Rock Lobster: The Music Video

Rock Lobster is one of the most iconic songs from the B-52’s, and the music video is just as unforgettable. Join us as we take a look back at this classic clip and explore what made it so special.

The making of the music video

The lobster was brought to the set in aructed wire lobter trap. The video’s director wanted to ensure that the lobster was not harmed during filming, so they placed it in a heated tank on set. The tank was filled with salt water and had a aerator to keep the lobster alive and healthy during the shoot.

The lobster was filmed in various close up shots as well as wide shots of it swimming around in the tank. In one scene, the lobster is shown being cooked in a pot. This was done using a fake prop lobster that was made to look like it was being cooked. After filming was completed, the real lobster was released back into the wild.

The concept behind the video

The concept behind the video was to have the bandmembers playing their instruments in a giant human-sized aquarium while surrounded by real lobsters. The video begins with an underwater shot of the bandmembers playing their instruments, as if they are in an actual aquarium. The camera then pulls away to reveal that they are in a glass enclosure in a restaurant, with people eating lobster in the background.

The video was directed by>)

The meaning of the lyrics

One interpretation of the song’s meaning is that it is a commentary on the shallowness of the 1980s mainstream music scene and fashion. The lyrics describe a “rock lobster” as a creature that lives in coral reefs and is “a miracle of evolution.” The singer is telling the story of how he and his friends were “party-goers” who would go to nightclubs and dance all night. One night, they met some girls who were also “party-goers.” The girls invite the boys to an after-party at an upmarket apartment, where they ate sushi and smoked marijuana. The boys are then thrown out of the party for being “too young and punk.”

The symbolism in the video

The video for the B-52s’ “Rock Lobster” is a perfect example of the type of surreal, Symbolism-heavy music videos that were popular in the early days of MTV. The video is set at a beach party, where various fashionably-dressed animals dance and frolic in the sand. The most prominent animal characters are a group of rats who seem to be in charge of the party; they drink martinis, smoke cigarettes, and generally act like they own the place.

The rats are clearly meant to symbolize the rich and powerful elite, while the other animals represent the working class masses. This is most clearly seen in a scene where a group of crabs try to climb a ladder to get to the top of a sand castle, only to have the rats knock them back down. This scene is meant to represent the way that those in power keep those below them from rising up and achieving their goals.

The video also makes use of religious symbolism; at one point, a character dressed as Jesus Christ appears, walking on water surrounded by adoring fans. This could be interpreted as a commentary on celebrity culture and the way that people often put celebrities on a pedestal.

Overall, the “Rock Lobster” video is a clever and stylish commentary on class warfare and celebrity worship. It’s a perfect example of how music videos could be used to deliver complex messages in an entertaining and visually appealing way.

The influence of the video

The influence of the video
The release of the “Rock Lobster” video coincided with the advent of MTV, and it is often credited with being the first “music video,” although this is not technically true. However, the video was greatly responsible for helping to popularize the fledgling network, and it became one of its most played videos in its early years. The clip’s absurdist humor and general silliness also helped to set the tone for much of MTV’s programming in its early years.

The legacy of the video

When the B-52’s released “Rock Lobster” in 1978, the band’s quirky sense of humor and unusual wardrobe choices set them apart from other new wave acts of the time. The song became an underground hit, and when the band was asked to make a music video for the track, they decided to go all out.

The resulting video is a campy masterpiece that features the band members cavorting on a beach in bizarre costumes. The clip was an instant hit with MTV viewers, and it helped to make the B-52’s one of the most popular bands of the 1980s.

In recent years, “Rock Lobster” has been hailed as one of the greatest music videos of all time. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013, and it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2016.

The controversy surrounding the video

When the song was released as a single in Australia in June 1981, it was accompanied by a promotional video filmed in cartoon animation. The band was unhappy with the result and felt that it failed to capture the energy of their live performances. They made the decision to film a new video, this time in live action.

The new video, directed by Australian film director Russell Mulcahy, was filmed in Sydney and featured the band performing the song on a rooftop. It also included footage of people Rollerblading through Sydney’s Graffiti Tunnel. The video was an instant hit, and helped to propel the song to number one on the Australian charts, where it stayed for six weeks.

However, not everyone was a fan of the new video. Some people accused the band of plagiarism, claiming that they had copied elements from George Lucas’ film American Graffiti (1973). Others criticized the use of Rollerblading in the video, arguing that it made Australia look like a ” Kiwi cop out”.

The controversy surrounding the video only added to its popularity, and it has now become an iconic part of Australian pop culture.

The impact of the video

Rock Lobster is a song by the American rock band The B-52s. It was released as their debut single in April 1978 and later included on their eponymous debut album, The B-52s (1979).

The song was written by Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson, and it was inspired by a experience Schneider had while scuba diving. In an interview, Schneider recalled that he “was swimming along, minding my own business, when suddenly this big lobster comes at me. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna die!'”

The song became an instant hit with its catchy chorus and quirky lyrics. The music video for the song, which was directed by Bruce Gowers, also helped to promote the single.

The video features the band members dressed in outlandish costumes and dancing in front of a blue background. It originally aired on MTV in August 1979 and quickly became one of the most played videos on the channel.

The impact of the video cannot be understated; it helped to establish The B-52s as one of the most iconic bands of the 1980s. The success of the single and video also launched the career of guitar player Keith Strickland, who went on to co-produce several of the band’s subsequent albums.

The influence of the band

The B-52’s are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson, and Keith Strickland. Although most commonly associated with new wave and punk rock, the band’s musical style has been variously described as post-punk, pop, pop rock, and new wave. The group scored several hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs including “Rock Lobster”, “Dance This Mess Around”, “Private Idaho”, “Planet Claire”, and “Love Shack”. With their campy approach to rock music and their plastic casting as aliens from another planet they helped usher in the new wave era while retaining a kitschy throwback to 1960s pop music.

After Ricky Wilson’s death from cancer in 1985, Strickland replaced him as lead guitarist. The band continued to record and tour through the 1990s and 2000s. In 2019 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The legacy of the song

“Rock Lobster” is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of the B-52’s. It was released as their first single in 1978 and appeared on their 1979 self-titled debut album. The track proved to be both a commercial and critical success, eventually becoming one of the band’s signature songs.

In the years since its release, “Rock Lobster” has been praised by music critics and has been included on several lists of the best songs of all time. The music video for the song, which was directed by Steven Spielberg, has also been praised and has been cited as one of the earliest examples of the use of claymation in a music video.