Nice BW interview from the IMAGINATION era

[Andrew G. Doe]

and the verse lyric is patently about a woman.

Yeah, it seems very likely that it was originally written about a woman. But I think it still makes sense if you imagine it actually being about Carl. I like to think that Brian's singing about how he used to try to avoid having to record or perform with Carl and the Beach Boys and how he now wishes he would've done things differently. Even the line "Just remember the way I held you" could be about Carl: after all, they were brothers and Carl was five years younger, so you can think of this as an early childhood memory.

The assumption is that Brian wrote the lyric - any proof one way or another ?

[Mr. Cohen]

Can anybody here estimate about how much of Brian's solo material Brian actually wrote per album percentage wise? Because some of the recent topics make it sound like Brian just bangs a few keys on his piano and then someone else makes an album out of it. If these people are supposedly faking Brian material, how come none of these people seem capable of making anything close to as good as what made it onto his solo albums without Brian (not saying that all of his solo material is great, but why can't Paley or Thomas make a decent album on their own, then?)?

[Aegir]

Who's to say they can't? There's plenty of great music that the general public never hears.

[Wirestone]

(irony begins) Yep, actually, Brian doesn't even sing on those recent records. It's all computers.

And when he's live, that's Jeff Foskett doubling him.

He's just a husk of a man dragged around to make money for people.

Isn't this fun? (irony ends)

[shelter]

The assumption is that Brian wrote the lyric - any proof one way or another ?

None whatsoever. I absolutely agree with you that it was very likely written about a woman. My theory's just one that I like, not one that I believe to be true. Hence the "if you imagine it" and the "I like to think". 

[Roger Ryan]

The assumption is that Brian wrote the lyric - any proof one way or another ?

Given the fact that the line "and if I had the chance, I'd never let you go" is a direct lift from "Be My Baby" suggests that Brian did have a hand in crafting the lyrics.

[Aegir]

The assumption is that Brian wrote the lyric - any proof one way or another ?

Given the fact that the line "and if I had the chance, I'd never let you go" is a direct lift from "Be My Baby" suggests that Brian did have a hand in crafting the lyrics.

Or that someone wanted to make it seem like Brian had a hand in crafting the lyrics.

[shelter]

Yeah, that doesn't say much. I guess that if you're a lyricist, you want to write something that the person who's gonna have to sing it can relate to.

[Chris Brown]

Not that I have any basis for this conclusion (other than my own opinion), but it has always seemed to me that Brian's lyrical contributions on his albums were maybe 50%, maybe less.  A lot of the time I think he probably gives a basic sketch of the lyric which gets refined by someone else. 

The music, on the other hand, seems very "Brian" most of the time (the melodies, not necessarily the arrangements)...and obviously the vocal arrangements are probably mostly his as well. 

Cool interview BTW, thanks for posting!

[Andrew G. Doe]

The assumption is that Brian wrote the lyric - any proof one way or another ?

Given the fact that the line "and if I had the chance, I'd never let you go" is a direct lift from "Be My Baby" suggests that Brian did have a hand in crafting the lyrics.

Or that someone wanted to make it seem like Brian had a hand in crafting the lyrics.

Good point - I recall at the time that it was stated that the lyric to "Your Imagination" was written with a specific remit to reference Brian.

[Roger Ryan]

The assumption is that Brian wrote the lyric - any proof one way or another ?

Given the fact that the line "and if I had the chance, I'd never let you go" is a direct lift from "Be My Baby" suggests that Brian did have a hand in crafting the lyrics.

Or that someone wanted to make it seem like Brian had a hand in crafting the lyrics.

Good point - I recall at the time that it was stated that the lyric to "Your Imagination" was written with a specific remit to reference Brian.

I completely agree that the lyric to "Your Imagination" was specifically written (by Steve Dahl) to make it sound like Brian considered himself to be "calling the shots" or whatever. But throwing in a line from "Be My Baby" into "Lay Down Burden" without really treating it like an homage (it's very easy to overlook) strikes me as something Brian would do while putting the song together. Doesn't really matter, I guess. Personally, I prefer the "Happy Days" and "Cry" lyrics more which are persumably Brian's own.