Surf Rider

The Lively Ones, 1963. Solo by The Lively Ones.

A minor-key reverb melody that later reached a wide audience in the closing credits of Pulp Fiction.

Surf Rider is all mood, a minor-key melody that sounds both sunny and faintly sinister. The lead guitar states the tune in clean, reverb-soaked single notes, letting each phrase ring and trail off like spray behind a board, while the rhythm section keeps a brisk, even pulse. There is little ornament; the drama comes from the melody's shape and the way the reverb stretches every note into something ghostly. Decades later, its placement over the closing credits of Pulp Fiction gave it a second life and introduced surf guitar to a new audience. Listen for how the melody climbs and then falls back in each phrase, and notice the tail of reverb that fills every gap in the arrangement.

Surf Rider by The Lively Ones is featured in our Surf (#7) list. The solo is played by The Lively Ones and the song was released in 1963.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Surf Guitar Songs — #7

Sources