'He Gives Speeches' - about Murry Wilson?

[originals]

"He gives speeches but they put him back in bed"

Didn't Murry retreat to his bed in a depression after the Beach Boys fired him? I always imagine these opening lines being about Murry Wilson........with 'he gives speeches' meaning more like 'he gives torturous, abusive lectures'

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Silken hair, lmore silken hair/fell on his face" ?

Nah.

[originals]

"Silken hair, lmore silken hair/fell on his face" ?

Nah.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Hmmmmmmmmm...

Oddly alluring...

[originals]

Hmmmmmmmmm...

Oddly alluring...

 

[ghost]

He Gives Beatings. The handclaps are really butt spanks.

[originals]

He Gives Beatings. The handclaps are really butt spanks.

Yikes.

[donald]

"Silken hair, lmore silken hair/fell on his face" ?

Nah.

looks a bit like Catherine Ohara or long lost Wilson sister Carla Denise.

[originals]

"Silken hair, lmore silken hair/fell on his face" ?

Nah.

looks a bit like Catherine Ohara or long lost Wilson sister Carla Denise.

 

[Jeff]

It's about Mark Twain, who did have silken hair, gave speeches and liked to write in bed.  Was a favorite of Van Dyke's.

[originals]

It's about Mark Twain, who did have silken hair, gave speeches and liked to write in bed.  Was a favorite of Van Dyke's.

Is that right? I have always wondered. Thanks.

[37!ws]

Hmmmmmmmmm...

Oddly alluring...

Looks kinda like Tiny Tim....

[originals]

Hmmmmmmmmm...

Oddly alluring...

Looks kinda like Tiny Tim....

 

[onkster]

It's about Mark Twain, who did have silken hair, gave speeches and liked to write in bed.  Was a favorite of Van Dyke's.

Except Van Dyke didn't write those lyrics. No credit has definitively been established as yet. (As far as I've ever heard.)

[37!ws]

"She's Goin' Bald" is credited to Brian, Mike, and VDP.

[puni puni]

He Gives Beatings. The handclaps are really butt spanks.

You're a genius!

[Jeff]

It's about Mark Twain, who did have silken hair, gave speeches and liked to write in bed.  Was a favorite of Van Dyke's.

Except Van Dyke didn't write those lyrics. No credit has definitively been established as yet. (As far as I've ever heard.)

Of course Van Dyke wrote the lyrics.  They don't remotely resemble Beach Boys lyrics written by anyone other than Van Dyke.  And as another poster says, Van Dyke was given a credit for She's Going Bald.  Given that he didn't work on Smiley Smile, the credit could only have been for He Gives Speeches.

[Ron]

He Gives Speeches is about a baby. 

"He gives speeches, but they put him back in bed where he wrote his satire"

The speeches are the baby crying.  You can even hear Brian doing it in the background.  "Wahhhhh, hahhhhhh, hahhhh dumbeee doobiiee dooo"

Even when he protests, eventually they put him back in his crib.

"He gives speeches, always reaches out a lot led him to discover" that's the baby reaching out from the crib, as babies do.

"Silken hair more silken hair fell on his face, but no wind was blowing" that's because the wind's not blowing his own hair, the babie's head is resting on his mother's breast, on her hair.

"Stepped across the golden fields and saw that she was soon trailing after" who knows what the golden fields are, but as the baby wanders off his mother comes running to make sure he doesn't step in front of a car.

"She was nice and didn't fight he fell into her friendly persuasion" the baby likes his mother, lol

"Late that night while by a street light little hands shadowed across the ceeiling" that's the baby lying in his crib, making shadows on the ceiling by the light shining through the window. 

I read that interpretation somewhere years ago.  Seems right to me.

[The Shift]

The speeches are the baby crying.  You can even hear Brian doing it in the background.  "Wahhhhh, hahhhhhh, hahhhh dumbeee doobiiee dooo"

I'd forgotten that direct link with the False Barnyard ending…

[Micha]

He Gives Speeches is about a baby. 

Hadn't read that interpretation before, but because of the "little hands" that "shadowed on the ceiling" I put that section into CIFOTM in my own SMiLE mixes. Makes even more sense now!

