Wake Up Little Susie

The song is written from the point of view of a high school boy to his girlfriend, Susie. In the song, the two go out on a date to a cinema (perhaps a drive-in), only to fall asleep during the movie. They do not wake up until 4 o'clock in the morning, well after her 10 o'clock curfew. They then contemplate the reactions of her parents and their friends. The boy fears that having stayed out so late, their friends and families will assume that they slept together and that in spite of the two of them being perfectly innocent, they've both now lost their good reputations.

• Don Everly – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Phil Everly – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Floyd “Lightnin’ Chance – double bass[5]

All versions

The Everly Brothers version

Simon & Garfunkel version

"Wake Up Little Susie"
Single by Simon and Garfunkel
from the album The Concert in Central Park
B-side	"Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard"
Released	1982
Recorded	September, 1981
Genre	Rock and roll, country, rockabilly
Length	2:20
Songwriter(s)	Felice Bryant Boudleaux Bryant
Simon and Garfunkel singles chronology
"My Little Town" (1975) "Wake Up Little Susie" (1982)

Simon and Garfunkel have cited the Everly Brothers as strong influences on their own music. Their live version of "Wake Up Little Susie", recorded in the duo's concert in New York's Central Park on September 19, 1981, reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, and is the duo's last Top 40 hit.[13]

During Simon & Garfunkel's "Old Friends" tour in 2003–2004, they performed this song and others in a segment with the Everly Brothers, who toured in support.

• British skiffle/rock and roll group The Rattlesnakes performed this song according to Barry Gibb. The group evolved into the Bee Gees in 1958.
• Joe Melson on the album Wake Up Little Susie
• In 2008, a part of the song was sung in the bluegrass version of The Raconteurs' "Old Enough", featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe.
• The musical duo Evan and Jaron recorded a version of the song on their album 52 Sundays.
• Grateful Dead played "Wake Up Little Susie" 13 times in their acoustic sets between February and November 1970.[14]
• Donny Osmond on the album The Donny Osmond Album
• David Bowie's "Time" repeats lyrics from "Wake Up Little Susie," contrasting the decadence of the 1970s with the supposed innocence of the 1950s.
• Barry Frank
• Frankie Lymon
• Alvin and the Chipmunks in the 1989 Alvin and the Chipmunks episode "The Legend of Sleeping Brittany".
• Loggins and Messina
• Suzi Quatro
• The Flying Burrito Brothers
• The King Brothers
• Outlaws
• The Rattles
• ApologetiX parodied this song in their 2004 album, Adam Up. The song was called "Wake Up Talitha Cumi".
• Rockapella parodied this song in an episode of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? as "Look Out, Double Trouble".

In the original Trivial Pursuit game this song is the answer to the question, "What Everly Brothers song was banned in Boston?" Don Everly has also reported it was banned in Boston.[2]

In an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show during the 2000 U.S. presidential election, then-Governor George W. Bush named "Wake Up Little Susie" as his favorite song.[15]

"Wake Up Little Susie" was the first single filmmaker David Lynch bought.[16]

• Banned in Boston
• List of Billboard number-one rhythm and blues hits
• List of Billboard number-one singles of 1957
• Billboard year-end top 50 singles of 1957
• List of Cash Box Best Sellers number-one singles of 1957
• List of CHUM number-one singles of 1957
• List of number-one country singles of 1957 (U.S.)

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics