Why Cheap Trick's "Surrender" is absolutely brilliant 

I was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. I've crossed paths with all the members of Cheap Trick and their children. I can tell you from first hand experience they are all stand up people. A credit to Rock and Roll and our fine town.

When my daughter was 2 I bought her a shirt that said Surrender on it and underneath It says Mommy's Alright Daddy's Alright They just seem a little Weird. She is now 20. She told me when she was little and even now. She would sing that whenever she gets/got scared and would feel better.❤ I am 48 and they are still my favorite rock band.

Bun E. Carlos is my favorite rock drummer of all time. So cool at his work, never sped up, brilliant fills and restrained cymbal usage, steady as a metronome. Bun E. Carlos is a SURVIVOR, too. Can't say that about too many others in his generation. Viva Bun E.!

"Indonesian Junk" and "soldiers falling off" isn't a reference to drugs. It's a reference to mom warning her son about sleeping around and catching an STD ("Mama told me I'd meet girls like you"). The song is about realizing that your straight-laced and uptight parents weren't always that way, and had a life before you came along....and they were likely cooler than you were back then. They still like to party every now and then, just when the kids aren't around.....

Cheap Trick ignited my love for rock n roll when I was 15. Changed me forever. Truly an American original. And they still rock hard in concert.

I once heard Rick Nielsen say “ you know you got the 2 good looking guys and then the 2 other guys and I get so tired of being stereotyped as one of the good looking guys”.

Everybody in the punk scene in the 70s welcomed Cheap Trick as one of them

My first concert 9th grade 1978 at Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, CA. 68 shows later, they're still tops for me. We are all getting old, but the music never ages. Rock on!

For this boomer, I totally agree: Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright, They just seem a little weird! Thanks for the epic narration and backstory of this fantastic song!

Mr. Nielsen is definitely in the pantheon as a songwriter and a rocker!

If there is one song that takes me back to the nostalgic summer nights of my teen age years, it's Surrender.

Hey kids! Back in the 70's, a slang word for a marijuana cigarette was "number". So the final verse is mom & dad rollin' up a doob on the couch whilst listening to KISS...

This was wonderful. It actually brought a tear to my eye. I started seeing Cheap Trick shows in 1980 and haven't stopped. I honestly don't know how many times I've seen them and in what cities. Certainly all over America, in bars and in arenas. Surrender is one of the greatest rock anthems ever recorded and I'll be listening to it forever. Play it at my funeral, friends, and play it loud. Cuz we're all all-right.

I've seen Cheap Trick more times than I've seen any other band- They're not good live- they're INCREDIBLE! some bands you see live and they sound like a garage cover band of themselves- these guys are ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL! Note for note, they hit every lick, every fill, every everything- every time!!! I've seen them in little bars and giant arenas- and every time, they're perfect. I only wish I would have seen them more!

Cheap Trick is the only band that I've seen live in concert twice. Still living with the tinnitus that you get from standing 2 rows back and dead center from the left stage stack at a Cheap Trick show. Still one of my top 3 favorite bands of all time.

I saw Cheap Trick at the Second Chance Bar in Ann Arbor, MI in 1981 when i was in college there. They were billed as the Randymen and were there to try out new songs that would be part of their One on One album that would come out the next year. They played all their hits too and were amazing. I even ended up with a Rick Nielsen guitar pick that was flipped into the audience. I still have it too.

I was born in 1989 and I just heard this song couple days ago, and I love it more everyday ❤

I heard it today on the radio for the first time in a while... I realized it was much deeper than I had ever realized. Glad I found this

If you want to hear the great "We're all alright" chant at the end, you need to listen to a live version. That line is actually in the studio version too, but it is so buried in the backing vocals, you have to really know it's there and listen hard to hear it. The later live versions do it better than Budokan.

"Cheap Trick" is one of the best and most entertaining bands I've ever heard.

My first rock concert at age 16 in 1979 was Cheap Trick at Alpine Valley, Wisconsin. Kind of the home town venue for Cheap Trick since it wasn’t far from Rockford. Pat Travers band opened. Two bands at their peak. What a night that was.

