Wake Up Little Susie

"Wake Up Little Susie"
Single by The Everly Brothers
from the album The Everly Brothers
B-side	"Maybe Tomorrow"
Released	September 2, 1957
Format	7" single 10" shellac
Recorded	August 1957
Genre	Country, rockabilly
Length	1"57
Label	Cadence
Writer(s)	Felice Boudleaux Bryant
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
The Everly Brothers singles chronology
"Bye Bye Love" (1957) "Wake Up Little Susie" (1957) "This Little Girl of Mine" (1958)

"Wake Up Little Susie" is a popular song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and published in 1957.

The song is best known in a recording by The Everly Brothers,^[1] issued by Cadence Records as catalog number 1337. The Everly Brothers record reached number one on the Billboard Pop chart and the Cash Box Best Selling Records chart, despite having been banned from Boston radio stations for lyrics that, at the time, were considered suggestive, according to a 1986 interview with Don Everly.^[2] "Wake Up Little Susie" also spent seven weeks atop the Billboard country chart^[3] and got to number two on the UK Singles Chart. The song was ranked at #318 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[4]

In an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show during the 2000 U.S. presidential election, then-Governor George W. Bush named "Wake Up Little Susie" as his favorite song.^[5] "Wake Up Little Susie" was the first single filmmaker David Lynch bought.^[6]

Song premise

The song is written from the point of view of a high school boy to his girlfriend, Susie. In the song, the two go out on a date, only to fall asleep during the movie. They do not wake up until 4 o'clock in the morning, well after her 10 o'clock curfew. They then contemplate the reactions of her parents and their friends.

Don Everly reported it had been banned in Boston,^[2] however the song does not outright state that Susie and her boyfriend had sexual relations, leaving the interpretation up to the listener.

Charts

All versions

Chart (1957–58)	Peak position
US Honor Roll of Hits (Billboard)[7]	1

The Everly Brothers version

Chart (1957–58)	Peak position
US Best Sellers in Stores (Billboard)[8]	1
US C&W Best Sellers in Stores (Billboard)[9]	1
US Most Played by Jockeys (Billboard)[10]	1
US Most Played C&W by Jockeys (Billboard)[9]	1
US Most Played R&B by Jockeys (Billboard)[11]	1
US R&B Best Sellers in Stores (Billboard)[12]	1

Simon & Garfunkel version

Chart (1982)	Peak position
scope="row"	US Billboard Hot 100[13]	27

Simon & Garfunkel version

Simon and Garfunkel have cited the Everly Brothers as strong influences on their own music. Their live version of "Wake Up Little Susie," recorded in the duo's concert in New York's Central Park on September 19, 1981, reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, and is the duo's last Top 40 hit.

During Simon & Garfunkel's "Old Friends" tour in 2003-2004, they performed this song and others in a segment with the Everly Brothers, who toured in support.

Cover versions and parodies

• British skiffle/rock and roll group The Rattlesnakes performed this song according to Barry Gibb. The group evolved into the Bee Gees in 1958.
• Joe Melson on the album Wake Up Little Susie
• Blue Suede Daddys
• In 2008, a part of the song was sung in the bluegrass version of The Raconteurs' "Old Enough", featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe.
• The musical duo Evan and Jaron recorded a version of the song on their album 52 Sundays.
• Grateful Dead played "Wake Up Little Susie" 13 times in their acoustic sets between February and November 1970.^[14]
• Brand New Rockers
• Count Dee's Music Explosion
• David Ross
• Donny Osmond on the album The Donny Osmond Album
• Barry Frank
• Frankie Lymon
• Golden Boys
• Alvin and the Chipmunks in the 1989 Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "The Legend of Sleeping Brittany".
• Loggins and Messina
• Sam Levine
• Stavely Makepeace
• Suzi Quatro
• The Booze Bros
• The Caverners
• The Flying Burrito Brothers
• The King Brothers
• The Magic Time Travellers
• Outlaws
• The Rattles
• The Rockhouse Brothers
• ApologetiX parodied this song in their 2004 album, "Adam Up". The song was called, "Wake Up Talitha Cumi".
• Rockapella parodied this song in an episode of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? as "Look Out, Double Trouble".

See also

• Susie, the Dog^[15]
• Banned in Boston

References

1. The Everly Brothers interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
2. Hurst, Jack (August 3, 1986). "Everly Brothers Again Waking Up Nation To Innocent, Wonderful". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 117.
4. "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: The Everly Brothers, 'Wake Up Little Susie'". Rolling Stone. April 7, 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
5. "`Oprah' Show Helps Bush Explore His Fallible Side - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2000-09-20. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
6. "Twitter Q&A with @david_lynch and @guardianmusic". guardian.co.uk. 1973-07-01. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
7. "Honor Roll of Hits: The Nation's Top Tunes for Survey Week Ending October 19". Billboard: 48. October 28, 1957. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
8. "Best Sellers in Stores for Survey Week Ending October 5, 1957". Billboard: 40. October 14, 1957. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
9. "C&W Best Sellers in Stores for Survey Week Ending October 26, 1957". Billboard: 40. November 4, 1957. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
10. "Most Played by Jockeys for Survey Week Ending October 26, 1957". Billboard: 40. November 4, 1957. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
11. "Most Played R&B by Jockeys for Survey Week Ending October 26". Billboard: 58. November 4, 1957. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
12. "R&B Best Sellers in Stores for Survey Week Ending October 5". Billboard: 55. October 14, 1957. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
13. "Simon & Garfunkel – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Simon & Garfunkel. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
14. "The Setlist Program". Retrieved 27 November 2011.
15. "Soundtrack: "Susie Q" and "Wake Up Little Susie"". susieshope.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics