The Smiley Smile Message Board

Wow -- I'm posting a new topic. It's been years.

Anyway, anyone notice that Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" is quoted in "Goin' On'"?

"Awaken me beautiful dreamer." It's right there. So, topics for discussion:

1.) Has this been noted before?

2.) Do you think Brian added that phrase in the song? Or Mike?

3.) "Goin' On'" is a far, far better song than I remembered. It rocks, albeit in a slick kind of way.

Isn't Foster's line "Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me?"

Either way, I don't think it was intentional. Probably subconcious, if anything. Or even just a coincidence.

Erm, I can't imagine it was accidental.

People don't run around saying "awaken me, beautiful dreamer." Given the generally prosaic lyrics for "Goin On" (I love you / I miss you / Things won't be the same / Till I kiss you) this phrase seems like a quote/reworking of the Foster tune.

I'm sure Brian was a big Foster fan.  Disappointed he wasn't invited to participate in the tribute album a few years back.

Claymcc - Always good to see you on the board! But didn't you mean to say that the Foster allusion could be found in the lyrics to "Goin' On", not "Good Timin'" in your initial post?

Roger:

Indeed! I am an idiot. But the damn placement of those tracks on disc 4 of the box set always messes me up. You've got "Good Timin,'" then "Goin' On." Two mid-tempo songs, two "G" titles. Argh.

Anway. Thanks!

Probably Mike. Don't forget, "All This is That" is basically paraphrased Robert Browning, and "Beaks of Eagles" is Jeffers.

Which just goes to show that Mike and Al could be geniuses at times too.

Think you'll find that's Robert Frost, not Robert Browning. 

:woot

In the context of the rest of the lyric, it's kinda... inevitable.

"The midnight redeemer/Awaken me beautiful dreamer"

Sounds kinda Mike-ish to me.

D'oh! I'm actually been discussing Browning on another website, so I got him on my mind.

Perhaps Mike / Brian likes vampire novels? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189389617X/103-1463130-2403824?v=glance&n=283155

That's appopriate, because the current day Beach Boys really suck .

:lol @ Billy

On second thought, re-listening to the song and checking the lyrics, "Midnight redeemer" is not in the song. The phrase is: "Come be my redeemer / awaken me beautiful dreamer."

Think you'll find that's Robert Frost, not Robert Browning. 

:woot

.....hey, folks, the Robert is right,  but I think you both are meaning the great scottish poet/lyricist Robert Burns...

Dammit, you're right... and all these years I've been singing "The midnight...". 
:thud

You're seriously saying that Rabbie Burns wrote "The Road Not Taken" ??

Although, Andrew, I have to say that "midnight redeemer" is not a bad lyric.

....My goodness, no. That's Frost. I thought we were talking about "All This Is That"...Isn't that from a Burns poem?

...Oh, I'm sorry. I may be thinking of "a man is this for all that"...or something along those lines, ..close, but no cigar.

"Is There For Honest Poverty", 2nd stanza:

"What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a' that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine --
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that,
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that. "

I must admit, I've never seen the appeal of ATIT. Nice vocals from Carl, of course, but kind of soppy otherwise. In terms of Brian-less material, I far prefer Dennis or Carl comps.

It's... hypnotic... beguiling... and is about the only BB-TM song that doesn't send me running from the room with my fingers in my ears.

It's also my #1 chill song, if the day's been a bitch.

 Me too! Especially the tag.

Who produced it? Was it Alan?

Best I can recall, Alan produced the original basic track (for want of a better handle, "The Road Not Taken"), then Carl took the reins. I'd imagine Mike had a word here and there too.