Godzilla by Blue Öyster Cult

Album: Spectres (1977)

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Godzilla's original Japanese name is "Gojira," which means half gorilla, and half whale (kujira), a nickname Ishiro Honda (the director) and colleagues used to described a press agent who was "oversized and tough-looking." The producer originally wanted Godzilla to be a giant fire-breathing ape.

Godzilla was released by Toho Co. Ltd. in Japan in 1954, under the name "Gojira." Two years later, Gojira reached America as "Godzilla King of the Monster." Toho would continue to produce Godzilla films into the '90s, although Toho is known for other monsters than Godzilla.

Godzilla is one of the first Japanese characters that made his way through western culture and widely considered to be the second greatest film ever to be produced in Japan, next to Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai. Not only a modern monster, Godzilla has broken the 20 film mark, among the top monstrous creatures in movies along with Dracula and the Wolfman.

The story of Godzilla was inspired but a real life nuclear accident in which a Japanese fishing boat ventures too close to an American nuclear test and was contaminated.

Godzilla's roars were created by rubbing a coarse, resin-coated leather glove up and down the strings of a contrabass (double bass), and reverberated the recorded sound.

Comments: 38

Tom Mix from AmericaGodzilla is a female
Paul from Hamilton OnBob from Iowa: You may in fact be hearing 2 versions...they released a "greatest hits" album in the mid-90s that was actually re-recorded versions of the original songs, and Godzilla was among them.
Barry from Gagetown Nb CanadaI am happy to see the Japanese lyrics translated ! I always loved that part but never knew what Eric was announcing!
Claude Jones from Reno , NevadaI saw BOC preform Godzilla at Old Tucson Studios back in 2002 or 2003. They started the song and when they reached the first chorus, go go Godzilla, a lightning bolt hit Tucson Mountain behind the stage. The audience erupted, the band did not skip a beat, you could not have asked for or planed a better light show. The timing was perfect, it was as though Mother Nature herself was there and decided to help out. Best show ever.
Nancy Carmel from California I absolutely love BOC and this song especially because it reminds of my son, Tyler, who passed away at age 14. He collected Godzilla DVDs and at one point we traded them in at our local music store, for what, I don't recall, but I do wish I had them. I am going to watch Son of Godzilla again because someone commented here how cute it was when the baby tried to blow fire, but only created smoke rings. I remember seeing that!!
George from Vancouver, CanadaAt first the lyrics seem to be suggetingt hat when thesinger gets drunk he becomes a monster. . . (more of that 'camp', I guess)
Anonymousdang! best comment section. ever.
Bob from Iowa It may be my imagination but it sounds like 2 different studio versions of the song are played on radio stations, any help from the experts here would be appreciated. I love the song and the lead riffs especially, this song always leaves me in a good mood.
Bob from Columbus GaI was there when the live version was recorded. Awesome show despite the equipment truck crashing into the Chattahoochie River killing the driver on the way to town
Joe V from Atlanta, GaIt's always sounded like, "Helpless people on a subway train scream 'My God!' as he looks in on them" to me.
Kathy L from Phoenix, AzI saw them in Atlanta, GA in the summer of 1978 when the album came out! What a concert that was!
Takerswoman69 from Downey, CaliforniaI LOVE this song "GODZILLA" and my favorite Godzilla movie is without a doubt: SON OF GODZILLA. So cute when baby Godzilla tries to blow fire like his dad but all he can do is make smoke rings.
Karlthegreat from UsaAfter the Asian speech in background, I’m hearing German too. Thoughts?
Godzilla from JapanThere are two errors in the translation of the Japanese line "Daishikyu hinan shite kudasai" up above. One, there's no "catch up" in this line. Two, Hinan shite is better translated as "Take shelter" rather than "escape". Daishikyu = Immediately. Hinan shite = "take shelter". Kudasai = please.
Bo.omer from Florida.georgia Line Wondermous!
Doug from KansasJustin - the last line of the song actually says,"history shows again and again how nature points up the folly of men . . .GODZILLA!" Which is to say, from time to time, nature puts man in his place (in this case, under Godzilla's huge feet).
Esskayess from Dallas, TxOh well; at least no monsters have popped out of the Pacific after Japan's earthquake-induced reactor meltdown...yet.
B.l. from Barry, TxThis was the late Jet Jaguar's favorite song...Angilas' too. :P
Rock from Who Cares?, MnSong: Godzilla, Album: Spectres (1977), Group: Blue Oyster Cult (BOC)
IMHO the best novelty song ever created. Kick-a** guitar licks make the song. Saw BOC live back in 1978 when I was 12 years old. Never told my parents I was going to a rock concert - made up some BS lie they probably never believed but were never brave enough to challenge.
O.K. children - Lesson Time: Rock groups like this from the 1970's are where hard rock came from. Groups in the 1970's like BOC either invented or established the legitimacy of the hard rock genre. Your music favorites of today exist because of the influence of these previous rock groups. Don't ever blow them off as outdated, obsolete, uncool, whatever. Seek out all the great hard rock tunes from that era and LISTEN to them. I promise you will not be disappointed.
To Dan, North Bellmore, NY. Peace to your brother. Hold fast to the memories - they are ultimately all we have of any value anyway. They were better times back then, weren't they...
I've said my peace, thanks all for your time and take care.
Charlie from Nyc, NyHideki Matsui was in a Godzilla movie called Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla. It came out in the early 2000's.
Charlie from Nyc, NyAll Hail Gojira, King Of The Monsters. This is a great song since i am a big fan of the King of The Monsters and the song from Blue Oyster has made my day.
Charlie Muller Jr.
Bronx NY.
Tim from Clarkdale, AzRight. Godzilla is the backlash to man's assault on nature. I think the early movies specifically point to atomic weapons and testing as the cause for the emergence of these monsters. Godzilla himself though, I think takes on additional meaning- perhaps a symbol of a Japanese pride so strong and powerful that it became something to fear.
Justin from Auburn, Wathis song is really good but whats the last part mean? mean History shows again and again
How nature wipes up the folly of men
does it mean if man fols with nature it could destroy man?
Lester from New York City, NySaw BOC (billed as Soft White Underbelly) do this song at The Bottom Line (a small club) in NYC. No drum solo, but with a vicious and long battle of the guitarists. Sorry I didn't have my tape recorder with me that evening.
Mooseboy from Lincoln, NeOne of my best friends wrote an article for Modern Recording Magazine describing a "Godzilla Overdub Session" where he and I worked with Godzilla for one of his movies. It was a hilarious (fictitious) article, Modern Recording loved it, and printed it.

