Dave Alvin (born November 11, 1955, in Downey, California), is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Dave Alvin (born November 11, 1955, in Downey, California), is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has been one of the leading proponents of 'roots' or 'American' music, bringing together elements of rock-and-roll, blues, rural and tejano music.

Alvin and his older brother Phil Alvin grew up loving Americana, country and blues. In 1979 they formed The Blasters with friends Bill Bateman and John Bazz.

Shortly after leaving the Blasters, Alvin joined X as lead guitarist after the departure of Billy Zoom. Alvin amicably left the group to work on a solo project shortly after the recording sessions for their album See How We Are. Alvin is also a member of country band The Knitters (composed mainly of members of X), appearing on 1987's Poor Little Critter on the Road and the 2005 follow-up, The Modern Sounds of The Knitters.

In the early 1980s Alvin, along with fellow Blasters members Bill Bateman and Steve Berlin, performed on several albums with the Los Angeles punk band The Flesh Eaters. These albums are considered precursors to what is now called "deathrock". Alvin also played with the band The Gun Club briefly, playing guitar on "Eternally Is Here" & "The Stranger in Our Town" from the 1984 album, The Las Vegas Story.

Alvin's first solo album, entitled Romeo's Escape (1987) in the United States and Every Night About This Time in England, added a purer country influence along with a larger side-portion of the blues; while the album was critically well received, it didn't fare well in the marketplace, and Alvin was dropped by his American record label, Columbia. Alvin suffered health problems which sidelined him for a while, except for a wild tour with friends Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana as the Pleasure Barons, which was described as "a Las Vegas revue from acts who aren't going to be asked to play Vegas." (A live album was released of a second Pleasure Barons tour in 1993.)

In 1989, Dwight Yoakam scored a hit on the country charts with Alvin's song "Long White Cadillac," and Alvin used the royalties to start work on his second solo set, Blue Blvd. Released by the California-based roots-music label Hightone Records in 1991, Blue Blvd received enthusiastic reviews and sold well enough to re-establish Alvin as a significant artist in the roots rock scene.

After releasing Museum of Heart in 1993, Alvin began to turn his attention to acoustic music with 1994's King of California, and over the next several years Alvin moved back and forth between hard-edged roots rock and more introspective acoustic material that still honored his influences (and allowed him to display a greater range as a vocalist).

In 2000, Alvin recorded a collection of traditional folk and blues classics, Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land, which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

In 2011, Alvin released the album Eleven Eleven on Yep Roc Records. The album was a return to Alvin's rock roots. According to Rolling Stone, "Though Alvin has often switched between electric and acoustic, almost everything here is plugged in – above all Alvin, an under-recognized guitar hero."
www.davealvin.net

Surfer Girl
Dave Alvin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Little surfer, little one
Made my heart come all undone
Do you love me, do you surfer girl?
Surfer girl, my little surfer girl

I have watched you on the shore
Standing by the ocean's roar
Do you love me, do you surfer girl?

Surfer girl, surfer girl

[Incomprehensible]
Everywhere I go

So I say from me to you, beautiful say it aloud
I will make your dreams come true
Do you love me, do you surfer?
Surfer girl, my little surfer girl

Well, surfer girl, my little surfer girl
Well, surfer girl, my little surfer girl

Overall Meaning

The song, “Surfer Girl” by Dave Alvin is a beautiful, romantic track dedicated to a girl who loves surfing. The song speaks about the deep admiration the singer has for the girl, and how her love for the ocean has made his heart come undone. The singer seems to be in love with the surfer girl, and he wants to know if she loves him too. The song has a timeless quality to it, and it captures the essence of youth, summer, and the ocean.

The first verse of the song speaks about the impact the surfer girl has had on the singer. He was taken aback by her beauty and the way she surfed the waves. Her love for surfing has made his heart come undone. He then goes on to ask if she loves him back, and if she is his little surfer girl. The second verse talks about how the singer has watched the surfer girl standing by the ocean's roar. He is clearly in awe of her passion and dedication to the ocean. The chorus repeats the question of whether or not the surfer girl loves him, and he ends the song by calling her his little surfer girl, indicating a deep connection between the two.

Overall, “Surfer Girl” is a beautiful, romantic song that captures the heart and soul of the ocean and the love that can blossom near it. The song is an ode to the beauty and strength of women, and how their passion can inspire and captivate those around them.

Line by Line Meaning

Little surfer, little one
Addressing the girl he admires at the beach, the singer acknowledges her petite size and the fact that she's a surfer.

Made my heart come all undone
The singer is saying that the sight of the surfer girl has somehow caused him heartache or has completely entranced him.

Do you love me, do you surfer girl?
The singer wonders if the surfer girl reciprocates his romantic feelings.

Surfer girl, my little surfer girl
Repeating the title of the song ensures the listener that this sweet girl is the focus of the artist's fascination.

I have watched you on the shore
The artist admits to having spent time observing the surfer girl.

Standing by the ocean's roar
The singer describes the setting, but doesn't specify whether the girl was watching the waves come in or simply standing nearby.

Incomprehensible
This is probably not part of the original lyrics, and may be a nod to Beach Boys reprises of this song in their concerts where Alvin himself was unsure what line was being sung.

Everywhere I go
The artist makes a statement about searching for something or someone.

So I say from me to you, beautiful say it aloud
The artist tells the girl that he's about to make a promise to her and that she should listen carefully.

I will make your dreams come true
The artist pledges to take action to ensure that the surfer girl's dreams become a reality.

Do you love me, do you surfer?
The question is repeated, with the implication that the singer wants to hear more about how the surfer girl feels about him.

Surfer girl, my little surfer girl
Repeating the title of the song concludes the song with the same message he began with.

Contributed by Isabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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