Help with Smile research

[othereric]

Hi everybody. Eric here. Long time reader, first time poster. I'm writing an essay for my cultural studies class on Smile and it's impact on American culture and so forth. Could any of you recommend some sources that are readily available online? Or even provide some of your own theories about Smile. Specifically it's Americana elements, and also the DaDa influence on the album. I'd also be interested to hear interpretations of lyrics especially concerning Surf's Up and Cabinessence. This essay is due in two days and I haven't even started. So your speed in responding to this post is greatly appreciated.

[Wrightfan]

For starters, there's the whole "Roll Plymouth Rock" thing with Plymouth Rock being a type of chicken or something.

[Mr. Cohen]

Here were some random thoughts I posted in another topic, don't know if it's much help:

1. "Do You Dig Worms?" - The lyrics were supposedly found,  but I wonder if the lyrics weren't recorded back in '66 because Brian had a new idea for the song based off of the pun. "Do You Dig Worms?" is a non sequitur following the lyrics we know the song for now. The phrase 'do you dig worms?', besides being a play on words on the phrase 'Plymouth rock, roll over' (and see the worms and dirt underneath the rock), gives the song a more childlike bent, like kids digging up dirt in their backyard.  You could do the same thing with the phrase 'who ran the iron horse?', which makes me think sometimes of a kid in a rocking horse pretending that he's a cowboy. A bicycle rider is also a childish image. For all of the talk about SMiLE being anti-imperialist by Van Dyke Parks or Brian at the time, only "Cabinessence" and "Roll Plymouth Rock" directly comment on that theme. Could it be that Brian flip-flopped on how serious the anti-imperialist undertones of "Cabinessence" and "Do You Dig Worms?" should be? For whatever reason he never recorded , as far as we know, the relatively simple verses for "Do You Dig Worms?", but he did go through the trouble of recording the nonsense Hawaiian syllable chants. Take that for what you will.

And if you do some searches you can find that it's all been discussed and is waiting for you to plagiarize. 

[Surfer Joe]

 I would guess that the title for "Worms" might have been just as likely to change (as was done decades later) as the lyrics, if either were.  No evidence that I know of to support any intended changes, though.

The bicycle" of "Bicycle Rider" is supposedly a pun on Bicycle cards, right?  And the "Ribbon of concrete" variation refers to the paving of roads and such, obviously. So there's an environmental theme in play.

The "crow" lyric in "Cabinessence" provides an image from the air- tying back in to the agricultural stuff of "Barnyard" (there ya go Mike, it wasn't that tough after all) , and I think there was some intention to create a point of view- very obscurely, for sure- of a railroad spike being driven as the story very quickly moves west from Plymouth Rock and its misunderstood historical significance.  (It was promoted to the mythical landing place of the Mayflower years later). Never knew about the chicken connection- that's cool.  (Though to be turned over by a chicken, it would have to be a hell of a chicken or not much of a rock).

Of course, "You Are My Sunshine" and "Old Master Painter" and "I Wanna Be Around" were extant songs flown in for added color or as framing devices, same as with "That Lucky Old Sun" this past year.   Around the same general time period as SMiLE, James Brown did "I Wanna Be Around" on his second Apollo album, Frank Sinatra and Count Basie covered it for a collaborative album (that featured a lot of Tony Bennett's material), and Rosemarie- as Sally Rogers- covered it on "The Dick Van Dyke" show.  No relation to Parks, Van Dyke.

This guy needs to seek out the Jules Siegel piece, which has the whole "Surf's Up" lyrics "it's-a-man-at-a-concert" breakdown (doesn't it?) and he could probably use the "Truck Drivin' Man" lyrics if anyone has those.

Two days?  Good luck, pal.  Bad memories of my youth and long nights of No-Doze and Jolt cola.

[juggler]

Eric,

Just a little advice that may positively affect your grade on this essay...

its = possessive  (e.g., "...Smile and its impact on American culture")
it's = it is (e.g., "It's fun to listen to Smile.")

Good luck with your project!

