Tuesdays with Media: Miserlou

Sometimes a song is released and it defies genres so hard that no one knows what to do with it.  That's how I feel people must have reacted to first hearing "Miserlou" by Dick Dale.

"Miserlou" was originally released in 1958 but it sure as heck sounds more recent than that.  The guitar is fast-driving, the only vocals are just enthusiastic shouts, and it has a sort of Persian sound to it -- none of those are things that really fit the vibe of Rock and Roll when it was still in its infancy.

I was introduced to this song in 1994 when it appeared in ads for Pulp Fiction and I assumed it was a modern song -- it certainly feels more like a Grunge song than early Rock, at least in my mind.  Maybe it just feels more timeless since it was heavily influenced by a traditional Middle Eastern folk tune, just with fast guitars.

If we're being technical (hint: we are), "Miserlou" falls into the sub-genre of surf rock, which may be a decent fit, but it's still weird seeing kids from that era dance the twist to this song.

Whoever directed this performance was a legitimately bad cinematographer.

"Miserlou" may not fit in well with other songs of it's kind, but it's still a great song that's a lot of fun.