what is I Get Around really about?

[runnersdialzero]

But then again, weren't those lyrics written by Mike?

I don't think it's actually been said. All we know is Mike wrote the "Round round, get around" bit.

Is there a band whose writing credits are as shrouded in mystery as the Beach Boys? The lawsuits, Charles Manson types, uncredited writing etc. etc. etc. only made it worse. It's always interesting to know who came up with what in songs, and I feel like I know a fair amount about the subject with other bands, but almost never with the Beach Boys.

[SamMcK]

I used to think when I first heard the song in 2003 that they were one badass group of motherfu*kers! Bear in mind I was about 9 at the time, I also imagined they were a bunch of young muscley stereotypical jock-types before I knew what they looked like!

[runnersdialzero]

I used to think when I first heard the song in 2003 that they were one badass group of motherfu*kers! Bear in mind I was about 9 at the time, I also imagined they were a bunch of young muscley stereotypical jock-types before I knew what they looked like!

"We're gonna f*** you up like a Gosh Darn accident."

[SamMcK]

 

One thing hasn't changed, I still think Mike Love is a motherf*ckin badass.

[Jason]

Michael is the OG, baby. Hawthorne represent!

[Magic Transistor Radio]

This is Brian's first reference to being 'bugged'.  He had to find a new place to hide because his room was bugged. So he hid in his car only to find that Phil Spector had bugged his car, thus being 'bugged' driving up and down the same old strip. He and his buddies were real well known by Phil Spector (the bad guys) because he knew everything Brian was doing. The best girls stayed home on Saturday night listening to Spector records. During the making of this record, Brian discoverd that Murray conspired with Spector by planting the bugs for a sum of money. Thus Brian fired his dad as manager.

[NightHider]

from wiki:

Mike Love filed a lawsuit against Brian Wilson claiming that he had not been given credit, and therefore had not received royalties, on over thirty of the band's songs, many of them hit singles.[3] One of these songs was "I Get Around". The original credit only credited Wilson, but Love insisted that he had a hand in writing the lyrics. In an interview with Goldmine, published September 18, 1992, Love insisted that he and not Wilson "came up with 'round round get around'". Mike Love won the lawsuit and the song-writing credit was amended, therefore ensuring future royalties on all of the songs that he had claimed he had a hand in writing

[lance]

It's like punk rock, if punk rock was made by the popular jocks/preps in high school. It's an AWESOME song without a trace of bullshit in the lyrics.  It's about being in the prime of your life, knowing it and rocking it while at the same time denying the fact that someday you will be a fat drug addicted slob like everybody else. It is fucking timeless. The intro sounds like doo-wop from the future and the end of the song sound to me like nothing less than history being fucking made.

[lance]

But then again, weren't those lyrics written by Mike?

I don't think it's actually been said. All we know is Mike wrote the "Round round, get around" bit.

Is there a band whose writing credits are as shrouded in mystery as the Beach Boys? The lawsuits, Charles Manson types, uncredited writing etc. etc. etc. only made it worse. It's always interesting to know who came up with what in songs, and I feel like I know a fair amount about the subject with other bands, but almost never with the Beach Boys.

He came up with that round round get around, but he also said that Brian wrote the chorus lyrics and he wrote most of the verse lyrics.

[runnersdialzero]

from wiki:

Mike Love filed a lawsuit against Brian Wilson claiming that he had not been given credit, and therefore had not received royalties, on over thirty of the band's songs, many of them hit singles.[3] One of these songs was "I Get Around". The original credit only credited Wilson, but Love insisted that he had a hand in writing the lyrics. In an interview with Goldmine, published September 18, 1992, Love insisted that he and not Wilson "came up with 'round round get around'". Mike Love won the lawsuit and the song-writing credit was amended, therefore ensuring future royalties on all of the songs that he had claimed he had a hand in writing

He's Mike Love, thus I just assume he's outright lying about that.

[brother john]

what is I Get Around really about?

It isn't about anything. It's a pop song. Its just Brian Wilson trying out a funky arrangement.

[Cam Mott]

Didn't you guys ever go 'crusin on Sat night? In HS I had a 63 Split Window Coupe. It was small town Indiana and the Bad guys were other street racers that thought they were "Bad" and they left me (us) alone. You didn't choose guys to race if you knew they were faster than you. Mine was pretty quick but I never wanted to run against a couple of  guys I knew. No ulterior motives in the song, it was just the 60's.

I agree with jamsvet. It is all about car culture and swagger.

[Kirk]

Is there a band whose writing credits are as shrouded in mystery as the Beach Boys?

Bon Jovi!

No, seriously, Bon Jovi! For many years Mr. Bongovi was touchy about the role of Desmond Child in his biggest hits, mainly bc Desmond Child is (or at least was in the late 80s and early 90s) regarded as a dial-a-hit collaborator. I think JBJ is cooler with it now since his own rep seems accepted, but back when his authenticity was in question, he insisted Child had little to do with his signature hits but that the record company insisted he "edit" JBJ and Sambora.

And let's not even get into the mystery of 1950s writing credits, especially Morris Levy. Here's from wiki on "Why Do fools Fall in Love?"


Although early vinyl single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and George Goldner as co-writers of the song, later releases and cover versions were attributed only to Lymon and record producer George Goldner. Goldner's name was later replaced by Morris Levy when Levy bought Goldner's interest in Gee Records, the Teenagers' record company.

After a lengthy court battle, song-writing credits were awarded to original Teenagers members Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant in December 1992.[5]

However, four years later in 1996, this ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit under the statute of limitations and authorship, because Santiago and Merchant did not bring the case to court soon enough. This gave the song rights back to Lymon and Levy.[5] The current publisher of the song is EMI Music Publishing, which still lists these as the songwriters.[


So I don't think the mystery of Beach Boys writing credits is necessarily unique---it just stands out more bc of Brian's rep as an auteur.

[gxios]

Nobody's mentioned the Rich Sloan yearbook signed by Brian circa '59?  I thought you all were on top of this.  Brian calls Rich a "cool head/drafty toilet", so it's obviously a teenage expression of his.

[Paul J B]

It's about exactly what it sounds like it's about, being cool. They've got bread, babes, cars, freedom, the things that appeal to most young people.

This song is a brilliant gem. It is fantastic on every level. I would argue that it even supports the notion of Brian being a genius. The way the music is layered with the unbelievable vocals/harmonies is mind blowing to me. Brian's falsetto and Mikes deep base become a musical instrument themselves. It's one of the best examples combining vocals and music to create a whole that I can think of. It also happens to be the song that hooked me into lifelong love of the BB's.