B-52s: Rock Lobster Meaning

Song Released: 1978

Rock Lobster Lyrics

We were at a party
His ear lobe fell in the deep
Someone reached in and grabbed it
It was a rock lobster

We were at the beach
Everybody had matching towels
Somebody went under a dock
And there they saw a rock
It wasn't a rock
It was a...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jan 5th 2008 !⃝

   I think you're all crazy this song means nothing, it's just fun to listen to.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Apr 30th 2011 !⃝

   "Everyobody had matching towels" he is saying that everybody in society is the same, but he is not. He then goes on to compare himself to the "rock lobster" under the dock. The lobster is alone and secluded from the beach party going on outside of the dock. Underneath this dock it is not sunny like it is outside where the other people are, this symbolizes his inner grief and how unhappy he is in his seclusion from society. When he mentions the "life guard" he is alluding how he is drowning in his sadness, and if sombody does not "rescue" him he will drown (A.K.A commit suicide) just like a rock lobster. Finally near the end of the song he mentions a "giant clam" this is a reference to how he has come to the realization that there are others like him who are outsiders from society.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   Diamm

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   Jun 22nd 2007 !⃝

   This is about a guy at the beach who found a lobster.
4. RockLobster

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   Jun 19th 2020 !⃝

   When you fall asleep on the beach and dream about all kinds of crazy things and wake up sun burned from being in the sun too long and you wake up a rock lobster!
   
   Other sexual interpretations are just Freudian slips of sexual mania.
5. anonymous

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   Jan 6th 2014 !⃝

   A rock lobster also means mans genitals. Also, when it's mentioned the hose broke, bubbles, trouble inside a clam...means the rubber broke semen flowed while in her vagina therefore trouble...so yeah...party at the beach but sex references in this song
6. anonymous

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   May 30th 2012 !⃝

   A Rock Lobster is a lobster without claws, so it's defenseless. Basically, this "lobster" feels outcasted and defenseless against society. He is the minority standing up to a bunch of conformists, but he can't win because he's all alone.
   
   Later in the song, he finds out that there ARE people like him and he knows that his beliefs and opinions do matter.
7. anonymous

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   May 28th 2012 !⃝

   If this doesn't scream New Orleans, I'm not cetrain what else could. There is a fabulous men's clothing store off of Magazine Street called Perlis that uses the crawfish as their logo. I used to go there all the time when I lived up the street! It's a fantastic little gem where only the locals seem to go. If you haven't found it, you simply must stop by on your next trip to the city. Drop me a line and I'll let you know of some great little restaurants right around the corner that you just can't miss either.
8. anonymous

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   Dec 2nd 2009 !⃝

   its obviously about a sexual orgy underneath a dock and when he thinks he sees a rock (the drug crack), he proceeds to try and snort it (he was prolly hyped up on heroin) but then the lobster pinches his nose.
   this song had a very obvious meaning

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. anonymous

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   Nov 17th 2008 !⃝

   This song is about a party, (possibly gay because they all had matching towels) and someone found a lobster, I mean its not that hard people

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. lilbabyjj

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    Sep 18th 2008 !⃝

    It's about a love orgy under a rock. This love orgy involves rocks, lobsters, and rock lobsters.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
11. Surfer_Coyote

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    Oct 11th 2007 !⃝

    It's about some dude playing with the little diver guy in his aquarium.
12. anonymous

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    May 24th 2007 !⃝

    Well at least I don't see anyone saying the lobster is a symbol of jesus or something.
13. anonymous

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    May 6th 2007 !⃝

    I think this was a result of crack, a pen and paper, and musical instruments. Zero meaning.

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