Dead Satanic Butter

I have been a big fan of the B-52's for ages. I just love their quirky song topics, boppy music and amusing song lyrics. One of my favorite songs of theirs is Rock Lobster. I love this song. When I was in high school it was a really big song to play at a dance. It's just this fun song about people at a beach party. My favorite part has always been these lines:

Put on your noseguard
Put on the lifeguard
Dead Satanic Butter!

I never could figure out what exactly "Dead Satanic Butter" was, but hey, that's just the B-52's. They throw all kinds of weird things in to their songs. For some reason it really struck me as amusing. I don't even know if butter can be satanic, let alone dead, but I was willing to believe it could be.

When we were 13 or so, my friend Stacy and I just loved this song and would yell "DEAD SATANIC BUTTER" at the top of our lungs when this line would come along. And we'd giggle line lunatics. I guess it's just one of those teenage girl things.

Then the other day I was listening to my B-52's anthology at work and picked up the cnclosed booklet to look at it. Lo and behold, there were lyrics printed in it! Since Rock Lobster was playing and my favorite butter line was coming up, I looked ahead to see if there was some explanation of the words. You have to admit "Dead Satanic Butter" sounds more like a Mad Lib than a lyric. There just had to be some really great story behind it.

Imagine my shock and dispair when I beheld the ACTUAL lyrics:

Put on your noseguard
Put on the lifeguard
Pass the tanning butter

"Pass the tanning butter?" What the hell? "Pass the TANNING BUTTER?????" Where's the good butter, the Dead Satanic Butter? Oh. My. God. I have been yelling "Dead Satanic Butter" at the top of my lungs for the past 25 years when this song comes on. No wonder people looked at me weird.

"Pass the tanning butter" is just not the same. I think I must have lost the last shred of my childhood last week with the knowledge that there is no Dead Satanic Butter.

Next thing you know someone will be telling me there is no Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, or Tooth Fairy.