"Father said 'your mother's right, she's really up on things. Before we married mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines'" this is the best line ever written in rock n' roll.

Power chord masterpiece. THAT is the secret to Surrender, plus the weirdly childish delivery of the lyrics. And of course, the brilliant swing of the beat.

Oh dear. You've missed the point of the first verse -- the "Indonesian junk" wasn't heroin, it was an STD (or, as we called it back then, V.D.), that caused the soldier's, ah, body part to fall off.

I met Robin on my senior class trip in the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis In ..1981.. He graciously signed a receipt from the gift shop.. Class of 1981..Get Nutz . Robin Zander...We put it in our class book !

I grew up with these guys in Rockford. Remember hearing them at the Continental Bar and hearing they were going big, we all thought they sucked because all they did was covers, hmmmm little did we know how great there own music was.

Your writing is absolutely brilliant; your voice & delivery just as gifted.

Very nicely written appraisal of a great song and band... 👏

My first exposure to Cheap Trick was August 1977 at the LA Forum waiting for KISS to come on as a very excited 10 year old. I was blown away by them, and could not stop talking about them when school started back up the next month.

I have to thank Guitar Hero for exposing my Gen Z self to classic rock and roll. Played a ton of Surrender and Dream Police on Guitar Hero 2 and Aerosmith just because those songs were fun and catchy as hell. My 8 year old self didn't even know who any of the bands were (mind you this was 2008 and I didn't really use a computer for RU-vid or web searching), but all the songs on those games have forever made a mark on imprinting me with the greatest era of music. They say the music you listen to from when you're about 10-15 will be the music you will forever love and not want to change from ("that isn't music, back in my day"). I'm forever grateful for Guitar Hero and my older brothers who bought me those games.

I saw Cheap Trick in a suburb called Weston Creek at the Royals Rugby club in my home town of Canberra, Australia. Best club band I ever got to see and I saw a lot.

Their self-titled album had some truly towering songs on it. “‘Ello Kiddies” rocks so beautifully hard. (Thanks, Bun) and “Monticello” is painfully elegant. I used to play it when I lived in a flat in SF, in 1990. My staunchly punk roommates fell in love with that album. One of my great regrets; never having seen them. That they were put into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2016, shows that the year wasn’t an entire disaster. Sub’d

Live @ Budokan was the first record I ever owned. I've played Surrender live at least 100 times. I used to introduce it as the third track on my first album, mimicking Robins intro on the actual record. I don't know where it was in the actual track list but it served the purpose. I played that record end to end so many times. Taking turns with my twin brother who played KISS ALIIVE over and over. I still love both those records but we both feel Cheap trick wins the day as our favourite band of all time.

You left out, rolling “numbers” used to mean rolling joints. We knew what they were referencing when I was 11 in 1982.

I never imagined that I would ever hear Surrender analyzed as if it were some kind of assignment for a college English class 😀. But it is spot on...Surrender is absolutely brilliant.

Not just boomers. I was born on the tail end of the boomer years. So I grew up a GenX'er. A lot of GenX'ers loved this band.

Been rocking to Cheap Trick since I was 11 years old in 1979 , the late 70's was a great time to be a kid

Cheap Trick was always playing in Florida back in THE day. I was so blessed to have lived 39 years in the 20th century!

Cheap Trick's 2021 album, In Another World, showcases their incredible talents and varied styles. They're still rockin'.

I was a freshman in high school in 1979 and bought this album and listened to it like mad. But Punk hit and I forgot about this song for 35 years. I listen to a lot of 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's music. And your/this video popped up. Subscribed

One of the greatest bands of all time!!!

I also like the way he uses non-rhymes to make certain lines stand out. "Never know what you'll catch" is nearly impossible to miss.

This was wonderfully written and narrated. Thank you. I’ve been listening to this song on repeat the last month or so, as I always come back to it every so often. It always seemed to me to be a kind of giving of permission to grow up, but to make sure to always keep that wonder and love of life. The line “we’re all alright” is reminiscent of the Grateful Dead singing “WE will get by” at the end of Touch of Grey. A reminder that through a shared love of music, especially rock and roll, we can all find a way to be happy, no matter the obstacles that we all face. Have a wonderful day. ❤

Janda has such a pleasant voice. She’s one of the best!

