"...and then I kissed her."

Right now I’m listening to some of my parent’s old Beach Boy records. The album that is playing right now is called All Summer Long. It’s a Capitol Re-issue. I know this because it says that on the album cover (!!!). I really enjoy listening to the Beach Boys. The numerous layers of vocals are simply amazing. But what really does it for me is the language, the lyrical content. Some of the language that the band uses is fairly out of date, what with words like “rad” and “groovy.”

The lyrics to Beach Boys songs are unquestionably rooted in idealistic Californian teenage innocence. Their songs were about fast rides, surfing under the bright sun, and beautiful golden girls (and the pursuit thereof). My appreciation for these lyrics is two-fold. First of all, I enjoy the lyrics because they sing of a better and more innocent time, which is appealing to someone such as myself, who has an affinity for sarcasm, moroseness, and pessimism. As apt as I am at putting a negative spin on things, I am also not without proneness towards a desire for happiness. The Beach Boys present such a joy to me, and they do so without the excessive sugary pop which has come to dominate radio and television in my lifetime. But this is just one half of my appreciation for the band.

When one thinks of the Beach Boys, they should most likely also think of the head of the group, Brian Wilson. Brian is/was at the heart of the group, and it was his imagination that created such gems as Pet Sounds and, more recently Smile. Brian represents that beautiful teenage ideal which I mentioned earlier, which is intriguing to me. I say this because Brian couldn’t surf, didn’t meet many girls, was actually a horribly insecure person, and dropped a ridiculous amount of acid in order to conceive of an unrealistic idea of summer: one in which everyone and everything is more beautiful than anything experienced before and, most likely, after this one specific moment in time, this one wild American summer. Brian Wilson is essentially an imposter, he doesn’t belong. Musicians are well known for creating personas for their audience, but it’s just so they can seem more interesting. Brian is covering himself up. He is protecting his weaknesses here. I find that sad, and sadness is always intriguing to other people.

Oh, and the Beach Boys have this song about how hot the girls in Utah are. It’s called “Salt Lake City.” I have no idea why they wrote it, but that’s ok by me.

Beach Boys - "Then I Kissed Her"