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We're Not Who You Think We Are

Certain Songs #432: The Everly Brothers – “Wake Up Little Susie”

January 26, 2016 by Jim Connelly

everly wake up
Album: The Everly Brothers
1957

Not so different than “Bye Bye Love” in a lot of respects — written by Felice and Bordeaux Bryant; opening with a super cool acoustic riff — “Wake Up Little Susie” zips right past those surface similarities almost instantly.

The timeless tale of a couple of high school students who fell asleep during a drive-in movie and now are in deep shit because of it, “Wake Up Little Susie” just drips with fear and worry from the very start.

We’ve both been sound asleep
Wake up little Susie and weep
The movie’s over, it’s four o’clock
And we’re in trouble deep

What I love about “Wake Up Little Susie,” — I mean besides the utterly ace harmonies and equally ace acoustic guitar that underpins most of it — is their realization of just how fucked they are. Even if they didn’t.

Well, what are we gonna tell your Mama
What are we gonna tell your Pa?
What are we gonna tell our friends
When they say, “Ooh la la!”

That chorus features some great quick guitar leads after the first couple of lines and a full stop to make “Ooh la la!” as menacing as it possibly could be. Hell, for Susie, that might even be worse than her parents. Especially since this isn’t the first time it’s happened.

“Wake Up Little Susie”

Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Everly Brothers, Wake Up Little Susie

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Previously on Medialoper

  • Certain Songs #2695: that dog. – “long island”
  • Certain Songs #2694: that dog. – “minneapolis”
  • Certain Songs #2693: that dog. – “never say never”
  • Certain Songs #2692: Terry Allen – “The Beautiful Waitress”
  • Certain Songs #2691: The Tenants – “Sheriff”

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