I've heard a story that BOC were in a recording studio and picked up a magazine while waiting for an engineer. They came across an article about Godzilla and laughed so hard that they wrote this song. Whether that story's true or not, I can't tell you for sure.

But I'd like to think that it is!
Jack from Framingham, MaGodzilla seems harder to spell than Rodan, I think you have incorrect information.
Jake from Talahassee, MtIt's been confirmed that the song Godzilla was inspired by a passion for King Kong. The writer wanted to think of a viable opponent for King Kong and it was too difficult to spell Rodan at the time.
Avery from Bucksport, MeI love Godzilla its an awesome song!!
Chris from Manchester, United KingdomManaged to catch them live in Manchester. The chorus was okay, but the drum solo was awesome.
The effect of the strobe light behind the drummer (who was wearing a Godzilla mask) really worked. One of my all-time favourite concerts. Another highlight I remember was all the band playing guitar in a line (including the drummer!). The icing on the cake was (Don't fear) the Reaper, of course.
Emilio from Valencia, SpainFu Manchu do an "extravaganza" cover that catchs up the song with nowadays. It´s become one of their household encores and worth your money to hear.
The best cover is on the live album "Go for it live".
On studio on the Eatin´dust CD/Lp, hard to find though.
Also there´s other version on the MaxiVinyl by Man´s Ruin´ Records that is killer,harder to find!!!
Alex from Houston, TxI performed this at my school's Lip Sync show with some of my friends from Theater Arts Class. Fun song that everyone in the audience seemed to love. Awesome song.
Dylan from Branson, MoIts on the first Guitar Hero
Joe from Chicago, Ari love this song.......blue oyster cult's best in my opinion......but they have some really good other songs as well
Josh from Manalapan, NjRacer X did a cover off it on the album "Superheroes"
Dan from North Bellmore, NyMe and my brother stole that record from a record shop. Don't ask me why but he took the cover and I took the actual record. We got home and I told him to have fun playing his album cover while I go play my new record. HE punched me in the stomach knocking the wind out of me, took the record and went to his room and played it while using headphones.
P.S,
My brother died in 1991 and Dec. 21 would have been his 40th B-day and I have been thinking aboot him alot. The song GODZILLA means alot to me b/c he thought the song was so awesome and he wanted to share it with me that he put the record on our mom's stereo and we cranked it up and yelled:
GO GO THEY SAY HE'S GOT TO GO!!!!!
ahhhhhhhhhhh good times, good times....
Steve Gottschald from Aurora, Ontario, Canadalmao me too. I was actually humming that part to myself when I read it and now it's stuck in my head too.

Anyways, it's a pretty good song. I'm not a /huge/ fan of Blue Oyster Cult but it's deffinately not a bad song.
Rob from Vancouver, Canadathats funny wes.....now i can't get it out of my head either.
Wes from Springfield, VaMy friend Mike came up with better lyrics that I have never been able to erase from my head: Helpless people on subway trains/Scream "Oh, s--t!" when he looks in on them...

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