'Surrender,' by Cheap Trick

If NBC's prayers are answered, Conan O'Brien's move to 'The Tonight Show' and its 11:35 ET/PT time slot will bring more of the younger, hipper audience the lanky funnyman was known for on 'Late Night.' It's only fitting, then, that last night's long-awaited premiere episode kicked off with a Cheap Trick song about the similarities between the old and young, however vague they are.

The talk show's opening featured O'Brien in New York realizing that he forgot to move to Los Angeles for his new job. After failing to hail a taxi, he gives up on finding a ride and opts to run across the country. He sprints his way through Pennsylvania Amish country, Chicago, the Rocky Mountains, Las Vegas and finally gets to Universal Studios in Hollywood, backed all the way by the anthemic rock of 'Surrender' and its famous "Mommy's all right, daddy's all right/They just seem a little weird" chorus.

Written by Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and released on 1978's 'Heaven Tonight,' the song is about a young man realizing that his World War II generation parents can be just as cool as anyone. The realization comes when the narrator sees his mom and dad "rolling on the couch/Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out." If that gives you an unfortunate mental image, we apologize, but the concept is certainly fitting, as Conan takes the late-night TV torch from Jay Leno. Yes, he's younger, cooler and arguably funnier, but that doesn't mean the traditionally older 'Tonight Show' audience won't get the jokes. Whether or not the writers specifically chose the song for the message and its appeal to most crowds -- plenty of current artists have covered it, including Green Day -- it shows that things will be the same, if only slightly different.



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