[Jay]

Two days?!?!? Brian has had 40 years, and he still can't figure it out!  Anyway, I have some thoughts for you:

I believe that Wonderful refers to a loss of innocence/coming of age. Child Is The Father Of The Man also deals with that, I believe. Although the "vintage" recording(s) have virtually no lyrics to go by. I have always looked at "Surf's Up" as a "modern day" reflection of the hero of the story. "Come about hard and join the young and often spring you gave"=Remembering how it used to be. Before the Westward expansion. Reflecting on a time that was simpler. Before it became nothing but "Heroes" versus "Villians"(perhaps meaning commercialization/corporate America, against the "free thinkers"?).

[hypehat]

I would guess that the title for "Worms" might have been just as likely to change (as was done decades later) as the lyrics, if either were.  No evidence that I know of to support any intended changes, though.

The bicycle" of "Bicycle Rider" is supposedly a pun on Bicycle cards, right?  And the "Ribbon of concrete" variation refers to the paving of roads and such, obviously. So there's an environmental theme in play.

The "crow" lyric in "Cabinessence" provides an image from the air- tying back in to the agricultural stuff of "Barnyard" (there ya go Mike, it wasn't that tough after all) , and I think there was some intention to create a point of view- very obscurely, for sure- of a railroad spike being driven as the story very quickly moves west from Plymouth Rock and its misunderstood historical significance.  (It was promoted to the mythical landing place of the Mayflower years later). Never knew about the chicken connection- that's cool.  (Though to be turned over by a chicken, it would have to be a hell of a chicken or not much of a rock).

Of course, "You Are My Sunshine" and "Old Master Painter" and "I Wanna Be Around" were extant songs flown in for added color or as framing devices, same as with "That Lucky Old Sun" this past year.   Around the same general time period as SMiLE, James Brown did "I Wanna Be Around" on his second Apollo album, Frank Sinatra and Count Basie covered it for a collaborative album (that featured a lot of Tony Bennett's material), and Rosemarie- as Sally Rogers- covered it on "The Dick Van Dyke" show.  No relation to Parks, Van Dyke.

This guy needs to seek out the Jules Siegel piece, which has the whole "Surf's Up" lyrics "it's-a-man-at-a-concert" breakdown (doesn't it?) and he could probably use the "Truck Drivin' Man" lyrics if anyone has those.

Two days?  Good luck, pal.  Bad memories of my youth and long nights of No-Doze and Jolt cola.

There's also 'Bicycle Rider, See See...' like the old blues standard CC Rider. And the Ribbon of Concrete, according to Van, derives from a Woody Guthrie song called 'pastures of plenty', but i can't recall the exact lyric.

Cabin Essence, taken at a basic level, details the modern industry destroying the American farm (who ran the iron horse?). That child with the rocking horse thing is a nice spin on it.... sometimes you wonder if Smile IS a story, who is narrating?

Those truck drivin' man lyrics...

(Truck driving man do what you can)
(High-tail your load off the road)
(Out of night-life-it's a gas man)
(I don't believe I gotta grieve)
(In and out of luck)
(With a buck and a booth)
(Catchin' on to the truth)
(In the vast past, the last gasp)
(In the land, in the dust, trust that you must)
(Catch as catch can)

There's also that discarded bit about telephones....

I'll let someone else try to untangle Heroes And Villains, i've only had one cup of coffee this morning. Imo, the lyrics don't tell the entire story about Smile. the music paints a picture too....

Wish i got to write essays about Smile....   Hope this helps!

[Bicyclerider]

Unfortunately Smile's impact on American culture was virtually nil, because it wasn't released in 67 - the essay should focus more on American culture's (and pop art/pop music) impact on Smile.  But maybe that's what you meant.

[The Song Of The Grange]

http://www.thesmileshop.net/index.php/Main_Page

The Smile shop site has lots of good stuff that will help.

[chris.metcalfe]

If you're handing an essay in you might care to use the possessive form of "its" instead of the abbreviated form... just trying to help.

[?]

Goodbye Surfing, Hello God! is essential.  The section where Brian explains Surf's Up line by line would be especially useful I'd imagine.

http://www.cafecancun.com/bookarts/wilson.shtml

[othereric]

I'd like to thank all of you who posted helpful comments and sources. You're wonderful people. A credit to humanity. Oh yeah, and next time I'm making a post on a Beach Boys message board I'll be sure to proofread the entire thing several times so I don't make any errors.