Running order: chorus - verse - chorus - verse - speeches - lonely piano bit - chorus - instrumental fade (a version of the chorus that goes on and on).

Works keywise too, and I was a little bit disappointed it wasn't included in BWPS. 

[Jeff]

He Gives Speeches is about a baby.  

"He gives speeches, but they put him back in bed where he wrote his satire"

The speeches are the baby crying.  You can even hear Brian doing it in the background.  "Wahhhhh, hahhhhhh, hahhhh dumbeee doobiiee dooo"

Even when he protests, eventually they put him back in his crib.

"He gives speeches, always reaches out a lot led him to discover" that's the baby reaching out from the crib, as babies do.

"Silken hair more silken hair fell on his face, but no wind was blowing" that's because the wind's not blowing his own hair, the babie's head is resting on his mother's breast, on her hair.

"Stepped across the golden fields and saw that she was soon trailing after" who knows what the golden fields are, but as the baby wanders off his mother comes running to make sure he doesn't step in front of a car.

"She was nice and didn't fight he fell into her friendly persuasion" the baby likes his mother, lol

"Late that night while by a street light little hands shadowed across the ceeiling" that's the baby lying in his crib, making shadows on the ceiling by the light shining through the window.  

I read that interpretation somewhere years ago.  Seems right to me.

No baby I've ever heard of writes satire--in or out of bed.  But who does (or did)?  Mark Twain.  He was famous for it.  Here's a blog entry that's actually titled "Mark Twain in Bed."  Has several pictures of him writing in bed.  And he was a satirist.  http://billmadison.blogspot.com/2010/05/mark-twain-in-bed.html  And he happened to give speeches about the evils of the white man's expansion in Hawaii and elsewhere (sound familiar)?  And he was probably Van Dyke Parks' biggest non-musical influence.



As for Brian's supposed "cries" in the background - c'mon.  That would mean he's also crying on the Vegetables fade.  And the Cantina fade.  And the lyrics of DaDa and Worms also suggest crying.  Hell, the whole Smile album theme could be deemed to be one of crying.

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[ghost]

What about Mark Twain's satire on the 'Noble Red Man'? I wonder if Brian or VDP read that before featuring Injuns in Smile.

[Ron]

He Gives Speeches is about a baby.  

"He gives speeches, but they put him back in bed where he wrote his satire"

The speeches are the baby crying.  You can even hear Brian doing it in the background.  "Wahhhhh, hahhhhhh, hahhhh dumbeee doobiiee dooo"

Even when he protests, eventually they put him back in his crib.

"He gives speeches, always reaches out a lot led him to discover" that's the baby reaching out from the crib, as babies do.

"Silken hair more silken hair fell on his face, but no wind was blowing" that's because the wind's not blowing his own hair, the babie's head is resting on his mother's breast, on her hair.

"Stepped across the golden fields and saw that she was soon trailing after" who knows what the golden fields are, but as the baby wanders off his mother comes running to make sure he doesn't step in front of a car.

"She was nice and didn't fight he fell into her friendly persuasion" the baby likes his mother, lol

"Late that night while by a street light little hands shadowed across the ceeiling" that's the baby lying in his crib, making shadows on the ceiling by the light shining through the window.  

I read that interpretation somewhere years ago.  Seems right to me.

No baby I've ever heard of writes satire--in or out of bed.  But who does (or did)?  Mark Twain.  He was famous for it.  Here's a blog entry that's actually titled "Mark Twain in Bed."  Has several pictures of him writing in bed.  And he was a satirist.  http://billmadison.blogspot.com/2010/05/mark-twain-in-bed.html  And he happened to give speeches about the evils of the white man's expansion in Hawaii and elsewhere (sound familiar)?  And he was probably Van Dyke Parks' biggest non-musical influence.



As for Brian's supposed "cries" in the background - c'mon.  That would mean he's also crying on the Vegetables fade.  And the Cantina fade.  And the lyrics of DaDa and Worms also suggest crying.  Hell, the whole Smile album theme could be deemed to be one of crying.

Awww, did I suggest something that doesn't jibe with your mix tape?  Awwww. 

