B-52s singer Fred Schneider urges fans to rock, not eat lobster

PORTLAND, Maine — One of the founders of the quirky rock band The B-52s is using the 35th anniversary of its hit “Rock Lobster” to reiterate his opposition to eating them.

Fred Schneider says he stopped eating crustaceans at age 4 after going crabbing with family in New Jersey and watching them boiled alive. The lifelong vegetarian said in a video narrated for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that he views crabs and lobsters not as seafood but as “sea life.”

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Schneider got the idea for “Rock Lobster” when a projector displayed images including lobsters on a grill at an Atlanta disco. He said he thought, “Rock this, rock that… rock lobster!”

The band jammed on the title and the song was born. The band’s other hits include “Love Shack” and “Roam.”

BELOW: Watch the original video for “Rock Lobster”