The Smiley Smile Message Board

I sipped my steaming black organic English breakfast tea, and put my vinyl copy "Tears In The Morning" on the turntable. I was moody, petulant, and disenchanted - only the strained emotions and devastating artistry of Bruce Johnston could keep me in orbit.

And what a peculiar record it is. Listen closely. The guitars, the vibes, the voices, the accordion - they seem subtly warped, as if they're playing in a dream.  Women come, women go... but the tears last forever. A single tear, reflecting all the colors of the rainbow. Somewhere within there is Bruce's pain, and my pain as well.

"So you moved down up to Europe." First of all, what does it mean to move down up? Did she really even move? Or does her heart flutter on the enchanting arpeggios of the accordion to the clustered streets of gay Paris, whilst her subtle body recoils from the tender embrace of Bruce? So many questions. The only answer we have is that accordion, drawing us to the backstreets of Europe.

The accordion would've been enough to floor me. But then, like birds on a wing, come the harpsichord and mandolin. What ancient Italian hillside magic is Bruce conjuring now? Couple that with the succulent harmonies in the chorus, and you've got tears in the morning, afternoon, and night. And the strings! The strings during the bridge are so romantic, alluring, and seductive. Yes, I said seductive. Bruce is a seductive man. These strings - so playful, and so adventurous with their sudden twists and turns like two bodies in coital bliss - DAMN.  :smokin From this musical breakdown, the song builds back up to an ever greater crescendo, with Bruce shouting with every fiber of his being!

Really, though, it's the ending that truly knocks me out. Out of nowhere, we're treated to a b flat minor chord. It seems to resolve the song, although it hadn't been there before. Is this the narrator commuting suicide? Falling asleep? Or just moving on? Then, somewhere faint in the distance, we hear a lonely piano playing a classical tune. It seems to constantly build itself up, only to fall back apart, all within a matter of seconds. Is this a lost record from 1930, or Bruce Johnston? Suddenly, we hear a harmonica, a horn, and some kind of marimba/vibes, building to a something. But then it disappears, without playing that resolving chord again, even though it seemed to promise it would.

So now I can only wonder if we really found answers at all. It's just so mysterious. Damn you, Bruce.

I wish I could share in your wonder and enjoyment, but I'm unable to sit through this song. I don't even have it on my computer.

I can listen to the song about Bruce bathing with his daughter no problem though. go figure

I always thought the quiet piano coda in Tears in the Morning was a brilliant touch. I don't know why the song gets so much hatred. Maybe if Brian wrote it...?

if Brian wrote it... it would be a completely different song then wouldn't it?
i doubt Brian wishes he wrote it.

it gets hatred from me because it's complete schlock.

just awful.

I like "dramatic" when it comes to music, but for ages I could not get into this song because I thought it was too dramatic. Like very, very much over-the-top too dramatic.

A friend convinced me to re-listen to it, and while it still makes me giggles from being so over the top sometimes, I've grown to like it. Maybe not love, but like? Like quite a bit? Absolutely.

Awesome post!



I have grown to love this song. Everything about it screams 'ephemeral' yet its appeal grows stronger with every listen. I kind of wish Bruce had recorded more with The Beach boys during this period as Deidre, Tears In The Morning and particularly Disney Girls have a lot going for them.

The original post is brilliantly satiric. Bravo.

I was gonna say.

The song is perfect. The poster with his hugely negative title is not. Why not just say you do not like the song? Did Bruce really devastate you musically, you negative destructive critic?

I personally like this song. It all depends on how you look at it.  When I was down, this song seemed very emotional and I felt so sad with the uncertain ending.  Now, it seems over the top... But still no reason to hate it.  Melodramatic, absolutely. But still a fine piece IMO.

I love Bruce, and the only thing satiric about any of this is the people calling this topic satiric. Can we back to discussing Bruce, please? Expect a post about "The Nearest Faraway Place" later.

 :)
always liked that song.. over the top production or not, Sunflower would be lesser without it!  (IMHO)

It's a good song. Kind of sappy for sure. But agree it goes well with the Sunflower album. Fits the mood well.

As for that one line I believe it's "moved out up to Europe." And I believe that "up" line goes with the line afterwards about "packed your warmth" because of the latitudinal differences between Europe and SoCal. Instead of surfing and cars and fun in the sun you have uh. Two World Wars. Oh that's cold.

It's a good song when played as part of Sunflower, like the halfway point, a bit of theatrical light and shade...

This is the only song from Sunflower that I didn't like instantly. Although I've come to appreciate its musical content (especially the complex arrangement), the lyrics are just that little bit schmaltzy enough that I don't like them. Actually I was a bit annoyed to later learn the song that I don't like was recorded the day I was born. ::)

The wordless coda is the best part of it.

"Deirdre" is about Bruce's daughter?