You interpret it the way you want, and I'll interpret it the way I want, umk?  One line lightly suggests Mark Twain, ALL the others suggest a baby.  Lets not let that get in the way of your pet interpretation, though.  Brian's crying in the background, but hell lets ignore that and still swear up and down it's about Mark Twain. 

"AAAAHHHh, HAHAAAA wwwwaaahhh, dumbbbeee doobie doo"

Does that sound like Mark Twain?  Sounds like a baby crying to me.  Just sayin'. 

[Jeff]

He Gives Speeches is about a baby.  

"He gives speeches, but they put him back in bed where he wrote his satire"

The speeches are the baby crying.  You can even hear Brian doing it in the background.  "Wahhhhh, hahhhhhh, hahhhh dumbeee doobiiee dooo"

Even when he protests, eventually they put him back in his crib.

"He gives speeches, always reaches out a lot led him to discover" that's the baby reaching out from the crib, as babies do.

"Silken hair more silken hair fell on his face, but no wind was blowing" that's because the wind's not blowing his own hair, the babie's head is resting on his mother's breast, on her hair.

"Stepped across the golden fields and saw that she was soon trailing after" who knows what the golden fields are, but as the baby wanders off his mother comes running to make sure he doesn't step in front of a car.

"She was nice and didn't fight he fell into her friendly persuasion" the baby likes his mother, lol

"Late that night while by a street light little hands shadowed across the ceeiling" that's the baby lying in his crib, making shadows on the ceiling by the light shining through the window.  

I read that interpretation somewhere years ago.  Seems right to me.

No baby I've ever heard of writes satire--in or out of bed.  But who does (or did)?  Mark Twain.  He was famous for it.  Here's a blog entry that's actually titled "Mark Twain in Bed."  Has several pictures of him writing in bed.  And he was a satirist.  http://billmadison.blogspot.com/2010/05/mark-twain-in-bed.html  And he happened to give speeches about the evils of the white man's expansion in Hawaii and elsewhere (sound familiar)?  And he was probably Van Dyke Parks' biggest non-musical influence.



As for Brian's supposed "cries" in the background - c'mon.  That would mean he's also crying on the Vegetables fade.  And the Cantina fade.  And the lyrics of DaDa and Worms also suggest crying.  Hell, the whole Smile album theme could be deemed to be one of crying.

Awww, did I suggest something that doesn't jibe with your mix tape?  Awwww. 

You interpret it the way you want, and I'll interpret it the way I want, umk?  One line lightly suggests Mark Twain, ALL the others suggest a baby.  Lets not let that get in the way of your pet interpretation, though.  Brian's crying in the background, but hell lets ignore that and still swear up and down it's about Mark Twain. 

"AAAAHHHh, HAHAAAA wwwwaaahhh, dumbbbeee doobie doo"

Does that sound like Mark Twain?  Sounds like a baby crying to me.  Just sayin'. 

Not sure why you feel the need to be sarcastic.  I've got no stake in this one way or the other.  I wasn't even the one who figured this out.

But seems to me there's exactly one well-known person who had silken hair, gave speeches and wrote satire in bed.  Only one--and he happens to be probably the most important inspiration of the main lyricist at the time this song was written.  Twain/anti-imperialist themes are also very much present in much of the rest of the album.

And what makes you think only one line suggests Twain?  Speeches/bed/satire--that's one.  "Reaches out a lot led him to discover"--that's another one, as Twain was very well-traveled, and enjoyed discovering new lands.  "Silken hair ... on his face"--that's a third.  "Stepped across the golden fields"--that's a fourth (Twain participated in and wrote about 19th Century gold rushes).  "Late that night while by a street light..."--I'm not sure about that one, but it sure as hell isn't about a baby.  I'm pretty sure the rest of the line is about "hand shadows"--something a baby cannot do.

Anyway, hopefully we'll get more insight on this and the other tunes when the set comes out...

In the meantime, maybe you could explain how a baby can write satire.

[Micha]

"AAAAHHHh, HAHAAAA wwwwaaahhh, dumbbbeee doobie doo"

Does that sound like Mark Twain?  Sounds like a baby crying to me.  Just sayin'. 

To me sounds like Brian Wilson improvising background vocals. 

I think it could be about Mark Twain and also about a baby being born.