Saddest Beach Boys Song :/

[Scott]

Lots of great great songs were chosen for this list.  And I have to say I got a chance to tell Brian how much his songs of loss and heartbreak resonated with me, especially Let Him Run Wild.

But 2 weeks ago I had the honor of transcribing the vocals and writing the chord charts for Summer's Gone, and it was very difficult to do, knowing the tour was ending.

Right now I'd have to pick that one.

Scott

[carolinablonde]

Another vote for "Summer's Gone."  I'm a summertime person, always have, always will be.  I'm 30+ years old, and still cry when my family leaves the beach when our summer vacation is over.  The first time I heard the song, I cried - when I listened to it on my iPod on the last day of my family's summer vacation, I cried like a baby.  It's one of the saddest songs I've ever heard, yet I'm still in love with it and consider it one of my favorite Beach Boys songs. 

[halblaineisgood]

All Summer Long makes me pretty sad.

And Your Dream Comes True has some sad qualities about it. Maybe it's that punched-in/edited breathing sound?







question: ... are the mallets on all summer long a marimba or xylophone?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Lots of great great songs were chosen for this list.  And I have to say I got a chance to tell Brian how much his songs of loss and heartbreak resonated with me, especially Let Him Run Wild.

But 2 weeks ago I had the honor of transcribing the vocals and writing the chord charts for Summer's Gone, and it was very difficult to do, knowing the tour was ending.

Right now I'd have to pick that one.

Scott

I don't know...your vocal on 'Ballad of Ole Betsy' moved the **** out of me when you all did it on 8 June 2012, and I'm not even normally a fan of that one. Ace job.

[onkster]

I'm gonna say "It's Over Now"--I can't even listen to it, it's too sad.

Runner up: "Shelter"--not quite as sad because it has joy in it also. But when "Do you still ever think of me" kicks in, I'm a blubbering mess. But I love it. Good job, Brian.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

I'm gonna say "It's Over Now"--I can't even listen to it, it's too sad.

Runner up: "Shelter"--not quite as sad because it has joy in it also. But when "Do you still ever think of me" kicks in, I'm a blubbering mess. But I love it. Good job, Brian.

'Shelter' leaves me a blubbering mess also, but for very different reasons than the ones you've described...

[Menace Wilson]

Has 'Oh Lord' been mentioned?

This is surely the saddest unreleased recording...

If it was, I missed it.  Great pick!

[Bean Bag]

A Day In The Life Of A Tree.

That coda is the saddest moment of music I have ever heard.

Yes.  A Day In The Life Of A Tree.

By writing about a tree, I think Brian was able to illustrate the shocking emotional reality of his mental condition, circa 1971. Something he couldn't express if he wrote in the first person.  Even Till I Die (which is a better song) misses the mournfulness and sadness he felt.

It sort of starts up-close -- being a kid growing up with so much promise...and then just ever so slowly zooms out as time passes.  And that organ...just wails and weeps.  It's quite tough to listen to in this context for me.  I envision Brian with tears streaming down his face, silently playing this on the organ.

[Dudd]

Surf's Up (Smile Sessions version), A Day In The Life Of A Tree, and anything from Pet Sounds.

[Rocky Raccoon]

All Summer Long makes me pretty sad.

question: ... are the mallets on all summer long a marimba or xylophone?

All Summer Long is pretty sad, I wonder if it was intended to be originally or if the ending of American Graffiti just ruined it forever haha.  Also, I'm pretty sure it's a marimba.  I was a multi-percussionist in my high school concert band. 

I would say Still I Dream Of It and It's Over Now from the Good Vibrations box set are two of the saddest songs I've ever heard.

[SenorPotatoHead]

Kokomo.   That one really bummed me out and still does.   

[Mendota Heights]

Barbara.

[zachrwolfe]

‍

[Gabo]

Wind Chimes is kind of sad, in a surreal way

[MBE]

Summer's Gone.

Yes because of the era it was made. The old songs still have rays of hope for the future.

[RangeRoverA1]

Summer's Gone is the only BBs song which is an epitome of sheer sadness. The rest of the canon is haunting at 'worst' & happy-go-lucky at best. I think that's what I like about The BBs' music: even the songs that normally considered sad sound optimistic. For example, A Day in the Life of a Tree is joyful & sunny, beginning to end. Don't hear anything sad in it, really.

[Dudd]

Summer's Gone is the only BBs song which is an epitome of sheer sadness. The rest of the canon is haunting at 'worst' & happy-go-lucky at best. I think that's what I like about The BBs' music: even the songs that normally considered sad sound optimistic. For example, A Day in the Life of a Tree is joyful & sunny, beginning to end. Don't hear anything sad in it, really.

But... but... it's about a tree in pain. 

[RangeRoverA1]

But... but... it's about a tree in pain. 

So what? Musically, it's very optimistic. I don't usually care about the lyrics. After all, it's not that difficult to filter them out, is it?

[Jukka]

^
I can dig and respect it, you really, really, really don't care about the lyrics. But I think by ignoring them completely you really do miss much. Some of them are great in their own right, and in addition to that, part of Brian's genius is how his melodies, harmonies and arrangements suit and complement the lyrics. You'd get more out of the music if you'd allow the lyrics to be a part of the experience, instead of filtering them out. Don't Talk, I Went To Sleep, Custom Machine... Perfect symbiosis of music and lyrics!

As for the saddest song, you don't get any sadder than the one about the tree in pain. But there is some hope hidden in the music, though. Further proving my point, how music and lyrics often work together or argue to make these interesting contrasts.

[RangeRoverA1]

What you said is right on the money & I do make exceptions towards certain songs, e.g. Cabinessence or At My Window because I like their respective lyrics for their complexity & simplicity. As for your 2nd point about "tree in pain", well, tastes differ & I dig yours. Wouldn't it be really boring if we all had similar musical preferences? I think yes.

[Wild-Honey]

That is interesting,  I cannot find anything even slightly, sunny or joyful in Day in the Life of a Tree..  In fact I can barely listen to it, I find it sad and melancholy.  I also find the music matches the mood of the lyrics also Jacks voice is perfect for the mood.  Doesn't mean I don't like it,  I actually love it,  just find it too much sometimes.  I cried so much the first time I heard it, the helplessness and (there is another word I'm trying like hell to remember, it's kinda like defeated).  Sunny?  nope.

[RangeRoverA1]

Well, I can easily deal with the fact that I have maybe a bit weird ideas about 1 or another song. But that's how I hear - ADITLOAT is very light music-wise to me.

[Jukka]

When VDP's voice kicks in during the coda, it's like someone smiling through tears. A small ray of hope.