Song of the Day 11/28: The B-52s, “Rock Lobster”

Fox News is running out of things to freak out about. When Joe Biden put up the White House Christmas tree extra early, their “War on Christmas” standby failed, so they tried to bitch about him jumping the gun on Christmas. That fizzled, so now they’re mad about … Whole Foods deciding not to sell Gulf of Maine lobsters in an effort to Save the Whales.

Not all the whales, mind you, just the North Atlantic right whale, a species with an estimated 340 individuals remaining. Whole Food is just one outlet to drop the crustaceans after Seafood Watch put them on their “red list” of species to avoid. The nerve.

“Rock Lobster” was the B-52s ticket to the big time, but the version you always hear is the one they re-recorded for their big-label debut in 1979. The original, released the previous year on a local label, was faster but no less catchily goofy.

The re-recorded version is the “official” one distributed by Rhino Records. Their Warner Bros. album version ran to nearly seven minutes, but was cut down for a single that reached No. 56 on the Hot 100 in the US. Canadian record buyers, who know their crustaceans, made it No. 1 there.