I thought it was about his Irish Setter.   :o

Fantastic song, I think it is one of the best Beach Boys that was written by Al, Bruce or Mike (even higher if just between Al and Bruce)

Not to derail, but talking about Bruce, I think that Disney Girls is one of the Beach Boys most successful songs outside of the 60's, think within a few years of it being released it had gotten 2 covers by major recording artists, which not being amazing ,I think is 2 more than 99% of most of their other tracks from the later period?

For sap, "Forever" beats out "Tears" any day of the week, and it is not as musically interesting. People give Dennis a pass on his mushy, sappy music, but since Bruce is a square and not a Wilson, he gets blasted.

I love Tears in the Morning. It is a bit over-the-top and I can see why people may not like it... but what is with people thinking the original post is sarcastic/satiric? Are we that anti-Bruce here on SS? He is actually a very good, if not prolific, songwriter.

Someone upthread said that perhaps if Brian wrote TITM, people would like it more. I think if Brian or someone else had sung it, these people would like the song better  - Bruce's vocal is very emotional, which adds to the drama, although I happen to love his voice on this tune.

For God's sake, you're listening to a band with very little quality control post-1976. These people put "Hey Little Tomboy" as track number three on MIU Album. Whilst "Tears in the Morning" may be a bit sappy, it destroys a lot of other Beach Boys songs.

To be fair, I like to use colorful language to make my posts a little more fun. That said, I really do like the song.

Oh dear.

I'd have Tears in the Morning too if I had willingly chosen to compose or listen to this ever again... :'(

It's "moved OUT up to Europe", not "moved down up to Europe".

"The Nearest Faraway Place"

Now this is an instrumental, folks. As the Beach Boys commercial fortunes were reaching their all-time low, and Brian Wilson was retreating from the band, Bruce wrote this little ode to a dreamy, magical getaway, where pain and misfortune have ceased to be. I actually like to imagine that "The Nearest Faraway Place" was Bruce's response to "Let's Go Away For Awhile". Certainly, such musical paradises had to seem appealing at the time - what, with Dennis Wilson recording himself f*cking in the studio and playing it over the endings of songs! The band was in turmoil.

Bruce was probably the only one in the group at the time, sans Brian, who really appreciated the artistry of Pet Sounds. The rest of the group was too caught up in their public image. Remember, it was Bruce who stuck around to help Brian get the tag to "God Only Knows" right. Carl bailed. "The Nearest Faraway Place" sounds like a Pet Sounds track that married Ennio Morricone, and then had a one-night stand with Tchaikovsky. Oh, and it happens to be a fan of jazz.

This is probably the most classically influenced song Bruce did. The chords are quite adventurous, with some of the sustained and sixth chords recalling Brian at his best. The arrangement is lush and very apropos, with the Rhodes piano mixing perfectly with the vibes to give off a shimmering sound. The relaxed strings, ringing guitar strumming, and harp flourishes complete the astral atmosphere. And the melodies themselves are also relaxing too, never straining too high, or staying too stagnant. They move along peacefully, like dappled summer sunlight on a quiet stream.

Whereas Bruce's songs on a underlying sense of melancholia and longing, this song is almost pure in its escapist bliss. I imagine Bruce taking a single hit off a joint - coughing profusely - and then sipping pink champagne as he stares out into a lake. That's Bruce going as far out as he knows how. Brian would mine this same sound for Imagination. But with Brian, it came off as artificial and forced. For all his brilliance, Brian could never conjure up something this relaxed. With Brian, there's always something else lurking in the background, whether it be sadness, ecstatic joy, lunacy, or some other wilder emotion.

That's Bruce's gift, and his curse. He's a genius too, but he never had that manic streak great artists do. Still, he was one hell of a composer, wasn't he?

Indeed he was. Your post inspired me to listen to "The Nearest Faraway Place" again, and I am enjoying the hell out of it. For some reason, I never compared "The Nearest Faraway Place" to "Let's Go Away For Awhile," but the comparison is perfectly apt. Thanks Dada, great post.

If I thought more than a tiny fraction of the posters on this board agreed with the above two posts, I would never come here again.

How eminently reasonable! I can surely understand how people praising a song you don't enjoy would cause you to abandon a message board you ostensibly otherwise enjoy. A+

Bruce is a paradox. On the one hand, he came up with brilliant arrangements to his songs. On the other hand, he lacked soul. There always seemed to be something lacking with his songs despite their brilliant arrangements.

I like this song. Always have.  Now Deidre is another matter altogether...

I am a pretty big fan of Bruce. "Deirdre" and "Tears in the Morning" are amazing. The songs Bruce wrote for the Rip Chords are really good too. "The Queen", "Gone", and "Old Car Made in '52" are awesome.

I can only stand so much Bruce

He apparently doesn't like the Friends album. :'(

YES!! Contra code for 30 lives!! Brilliant!!!  8)

Just because we use cheats doesn`t mean we`re not smart.

