The Restless Surfer/Other Towns, Other Girls

This article was first published in California Music, CM 30 July 1979

Transcribed from Issue 4 of Gonna Hustle You Copbyright C. 1981 with no author credit given.

Jan & Dean

Reviewed & Relived

“Ride the Wild Surf”

A Question and Answer

(continued)

 

 

Another interesting track included on the album is the Gary Zekley composition, The Restless Surfer.  Although the storyline of the song fits the context of the movie, the track is not a new one. Gary originally wrote it under the title Vagabond and in fact recorded it with Dean Torrence as Other Towns, Other Girls (b/w When I Go To Sleep AVA C-151) back in 1964. The Jan & Dean version as The Restless Surfer is much more highly orchestrated than the Zekley-Torrence version, but both possess their own charm. Lyrical change in either song was not great:

Other Towns, Other Girls

 

I can’t settle down with one girl,

  In just one town,

In this whole world

  ‘casue I hear a voice whispering to me

“There are other towns,

  Other girls to see,

Other towns, other girls to see”

   I’m just a guy with time on my hands

Travelin’ ‘round this world,

   Seein’ other lands

‘cause I hear a voice whispering to me

   “There are other towns,

Other girls to see”

   So just like a vagabond

I pack my bags and travel on

   I’ve got to see all there is to see

This wandering in my soul,

   Will carry me to my goal

Then I’ll find my destiny

   Someday I’ll find a girl

Who will be mine

   Then I’ll settle down

In just one town

   ‘Cause I’ll hear a voice

Whispering to me,

   “There are no more towns,

No more girls to see,

   No more towns, no more girls

No more towns, no more girls

   To see, no more towns, no more

Girls to see

The Restless Surfer

 

I can’t settle down on just one shore

   To ride the wild surf

Is what I’m living for

   ‘cause I hear a voice deep down inside

“There are other girls,

   Other waves to ride

Other girls, other waves to ride”

   I”m just a guy with time on my hands

Surfin’ ‘round the world,

   Seein’ other lands

But I hear a voice deep down inside

   “There are other girls,

Other waves to ride”

   So just like a vagabond

I’ll rack my board and travel on

   I’ve got to see all there is to see

There’s wandering in my soul

   That’ll carry me to my goal

Then I’ll find my destiny

   Someday I’ll find a girl

Who will be mine

   Then I’ll settle down

In just one town

   ‘cause I’ll hear a voice

whispering to me

   “There are no more waves,

No more girls to see,

   No more waves, no more girls

To see, no more waves for me

   No more girls to see

No more waves for

(Copyrighted 1963 Gary Zekley)

 

After having seen the movie and heard the album, one can only merely imagine what could have been had both been combined (if that had in fact been proposed) together with Jan & Dean’s appearance. But that dear reader is just another sad story in the Jan & Dean saga.

Gary Zekley

    1943-1996