Throwing back to the week of January 25, 1966, we find The Beatles hanging on to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘We Can Work It Out,’ in its third week at #1. Nipping at their heels were The Beach Boys, whose ‘Barbara Ann’ jumped from #15 to #2 that week.
The Beatles fell from #1 the following week, but The Beach Boys weren’t able to capitalize and score their third #1 hit (that would happen later in the year). Instead, Petula Clark leapfrogged them with a song that will likely show up on a future Throwback Weekend.
Unlike The Beach Boys’ other charting hits to this point, ‘Barbara Ann’ was not written by Brian Wilson or Mike Love. It was a cover of a 1961 song written by Fred Fassert and recorded by The Regents. The Beach Boys version is very faithful to that one.
Through the years, during tensions with Iran, this song has been sung as “Bomb Iran.” Presidential candidate John McCain even brought it up on the campaign trail in 2007. Imagine when that qualified as a political scandal.
A bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
Take my hand, Barbara Ann (Ah, bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
You got me rockin’ and a rollin’, rockin’ and a reelin’
Barbara Ann, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
[Verse 1]
Went to a dance, looking for romance
Saw Barbara Ann, so I thought I’d take a chance
On Barbara Ann, Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
You take my hand (Bar, bar, bar, bar, take my hand)
You got me rockin’ and a rollin’ (Ho-oh), rockin’ and a reelin’
Barbara Ann, bar, bar, bar, bar, (C’mon, black sheep)
Barbara Ann, bar, bar, bar, bar
[Chorus]
A bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
Take my hand (Ah, bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
You got me rockin’ and a rollin’, rockin’ and a reelin’
Barbara Ann, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
[Bridge]
Let’s go now, ow! Baby, take it out, let’s see
Take it in, Carl
Hal, and his famous ashtray!
Get out of her, man (You’re a big dude)
You smell like Rocky, you’re always scratchin’ it
Hey, come on!
Scratch it, Carl, scratch it, baby, right over there
Ah, down a little lower, down a little lower!
Saw—, tried—
[Verse 2]
Tried Peggy Sue, tried Peggy Lou
Tried Mary Lou, but I knew she wouldn’t do
Barbara Ann, Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
Take-, Barbara Ann (Bar, bar), woo (Take my hand)
You got me rockin’ and a rollin’, rockin’ and a reelin’
Barbara Ann, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
[Chorus]
Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
Take my hand (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
Well, Barbara Ann (Bar, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann)
You got me rockin’ and a rollin’, rockin’ and a reelin’
Barbara Ann, bar, bar, bar, Barbara Ann
[Outro]
Barbara Ann, Barbara Ann (Oh)
Barbara Ann, Barbara Ann (Oh, yeah)
Barbara Ann, Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann, Barbara Ann
Meet Me In Montauk 