Her narration brings tears to my eyes. So well done.

I love these guys and really miss this time in music

Thanks Janda ... Live @ Budakon Rocked....I spun that around abuncha times....Cheap Trick ferever

Cheap Trick sounded so fresh and new in the late ‘70’s. I saw them as a young teen and was hooked. They were such a breath of fresh air after years being inundated with disco and songs with long, guitar solos! 😁

The anthem of my youth excellently explained in depth.

I remember when "Surrender" came out and thought it sounded like something really different on the radio at the time... It seemed to have some kind of hybrid sound of new wave, punk, but mostly rock.. Robin's vocals on it weren't the typical rock vocal and lyrics, there was a hint of that snotty sounding attitude of punk in it. You could hear this garage sound in it, and Bun E.'s drumming style was something completely different as well. You could tell that they might have been influenced by bands like Sweet, Slade and of course the Beatles. But their approach and sound were very unique and the songwriting was top notch. When the Budakan album came out I was hooked on them, and that album was really popular with everyone at school

BRILLIANT SONG gives me chill bumps every time I listen to it without fail til this day I'm 57 🤘😎🎵💖💕

When I was a teen I had this "side of mouth/tongue in cheek" line that was in direct opposition of what would be asked at the end of prime time television back then; "It's 11:00. Children, do you know where your parents are?" Surrender was art reflecting my life back then in the 70's.

Cheap Trick is American Rock-N-Roll! Rockford ,Illinois is the Home of Arachnid Darts as well.

"In the Street" is the theme to the sit com "That 70s Show". The theme references "Surrender" by chanting, " we're all, all right" at the end. The theme was originally performed by the band " Big Star" in 1972, but was actually performed as the shows theme song by Cheap Trick.

She has a great, old-school radio voice

Aaah, one of my very favorite bands since I was about 15. So glorious to hear them covered here. Thanks!

That "soldier falling off" line is about venereal disease, not heroin. It's military slang from the Vietnam era.

First fell in love with Cheap Trick with their In Color album…those hot guys on their bikes and then the brilliant rocker/with an edge music by Rick Nielsen and the amazing drummer Bun E. , that made me and my girlfriend want more!! When I heard IWYTWM I was so in love with such a power pop love song…but Surrender on the radio, our HS anthem blasted at all the parties and while cruisin in our cars and eventually seeing on Midnight Special the amazing Live performance with gorgeous Robin and those edgy/sketchy lyrics belting out with the amazing Band just jamming away…I was hooked!! Have all their albums because they make incredible music, have seen them many times over the years, 3xs this last tour 2023…sounding amazing as always…Have met Robin and Rick…Tom is usually swarmed lol but we’ve made contact in concert many times…and they are just the kindest, most gracious guys with a great sense of humor and so incredibly talented!!! Daxx and RTZ round out the Band perfectly and both so talented in their own right🙌Cannot wait to see what the 50th brings next year for these RRHOFamers I’ll be celebrating with them as much as I can 🤗🏁🎶🖤🥰🙌

Cheap Trick was simply incredible, great performers, musicians, showmen.

Saw the band in a small bar north of Chicago...danced to their songs 3 foot from them.....said to my friends they will go big..and 6 months later...they were on the charts...

The ultimate power pop band

1978, I was a young 18 year old when I purchased this 8-track. Now I'm a grandfather. 👊🏼

It's such a dynamite track that stands the test of time. Excellent vid!

Lived in Rockford from '75 to '82. They were the band. Rick wrote a lot of good songs. However, my favorite was a remake of Don't Be Cruel.

I think the line "Surrender, Surrender,but dont give yourself away". Means "Dont argue with your parents. You cant win. Just grin and nod your head.". But also "Dont give yourself away". Dont tell them what you really think or do. They either won't understand or will feel they need to tell you not to do certain things because that is their responsibility, as good parents. Following both courses will prevent active conflict and keep you on good terms with them. And also yes, in a way, they were like you as kids but they can't admit it now because they are now responsible adults.

