Surrender (Cheap Trick song)

"Surrender" is a late 1970s teen anthem, describing the relations between the baby boomer narrator and his G.I. Generation parents. His mother frequently warns him about the girls he will meet, as he will never know what diseases he will catch from them, as exemplified by a rumor about "a soldier's [penis] falling off" as a result of "some Indonesian junk that's going around". The mother's expertise on such matters is endorsed by the father, who states that she served with the WACs in the Philippines, a claim which amazes the narrator, who had been under the impression the WACs only recruited "old maids" (and "Mommy isn't one of those"). The narrator then describes how his parents are weirder and hipper than many teens would believe. For example, the narrator describes how he discovers his "mom and dad are rolling on the couch" and listening to his Kiss records late at night ("rolling numbers, rock-and-rolling, got my Kiss records out"). This mention was a thank you by Cheap Trick who got a career boost by opening concerts for Kiss during the 1977 Love Gun Tour.{{cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:fcftxcukldde |title=Surrender |website=AllMusic |access-date=September 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603090016/http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg |archive-date=June 3, 2009 }}

Cash Box said it has "energetic drumming and excellent rhythm guitar work" and that "the singing is intriguing and melodic."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 24, 1978|page=20|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2022-01-01|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-06-24.pdf}} Record World predicted that it "could easily make it to the top of the pop charts with its catchy teenage refrain."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=June 24, 1978|accessdate=2023-02-13|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/78/Record-World-1978-06-24.pdf}}

In the 2007 book Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide, a section on Cheap Trick featured reviews on the top 20 stand-out tracks from the band. One track included was "Surrender", where the author John M. Borack wrote "A no-brainer selection, to be sure, but since I believe that it's clinically impossible to get tired of this rock and roll funhouse, it belongs here. A stone classic for the ages."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pqtGTJgE4rEC&pg=PA41|title=Shake Some Action – The Ultimate Guide To Power Pop|last=Borack|first=John M.|date=2007|publisher=Shake Some Action – PowerPop|isbn=978-0-97977-140-8|page=41}}

Rolling Stone deemed it "the ultimate Seventies teen anthem" and ranked it number 471 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2010, number 465 in 2004, and number 365 in 2021.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/cheap-trick-surrender-157018/|title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time|date=April 7, 2011|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=October 22, 2018}}{{Cite magazine |date=2021-09-15 |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/ |access-date=2022-06-21 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as Cheap Trick's 2nd best song, saying that "the band found their mark and rhythm, mixing creative musicianship with a teen-friendly melody, all done with an effective eccentricity."{{cite web|title=The top 10 best Cheap Trick songs|author=Dome, Malcolm|accessdate=2022-06-19|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-top-10-best-cheap-trick-songs|date=June 28, 2016|publisher=Louder Sound|work=Classic Rock}} Classic Rock History critic Michael Quinn also rated it Cheap Trick's second-best song.{{cite web|title=Top 10 Cheap Trick Songs|author=Quinn, Michael|date=16 June 2022 |accessdate=2023-02-07|publisher=Classic Rock History|url=https://www.classicrockhistory.com/top-10-cheap-trick-songs/}}

• Robin Zander – lead vocals and rhythm guitar
• Rick Nielsen – lead guitar and backing vocals
• Tom Petersson – bass and backing vocals
• Bun E. Carlos – drums
• Jai Winding – synthesizer

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Cheap Trick|title=Surrender|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=17163-6469-1|access-date=October 6, 2023}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160118035731/http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1435067&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID BMI database listing artists with radio airplay for Surrender]

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Category:Cheap Trick songs

Category:Songs written by Rick Nielsen

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:1978 singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Tom Werman

Category:Songs used as jingles

Category:1976 songs

Category:Kiss (band)