Good Vibrations Lyrics

[Mikie]

OK, I’ve been a Beach Boys fan for a long, long time. Yesterday, I was going back and reading some of the 50th Anniversary concert reviews on this website; specifically the Cuthbert Ampitheatre show up in Eugene last July. One guy who was there said he heard Brian sing the following words to Good Vibrations. It’s also documented on YouTube:

"Close my eyes, she’s somehow closer now, softly smile I know she must be kind
When I look in her eyes, she goes with me to a blossom world we find."

Somebody on the thread referred to “we find” as the ”missing words to Good Vibrations”. Another guy (Justin?) said he heard the same thing at a previous concert last year.

My question is, what missing words?? In all my born days in Beach Boys fandom (with exception to hearing the vocal sessions to Good Vibrations at Columbia) I thought I heard and read about pretty much every fragment to my favorite Beach Boys song until now. I’ve never seen these words in the second verse documented anywhere and have never heard them used at anytime in studio outtakes/alternate or live versions of the song before.

Was this just something that was added in a few of last year’s 50th concerts just for the hell of it or have these words been sung previously? Were these original words intended for the song in '66 and later scratched? I don't think they were Asher's lyrics, were they? Inquiring mind wansta know. Tell me I'm not insane, Van Dyke!

Thanks!

[Paulos]

I'm sure there one of the interviews from last year Mike confirms the 'we find' was written and recorded but Brian edited it out.

[EgoHanger1966]

From all the footage I've seen, it's always Jeff who adds "we find", not Brian. Mike mentions the "we find" lyrics in (IIRC) "An American Band".

[Freddie French-Pounce]

From all the footage I've seen, it's always Jeff who adds "we find", not Brian. Mike mentions the "we find" lyrics in (IIRC) "An American Band".

I thought it was in the Online Smile Sessions episodes on YouTube he mentioned it

[Mikie]

I've had the American Band video since it came out and watched it many times and I can't remember Mike saying anything about that. That's the one where Glen Campbell says he played on at least 5 sessions that he knew of. Don't think it's in that segment.


Here's what I'm talking about. They did it at Bonearoo too. It sounds like Brian is singing it. Jeff points to Brian to continue the line after Jeff starts it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXVNsTr9QPY&feature=youtu.be&t=1m15s

[Catbirdman]

Yes, it was definitely mentioned in one of last year's webisodes. It was the first I ever heard of it, and ever since then I've been singing it that way in my head. I had no idea about it being done on the tour though.

Mike said it was Brian's decision to chop it off to end in "blossom world." Pretty cool, instinctive edit by Brian there.

[LostArt]

Yes, it was definitely mentioned in one of last year's webisodes. It was the first I ever heard of it, and ever since then I've been singing it that way in my head. I had no idea about it being done on the tour though.

Mike said it was Brian's decision to chop it off to end in "blossom world." Pretty cool, instinctive edit by Brian there.

Yeah, Mike said that the 'we find' was in the original lyrics, but Brian chopped it so the instruments could be featured on those chord changes.

[18thofMay]

Brian wanted to emphasise the Bass.

[Gertie J.]

Brian wanted to emphasise the Bass.

word.

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

Yup, it was (is) on the Smile webisodes.

I now sing it that way every time I hear it.

[EgoHanger1966]

I could've sworn that bit of information on the lyric was in something previous, too: Endless Harmony?

[sockittome]

Brian wanted to emphasise the Bass.

Genius!

[Mikie]

Thanks, boys!  I musta missed this SMiLe Sessions Webisode last year.  It's right here at 2:24:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfFb8jgmLD8

First time I ever heard Mike (or anyone) talk about it anywhere.  And then I guess they sang it on a few 50th Anniversary shows last year!

[runnersdialzero]

Brian cut it off to make the theremin stand out, it was on An America Family.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I've had the American Band video since it came out and watched it many times and I can't remember Mike saying anything about that. That's the one where Glen Campbell says he played on at least 5 sessions that he knew of.

... which is in itself interesting as that statement can only mean two things:

1 - there are at least five totally undocumented "GV" sessions out there somewhere, or...

2 - Glen was hanging out with CK too much.