2nd greatest band in my eyes. Was a bouncer in 83 (Brat Stop-Kenosha,Wi.) and as big as they were, you knew they loved those gigs. I'll never forget and i've seen lots of great shows in 40 years.

True! All true. Loved them at 1st sight. So much fun! We played CT covers as kids

I can't believe I found this video today! another RU-vidr I follow did a video today about a song from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and I was just thinking about all the classic songs on that soundtrack- and the one reference but not played: "Surrender" and then to hear Janda reference the same moment from the film- how serendipitous. Cheap Trick music was in the soundtrack to my life during the 70's/80's, their music is so good, perfect pop and rock fusion that captures youth and the innocence. So talented and Amazing Musicians! Very well written Janda, I am now following your channel- Keep on Rocking

'Surrender' was featured by Cheap Trick while opening for KISS on their summer tour in '77 before Cheap Trick released Heaven Tonight. 'Surrender' was the centerpiece song when I saw Cheap Trick again at the same venue in '79 on their Canadian tour in support of the Budokan album. A song in the vein of 'Rock and Roll All Night', 'Photograph' or 'Talk to Ya Later'; Surrender will stand the test of time and has become a classic of the 70s.

It sounds like modulation on the very first verse as well which is pretty cool.

When SURRENDER prelude starts on the radio it always excites me so that I learned all the lyrics to sing along....

The Live from Budokan 8 Track Rocked, but later seeing the video of the Concert and the energy they used was godly!

The best part of living in Rockford back then, was CHEAP TRICK! :) Best bar band ever!! If you were lucky enough to see them play bars.

I'm 55 years old and live in the Milwaukee area. I've always liked Cheap Trick because they got some decent radio play in the late 70's in our area. I also remember seeing their videos on MTV in the early to mid 80's. Then in the 90's they sort of feel off the radar for me because of the grunge scene. Over the last 10 years I've been watching some of their videos from time to time (the ones I saw on MTV). Then my fiancee got interested. She said how are they live? So I searched Cheap Trick live on RU-vid. We watched the Don Kirshner Rock Concert and were blown away. We saw them live in Mequon, WI at the Gathering on the Green in 2021 and were blown away again. I can't get enough of this band, especially the music from their first two records.

There are great bands and then there are great live bands. Cheap Trick was both. I also like the bands with a sense of humor. Good episode.

Thanks . Enjoyed this analysis... I have a friend who textes me, and I text her .. everything we hear Surrender .. with a line of lyrics... And still catch them in concert every time I can

Cheap Trick was the opening band an many concerts I attended in the 70s. If only I could go back to those shows and appreciate their music the way I do now. At the time I could not wait for them to get off the stage because I came for the headline group and felt "tricked" when I saw THEM.

I love the commentary. Love Janda. What a face. What a voice,

Rockford is also the hometown of America's first professional Egyptologist and perhaps greatest archaeologist, James Henry Breasted (1865-1935). He was also a close friend and beneficiary of John D.Rockefeller and the founder and first director of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The author of scores of books and hundreds of articles, Breasted is hailed as the "Dean of American Egyptology." He is also considered one of the greatest literary stylists of all time, along with Will and Ariel Durant and the later Loren Eisely.

I totally agree and couldn't have said it better..." we're all, alright."

I wish there had been mention of the original lyrics, which reflect upon how the amended lyrics break down. Rick writes wack lyrics, and story of how this song arrived at its final release version is relevant. Lovely video! We used it in our wedding vows. Thanks, guys!

WOW!!!! Thanks for your dissection of a great classic!!!!! An interesting and fun take!

Thanks Janda.. Well done and you put a lot of work into doing this.Hate to mention it but, in the captioning, some spelling I'd fix if possible. It's "Nielsen" every time. Thanks again Rick Nielsen

SAW THEM AT THE CHICAGO AMPHITHEATRE AT LOOP ROCKFEST IN 1979 OR 1980.......BLOWN AWAY, FAN FOR LIFE...