Bruce did some cool things in the sixties pre Beach Boys and during his first run with them "Don't Run Away", "Deirdre", and "Disney Girls" are great records, he sang well and was a good musician, but he was always MOR and in the worst sense of the word. A little goes a long way and I think the direction he led them in 1979-80 was a poor one.

I really like Nearest Faraway Place! It is as good as Let's Go Away For A While.


Well, then, goodbye Jeff, and farewell!

As much as I think Bruce is pretty corny -- and that's basically undeniable, haha -- it's not as if Brian doesn't (or at least didn't then) dig that kind of outmoded-by-1960s-standards "easy listening"-style lounge-y kinda music too... He just had enough sense do gussy it up a bit with some Chuck Berry and R&B! (Okay, that makes him sound like he's fronted a male early-'60s Chordettes or something but I'm sure y'all get what I mean!)

Fantastic! Loving these reviews, Dada. Disney Girls next?

I do like this song, but within the hodge podge context of 20/20, it creates more confusion I think. It would've worked much better on Sunflower which feels like the perfect 70s record to me - unashamedly kitsch sunshine pop - the musical equivalent of orange & brown flower-print wall paper. Maybe (dare I say it) in place of Gotta Know The Woman, although two Bruce ballads side by side might be a bit of a stretch.

Tell you what. I was in this same boat accept it was derdrie that did it for me. I sat there the first time i heard sunflower mouth agape and wondered how it was that i'd never head it before.

Tears seemed a bit...more than a bit lyrically schmaltzy/Schlocky but I like the melody of Bruce's songs.  I also like the interplay of the lyrical phrasing and music on Disney Girls.
Nearest Faraway Place has always had a place on my personal mixes and is among the very top BB instrumentals IMO.
I have used it as a transition from the more esoteric high energy songs such as H&V to the return to basics such as DIA.   H&V> NFP>DIA.  The keyboard softly trailing off folowed by the heavy beat intro to DIA.   Bruce's music has a definite place in the catalogue.

......Although I can't say I've been devastated.......

And I hope he gets to Bruce's She Believes in Love Again from BB '85, imo one of the better tracks off that album  :)

I never thought we'd have a thread on the musical accomplishments of Mr Johnston, as his stuff isn't the most highly regarded in the Boys canon.

Now, if only they'd recorded I Write the Songs, I'd have tears in my eyes, and not just in the morning ... :-D

The string section in Tears in the Morning is interesting, but not enough to keep me coming back. This would have been a good instrumental.

Now Deirdre is hot sex.

Without a doubt, Mr. Johnston is one of the unsung heroes of The Beach Boys. While he is seen as part of the the Al-Mike bloc, he doesn't inspire the strong emotions that Mike does. He was very supportive of Brian at times and has a true respect and appreciation for Brian's abilities, which as mentioned earlier, he demonstrated compositionally on "The Nearest Faraway Place."

When I met Bruce in 1999, I told him how much I loved "Sunflower" and his material on the album. He basically changed the subject to how much of a genius Brian is, and how far ahead of his time Brian was with SMiLe. He talked to me for a while and was very gracious. He seems like a fantastic guy, without the ego that accompanies his former colleagues. (I'm not blasting Brian or Mike here, they both deserve to have a bit of an ego with what they've accomplished).

I would love to produce an album of Bruce Johnston material. I wish he would try his hand at some new stuff, because it has been way too long. Even though he has never been too prolific a songwriter (witness Goin' Public, comprised of re-recorded songs from the past) I'm sure he has a good backlog of material from the 90s-00s. With the right collaborators, I think Bruce could turn out a great piece of work.

Not to pry, but if that's the case I think you might be doing sex wrong.

That's some very delicate, lacey, cuddley, eskimo kiss and teddy-bear filled sex, right there.

I think more like some hot oil and tennis shorts

Bruce is great!

Bruce is interesting in that he didn't need the Beach Boys. He could stay home and produce records with Terry, he could go be a Beach Boy and tour and play shows,  or he could go off and write huge hit songs for someone else to sing.

Bruce has been in a pretty enviable position, I'd say for pretty much most of his life.

Disney Girls belongs right up there with the best of what Brian or Dennis have ever written.

Bruce is all good by my book.

Deirdre and Disney Girls are great, even tho they sound like The Partridge Family and Barry Manilow if he was any good, respectively. Nearest Faraway Place is nice, but it has nothing to do with Brian's instrumental work on any level and in truth, it sounds like pretty much any mod-mood-music muzak LP of that era you might find in a thrift store for a dime.
I'm more of a Surfer's Pajama Party/Surfin' Round The World/Bruce & Terry/Rip Chords/My World Fell Down guy, myself.

Not a fan of Bruce. Don't like Deirdre, much. Don't like Tears in the Morning, at all (apart from the piano bit at the end). Hate Disney Girls. Hate Endless Harmony, She Believes in Love Again and anything post-1985, without even having to hear any of it.

But I love The Nearest Faraway Place.