[Jay]

Other than in the Smile webisodes, had it ever been mentioned in public, at anytime, anywhere? It's just really weird that in the literally millions of times it has been performed, nobody has ever heard of this until now. Just like Mike randomly mentioning how he wrote Getcha Back for Dennis to sing.

[guitarfool2002]

Brian cut it off to make the theremin stand out, it was on An America Family.

There is no Theremin part where Brian cut those words: It's mostly the dual drum tracks and bass lines driving into the chorus. The words had they been left in would have fallen into the phrase just before the Theremin starts up.

[guitarfool2002]

For years I heard that vocal part as an edit, and a pretty abrupt or harsh cut, too, and wondered what was cut out! 

It might be subject for another thread, but on the same line of questioning...

When or how did the band add that extra instrumental phrase to "God Only Knows", the second ascending one-bar phrase just before the wordless vocal break? It's not on the original, yet nearly every live version has that added bar of music.

Have I missed something that can easily be found on 1966 outtakes, or did the band just add this for live shows?

[hypehat]

For years I heard that vocal part as an edit, and a pretty abrupt or harsh cut, too, and wondered what was cut out! 

It might be subject for another thread, but on the same line of questioning...

When or how did the band add that extra instrumental phrase to "God Only Knows", the second ascending one-bar phrase just before the wordless vocal break? It's not on the original, yet nearly every live version has that added bar of music.

Have I missed something that can easily be found on 1966 outtakes, or did the band just add this for live shows?

You mean before the bridge, right?

It's on the Lei'id in Hawaii stuff - don't have any boots of them playing it before then, but I reckon it was just for ease. The staccato thing is really difficult!

[guitarfool2002]

For years I heard that vocal part as an edit, and a pretty abrupt or harsh cut, too, and wondered what was cut out! 

It might be subject for another thread, but on the same line of questioning...

When or how did the band add that extra instrumental phrase to "God Only Knows", the second ascending one-bar phrase just before the wordless vocal break? It's not on the original, yet nearly every live version has that added bar of music.

Have I missed something that can easily be found on 1966 outtakes, or did the band just add this for live shows?

You mean before the bridge, right?

It's on the Lei'id in Hawaii stuff - don't have any boots of them playing it before then, but I reckon it was just for ease. The staccato thing is really difficult!

That's what I'm thinking, they added that bar to make a better/easier transition, short of having to play the staccato bit live for whatever reasons they had to omit those amazing 4 bars of music.

They played the staccato break on stage throughout the 2012 tour.

[Mikie]

Brian cut it off to make the theremin stand out, it was on An America Family.

There is no Theremin part where Brian cut those words: It's mostly the dual drum tracks and bass lines driving into the chorus. The words had they been left in would have fallen into the phrase just before the Theremin starts up.

Right. It doesn't have anything to do with the theremin, which has plenty of time to kick in. The vocal had to fit the bass line in the track, like Mike said. Still might have worked if they hurried the vocal just a tad, but the "we find" words don't seem to fit the line anyway.  "We find". Who found? The boy and girl? The Beach Boys? Ha Ha. Just doesn't work. That's why I love the song so much. So much went into it and there's so many alternate words/sections/instruments/vocal parts/etc.

Hum dee dum hum dee dum oh oh Hum dee dum hum dee dum oh oh............

[Mikie]

Other than in the Smile webisodes, had it ever been mentioned in public, at anytime, anywhere? It's just really weird that in the literally millions of times it has been performed, nobody has ever heard of this until now.

Exactly.

[EgoHanger1966]

"We find". Who found? The boy and girl? The Beach Boys?

a blossom world.

Props to Mike Love, that's a great lyric, with our without the "we find".

[Freddie French-Pounce]

It can clearly be heard on the BBC radio 2 concert for anyone who hasn't heard it

https://soundcloud.com/frederickjamesfrench-pounce/good-vibrations-live-at-the

[I. Spaceman]

Other than in the Smile webisodes, had it ever been mentioned in public, at anytime, anywhere? It's just really weird that in the literally millions of times it has been performed, nobody has ever heard of this until now.

Exactly.

I'm sure there are plenty of things about The Beach Boys that we don't know yet.