[othereric]

By the way I'll post the finished essay tomorrow for any one who cares to read it. And I'll try not to plagiarize your discussions too much.

[Jay]

Hey hypehat: I just wanted to mention that the "truck driving man" lyrics you posted seem to be slightly incorrect. It's actually "I'M a gas, man". Or is it "I'm a Gasman"?

[Zack]

Those truck drivin' man lyrics...

(Truck driving man do what you can)
(High-tail your load off the road)
(Out of night-life-it's a gas man)
(I don't believe I gotta grieve)
(In and out of luck)
(With a buck and a booth)
(Catchin' on to the truth)
(In the vast past, the last gasp)
(In the land, in the dust, trust that you must)
(Catch as catch can)

Has anyone ever pointed out that during the late 19th century setting of Cabinessence, with its (possessive = its) settlers and coolies building the railroad, trucks didn't exist yet?  And people certainly didn't say "it's (it is = it's) a gas, man."  Just sayin'.

[JB Wilojarston]

Those truck drivin' man lyrics...

(Truck driving man do what you can)
(High-tail your load off the road)
(Out of night-life-it's a gas man)
(I don't believe I gotta grieve)
(In and out of luck)
(With a buck and a booth)
(Catchin' on to the truth)
(In the vast past, the last gasp)
(In the land, in the dust, trust that you must)
(Catch as catch can)

Has anyone ever pointed out that during the late 19th century setting of Cabinessence, with its (possessive = its) settlers and coolies building the railroad, trucks didn't exist yet?  And people certainly didn't say "it's (it is = it's) a gas, man."  Just sayin'.

The overlay of the poem makes perfect sense to me. The song is from the viewpoint of a third person, someone above or in the future, watching The Grand Cooley, the coolie,  the railroad and the truck driver. 

[hypehat]

Hey hypehat: I just wanted to mention that the "truck driving man" lyrics you posted seem to be slightly incorrect. It's actually "I'M a gas, man". Or is it "I'm a Gasman"?

i appear to have missed a comma....  i thought it was 'it's a gas, man' though, because it seems a bit Brian-ish. he sings it so fast and it's so low in the mix it's quite hard to tell... imo, 'I'm a gasman' seems a little crazy, even for '66  I'm with JB, i always thought it was a present day perspective on the older themes of the song. Things haven't sorted themselves out, just got crazier.

Looking forward to the essay, othereric!

[Andrew G. Doe]

The original lyric, as sung by Dennis, is "it's a gas, man".

[Bicyclerider]

[Has anyone ever pointed out that during the late 19th century setting of Cabinessence, with its (possessive = its) settlers and coolies building the railroad, trucks didn't exist yet?  And people certainly didn't say "it's (it is = it's) a gas, man."  Just sayin'.

The overlay of the poem makes perfect sense to me. The song is from the viewpoint of a third person, someone above or in the future, watching The Grand Cooley, the coolie,  the railroad and the truck driver. 
[/quote]

Yeah, but what do the truck drivin' man lyrics have to do with the Cabinessence lyrics?  They seem to be random images/ideas with little in common.  Makes me wonder if truck drivin' man was part of a separate song that Brian decided to incorporate into Iron Horse because . . . well, just because he could.

[?]

The original lyric, as sung by Dennis, is "it's a gas, man".

Gotta disagree there.  It is "I'm a gas, man".  Here's an MP3 of the isolated vocal track I downloaded a long time ago.  I had to search high and low to find it and finally came across it attached to an email I sent to one of my friends back then.  Good thing I'm too lazy to ever delete anything.  Credit goes to whoever originally posted it...

ADMIN EDIT - LINK DELETED AS IT VIOLATES OUR RULES. Don't even try this one again.

[grillo]

You might get yelled at by the moderators, but thanks! I've always wanted to here if those lyrics were right for myself.

[Jay]

It's definitely I'M a gasman. It's also "I'm outta luck with a buck and a booth", not "in and out of luck".