Roll of the Dice: Surprise, Surprise

“In my dreams, I’ve written many, many songs. And in my dreams these songs sound like the greatest songs I’ve ever written. I wake up, and I write some of these things down. And then I get up the next morning, and almost invariably all these songs are total shit! You think you’re great in your dream, but you’re not. For years, I’d write a song in my dreams, and in my dream I’m going ‘This is the one! This is the one that’ll make them forget Born to Run!’ I get up, I write it down, and I get up the next morning and play it and it’s horrendous. But one song I wrote in my dream, and I got up the next morning and played it and it was good. There’s only been one in all of 45 years.” — Bruce Springsteen’s on-stage introduction to “Surprise, Surprise”, November 4, 2011

So… who’s gonna tell him?

Because if “Surprise, Surprise” is the only “good” song to come out of Bruce’s dreams, I’m glad he never recorded the others.

(Bruce may be prone to on-stage exaggeration at times, but this is one story I believe one hundred percent.)

Its glorious Byrdsian production and harmonies may somewhat redeem it, but lyrically “Surprise, Surprise” is as slight as they come.  Heck, we’re a quarter of the way through the song before Bruce utters his eleventh non-repeating word, although he manages to get “surprise” out sixteen times in forty-five seconds, which is approaching “Backstreets” territory.

Well surprise, surprise, surprise
Yeah surprise, surprise, surprise
Well surprise, surprise, come on open your eyes
And let your love shine down

Well surprise, surprise, surprise
Yeah surprise, surprise, surprise
Well surprise, surprise, come on open your eyes
And let your love shine down

So we’re thinking: there’s gotta be more to the song than this, right?

Well, yeah…. there are all of two verses:

Well today is your birthday, we traveled so far we two
So let’s blow out the candles on your cake and we’ll raise a glass or two
And when the sun comes out tomorrow, it’ll be the start of a brand new day
And all that you have wished for I know will come your way

In the hollow of the evening, as you lay your head to rest
May the evening stars scatter a shining crown upon your breast
In the darkness of the morning, as the sky struggles to light
May the rising sun caress and bless your soul for all your life

So Bruce dreamt he re-wrote “Happy Birthday to You” and now it’s on an album.

“Happy Birthday” actually has more lyrics than most people realize. No one ever sings its second verse:

From good friends and true,
From old friends and new,
May good luck go with you,
And happiness too.

…but if you compare the full lyrics to “Happy Birthday to You” with “Surprise, Surprise,” they are basically the same song. Bruce just uses more florid language.

It’s very beautiful language, mind you: I mean, who wouldn’t want a shining crown of stardust upon their breast? But still: Happy Birthday to You.

Which isn’t to say that “Surprise, Surprise” can’t be very touching in the right context. For instance, on Little Steven’s birthday in 2009, when Bruce serenaded him with the song after presenting him with a birthday cake.

It also translates surprisingly well acoustically, primarily because Bruce is able to provide a more tender vocal when he doesn’t have to worry about being overpowered by the band.

Like I said, “Surprise, Surprise” is not without its redeeming values. But still: Happy Birthday to You.

So let’s hope Bruce can turn his brain off at night and sleep peacefully. He does much better work when he’s awake.

Surprise, Surprise
Recorded: 2007-2008
Released: Working on a Dream (2009)
First performed: March 23, 2009 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: May 14, 2014 (Hershey, PA)

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