I noticed a couple significant melismas in "The Surfer Moon." In the line "Brings the tide in, takes it all away," "away" is sung with a melisma (I think it's Eb Eb D Eb F G A F, but since there's a harmony part there, it's a bit difficult to tell) for a sense of movement or distance, and in the line "Promising to remain forevermore," "forevermore" is sung with a melisma (A# G# F# F# E#, I think) for a sense of duration. (I'm pretty sure there's a key change for the bridge, which is why one of those sets of notes is in a flat key and the other is in a sharp key.)
While referencing the song again to find those specific pitches, I also noticed that the melody mirrors the directions in the line "Rising up, throwing down its golden light." "Rising up" is sung to an ascending phrase (F# G# A#), and "throwing down" is sung to a descending phrase (C# B G#).
