Searchin'

Song facts

From Wikipedia:

“Searchin’” is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller specifically for The Coasters. It was released as a single on Atco Records in March 1957, and topped the Rhythm and Blues Chart for twelve weeks. It reached #3 on the national pop singles chart.

Although the Coasters had previously done well on the R&B charts, it was “Searchin’” (along with “Young Blood” on the flip side) that sparked the group’s rock and roll fame.

Singer/songwriter Paul McCartney chose “Searchin’” as one of his Desert Island Discs in 1982. McCartney performed the song with The Beatles during their audition for Decca Records on 1 January 1962 (with somewhat mangled lyrics that included a mention of Peter Gunn). […]

The song

The lyrics, written by Leiber, use vernacular phrasing. The plot revolves around the singer’s determination to find his love wherever she may be, even if he must resort to detective work. The song’s notable gimmick was in citing specific law-enforcement figures from popular culture, such as Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Joe Friday, Sam Spade, Boston Blackie, Bulldog Drummond, and the Northwest Mounted Police (The Mounties). The vocals of the Coasters’ lead singer Billy Guy are raw and insistent. Driving the song is a pounding piano rhythm of two bass notes alternating on every second beat. […]

Now this is one we used to do at the Cavern.There were two girls called Cris and Val and they used to say, ‘Sing Searchin’ Paul’. That used to be the big request from Cris and Val so we always used to do this one. It was a big favourite with the group.

Paul McCartney, in Desert Island Discs, 1982

Last updated on April 26, 2020

Lyrics