Yes greatness and my youth! I used to (When I was 13 or so) play Dream Police side to side (they had sides in those days LOL) at full volume and pounding as hard as we could with all the heart they put into it I'm sure!

Awesome review. When I've been asked what is the most underrated song in rock history the answer is always the same- Surrender. I know it's a matter of opinion but Surrender just hits differently then any other song. Thank you for your wonderful take on it!

👍👍👍👍👍 AWESOME!!! Thanks Janda and Christian❤❤❤

I assumed Indonesian Junk was that really bad VD that the soldiers brought home; based on the first verse.

In Color and Heaven Tonight my first record’s I bought ! Budakon was sold out !

Met these guys when they came to endemyion ball in New orleans. Really cool chill guys

Love it! Great breakdown of a great song. I would like to add an alternate observation on the line: "Just the other day I heard of a soldier's falling off, some Indonesian junk that's going 'round." The line follows up on the previous line with a most definite juvenile reference to a soldier whose lost his, umm, "junk". The entire verse is poetically resolved as he only needs to mention "junk" the one time.

Janda, love the deep dives you do into these songs. Live at Budokhan was first album I bought with my own money. Almost lost it when my sister had her "Reborn" Christian phase and tried to burn my records with her "demon" music,she is better now.

The reference to "You'll never know what you'll catch" and "a soldier's falling off" are references to sexually transmitted diseases - especially the line "some indonesian junk that's going 'round" which DID have to do with the Vietnam War. Supposedly, there was an incurable version of gonorrhea which came from Indonesia, one of the close-by Asian countries US troops were sent to on R&R leave from Vietnam. Returning Troops laughingly termed it "Trench Dick" in reference to the WW1 disease Trench Foot which was the result of soldier's feet being exposed to constant immersion in water in the trenches. "A soldier's falling off" is slang for "a soldier's(little friend) falling off," which would be the result of "Trench Dick." I know this because I'm an Army vet, and I served in the late 1970s. I saw Cheap Trick in Germany a year BEFORE the Budokan album was released in the US, and their live show sounded similar to the Budokan album. After the show, I told my friends in the barracks about the show, how great they were; and they all said "Yeah, yeah..." In 1978, a song referencing the Vietnam War was easier to understand, as you'd be more likely to meet(and talk to) a Vietnam vet at work; a lot of them were NOT nuts or mentally unbalanced by their experiences(although they would get angry if you kept 'em on the subject for very long; it was obvious to most of them that they had been mis-used by their country's government, especially the military). I have to compliment you for praising this song, though - I just KNOW that many, many songwriters have seen audiences at Cheap Trick concerts shouting along - in unison - "We're all all right, we're all all right," and wished that THEY could have written a cool song like that.

I was introduced to "Surrender" in 2009 when Conan O'Brien used it in his run across the country cold opening to "The Tonight Show." It was the perfect song for Conan to make a statement: yes, he was moving to an earlier timeslot, a bigger paycheck, and across the country...but he was still going to be the same weirdo.

How am I only just now discovering this great channel! I guess I’ll be binging for a few days. Excellent and fun analysis ❤

Loved this, so well researched and presented. I discovered Cheap Trick via Dream Police in the early 80s. That album was like the best drug on earth to me as a young teen. It was '..at Budokan' that sealed the deal though, 'Surrender' being the highlight of course. I saw them live in '86, inevitably in support of someone they comprehensively out-performed. Cheap Trick are vital to me, like sunlight. Thanks for this.

First time I saw Trick was on the Heaven Tonight tour. They were the opening act at a small theater venue in Miami. Surrender was not a hit yet and we had never heard of them. We weren't expecting much - just hoping they didn't take too much time away from the headliner. They blew us away. After they went offstage we were thinking there was no way to top them - then AC/DC came out and burned the place down.

I loved this song as a little kid and it always reminds me of the teen rebellion movie " Over the Edge".

Excellent.Thank You!

You have done a great job, over and over. Love it!! Keep it going.