Surrender
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch"
Well just the other day I heard a soldier falling off
Some Indonesian junk that's going round
Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
"Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines"
Now, I had heard the wacs recruited old maids for the war
But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years
Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year?
Every time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear?
When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch
Rolling numbers, rock and rollin', got my Kiss records out
Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Away
Away
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
(Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
(Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
(Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
(Bun E's alright, Tommy's alright, Robin's alright, Rick's alright)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
(We're all alright, we're all alright, we're all alright, we're all alright)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
(Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright)
The lyrics of Various Artists' "Surrender" portray the tensions between generations and the confusion of youth. The song opens with the singer's mother warning him about the dangers of getting involved with women, cautioning him that he "will never know what [he'll] catch." The lyrics then turn to the father, who supports the mother's advice and praises her for her knowledge and experience. However, the son seems to be skeptical about his mother's wisdom, and he recalls an eerie incident in which he heard a soldier falling off "some Indonesian junk that's going round." The son also expresses his curiosity about "all this season's losers of the year" and their sudden disappearance.
The lyrics suggest a gap between the parents' generation and the youth. In the chorus, the singer implores listeners to surrender, but to not give themselves away. The song seems to suggest that the youth should remain true to their desires and not be influenced by their parents' expectations or values. The parents, on the other hand, seem comfortable with their current lifestyle and choices, which strike the son as "a little weird."
Overall, the lyrics of "Surrender" offer a poignant and relatable picture of the tensions that can exist between generations, while also capturing the angst and confusion of youth.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you
My mother warned me that I would encounter women like you
She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch"
She advised me not to get involved with you due to potential negative consequences
Well just the other day I heard a soldier falling off
Recently, I overheard news of a soldier's unsuccessful attempt to remain stable
Some Indonesian junk that's going round
The cause of the soldier's fall was a moving Indonesian vessel with unknown intent
Mother's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird
Despite their odd behavior, my parents are okay
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Give in, but be cautious not to lose your identity or self-respect
Father says, "Your mother's right, she's really up on things"
My dad agrees with my mom's judgment and believes she is knowledgeable
"Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines"
Prior to their marriage, my mother joined the Women's Army Corps in the Philippines
Now, I had heard the wacs recruited old maids for the war
I was previously informed that the WACS enlisted unmarried or older women
But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years
However, my mother does not fit that description, and I have known her for some time
Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year?
I wonder what became of all the people who were unsuccessful this year
Every time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear?
Whenever I reflect on them, I cannot locate their whereabouts
When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch
When I arose, I discovered my parents engaged in carefree activity on the sofa
Rolling numbers, rock and rollin', got my Kiss records out
They were in the midst of playing games of chance, listening to rock music, and accessing my Kiss collection
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Give in, but do not lose your individuality or self-worth
Away
Away
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Give in, but remain true to yourself
(Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright)
(My parents are okay)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Give in, but be cautious not to lose your identity or self-respect
(Bun E's alright, Tommy's alright, Robin's alright, Rick's alright)
(Bun E, Tommy, Robin, and Rick are all okay)
Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
Give in, but do not lose your individuality or self-worth
(We're all alright, we're all alright, we're all alright, we're all alright)
(We are all okay)
(Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright)
(My parents are okay)
Contributed by Zoe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.