to use 'heck'
'Furthermore,' said the rebel
Additionally, the rebel added
'I won't let the issue pass
He won't allow the matter to be ignored
The whole student body's gonna
The entire group of students will
Sit down en masse
They will all collectively protest by sitting down
Besides, that way
Furthermore, by doing so
We don't have to go to class
They can avoid attending classes
We're gonna cool it
They will cool down the situation and ease tensions
Well, the sit-in started
The protest through sit-ins commenced
'Bout 7:15
Around 7:15
The whole thing was covered
The entire event was extensively reported
By Time magazine
Time magazine featured it in their coverage
They even took Batman
The media coverage was so widespread that even Batman
Off the TV screen
Was taken out of the television lineup
To show the rebel
In order to present the rebel's story
Out came the captain
The captain of the state police arrived
Of the state police
Of the state's law enforcement agency
Arresting lots of students
He began arresting numerous students
For disturbing the peace
Charging them with the crime of disrupting public order
Including his own son
Even his own son was among those being arrested
His daughter and his niece
His daughter and niece were also detained
And the rebel
The rebel himself
Someone called the governor
An individual contacted the governor
To see what he could do
To inquire about the governor's potential actions
The governor said, 'sorry
The governor expressed regret and said
But I cannot talk to you
He couldn't engage in conversation with that individual
'Cause I'm a-sittin' in
Because he was participating in
At the state house too
A sit-in at the state capital
Just like the rebel
Similar to what the rebel was doing
Soon the secondary schools
Soon, even the secondary schools
Began to rebel
Started to protest against the system
Kindergarten kids were sitting
Even the young children in kindergarten were participating by sitting down
During show and tell
Even during show and tell activities
Then the older generation
Subsequently, the older generation
Started sitting down as well
Also began joining in the sit-in protests
Man, what a protest
It was an impressive and impactful protest
Doctors sat, firemen sat
Not only did doctors sit, but also firemen
Teachers wouldn't teach
Teachers refused to conduct classes
People sat at home
Individuals sat down even in their own homes
And on the street and on the beach
They were sitting down on the streets and beaches alike
Just a-sittin' and a-waitin'
Simply sitting and waiting
For freedom of speech
Anticipating the freedom to express themselves
Nobody was talkin' to anybody
There was a lack of communication and dialogue
The nation was in trouble
The country was facing significant problems
There wasn't any doubt
No one had any uncertainty
The President went on TV
The President appeared on television
To try to pull us out
In an attempt to resolve the situation
And the President shouted
The President exclaimed with emphasis
'What the heck's it all about?'
'What is the meaning of all this?'
'Heck,' said the President
The President uttered the word 'heck'
Soon everyone was saying 'heck'
Soon, 'heck' became a widely used word
They said it everywhere
People uttered it in various locations
And the rebel said to Rhonda
The rebel said to Rhonda
'This is terribly unfair
'This is extremely unjust
Being hip is getting middle class
Being fashionable and trendy is becoming too mainstream
Let's you and I be square'
We should abandon our countercultural image and conform
And they did, they squared it up
They did conform and adopted a conventional lifestyle
Rhonda got a haircut
Rhonda had her hair cut
The rebel shaved his beard
The rebel got rid of his beard by shaving
They were married and had children
They got married and started a family
Which they subsequently reared
They took care of and raised their children
They moved out to the suburbs
They relocated to the suburban areas
And they really disappeared
They virtually vanished from the counterculture scene
Wow, did they conform
They fully embraced the conformist lifestyle
Folks built a statue of the rebel
People constructed a statue in honor of the rebel
Just to prove the people's love
As a way to demonstrate the love and admiration of the people
But the public soon forgot it
Unfortunately, the public quickly forgot about the statue
Just the pigeons up above
Only the pigeons flying above
Seem to know the right location
They seem to be aware of the ideal spot
They've all found that statue of
The pigeons have discovered that statue of the rebel
The rebel
The rebel's statue
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Allan Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve Miller
I memorized all his songs as a kid...still remember them.
LegendaryOstrich
To echo the other comments, this guy is great. Listened to him as a kid in the 80s because my step dad loved him. Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I listen to him. Long live Mr. Sherman and his talent
Julian Lawrence
His book, The Rape of the A.P.E., is also quite the manifesto. Completed just a year before he died.
Aharon Lowenstein
Love this song! Thanks for the upload!
MrMjp58
Just heard this on the radio for the first time. Brilliant.
theboyfromxtown
+MrMjp58
I loved it too. Not sure about the lyrics but the harpsichord is wonderful
philippa rogers
brilliant, love this..
TampaBama BamaTampa
I'm 14 and been listening to his music for quite a while
Edit Everything
i love this guy
Big Kitty
Brilliant!!! One of his funniest songs.