Passive aggressive lyrical digs at other BB members?

[CenturyDeprived]

Hey, The Beatles famously took not-so-subtle digs at each other in their solo work, and the BBs have been doing it since even earlier in their career.

-"'Cassius' Love vs. 'Sonny' Wilson" is a no-brainer...

-Obviously, the lyrics in "Brian" (a.k.a. "Thank You") are semi-direct digs at Brian's entire family, presumably including Mike, Carl, Audree (?) and Murry.

-"I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" might be considered a dig (or a desperate cry for help) to everyone in Brian's life, including his bandmates, that weren't über-enthusiastic about his changing/evolving musical outlook.

-Could the title of Brian's "Love is a Woman" be a partial dig/pun at making fun of Mike? Yes, the lyrics are about a man and a woman, but I'd think that someone in the band at the time would have noticed the double meaning (and at least laughed at it).

-Could Mike's "Helter Skelter" reference in "Looking Back With Love" be a subliminal dig against Dennis and his Manson connection?

Anyone got more examples? I feel like there may be more that I'm overlooking.

[shadownoze]

I have always thought that Brian's "Your Imagination" could easily be read as a dig at Mike. The lyrics can be taken positively or negatively, but think about Brian's feelings about Mike and then read these:

Another bucket of sand
Another wave at the pier
I miss the way that I used
To call the shots around here

You know it would've been nice
If I had something to do
I took a trip through the past
And got to spend it with you

You take my hand, smile (!) and say you don't understand
To look in your eyes and see what you feel
And then realize that nothing's for real
'Cause you know it's just

Your imagination running wild

And the first verse, which I didn't copy here, can be interpreted to be saying, "Another car song? Another beach song? That's way in the past."

[Les P]

I have always thought that Brian's "Your Imagination" could easily be read as a dig at Mike. The lyrics can be taken positively or negatively, but think about Brian's feelings about Mike and then read these:

Another bucket of sand
Another wave at the pier
I miss the way that I used
To call the shots around here

FWIW, I seem to recall Brian emphatically saying that he didn't write those last 2 lines when he was asked about them in an interview .

[Mayoman]

I think Brian playing "Your Imagination" for the first time in a long time at his first few shows after C50 might say something regarding his or his camp's atttitude towards the song.

[The Shift]

"Am I the kind who would run over my brother, just to get where I should be?"

Carl, in The Right Lane, from one of his solo Lps (forget which!)

[Mendota Heights]

Hey, The Beatles famously took not-so-subtle digs at each other in their solo work, and the BBs have been doing it since even earlier in their career.

...

Anyone got more examples? I feel like there may be more that I'm overlooking.

I've got some more dig examples:

• California Girls - "Well east coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear"
• Salt Lake City - "Down in Utah, the guys and I dig a city called Salt Lake"
• When I Grow Up To Be A Man - "Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?"
• Mele Kalikimaka - "I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii"

[Lowbacca]

Hey, The Beatles famously took not-so-subtle digs at each other in their solo work, and the BBs have been doing it since even earlier in their career.

...

Anyone got more examples? I feel like there may be more that I'm overlooking.

I've got some more dig examples:

• California Girls - "Well east coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear"
• Salt Lake City - "Down in Utah, the guys and I dig a city called Salt Lake"
• When I Grow Up To Be A Man - "Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?"
• Mele Kalikimaka - "I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii"

. . and don't forget "The Private Life of Bill & Sue"

[CenturyDeprived]

Hey, The Beatles famously took not-so-subtle digs at each other in their solo work, and the BBs have been doing it since even earlier in their career.

...

Anyone got more examples? I feel like there may be more that I'm overlooking.

I've got some more dig examples:

• California Girls - "Well east coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear"
• Salt Lake City - "Down in Utah, the guys and I dig a city called Salt Lake"
• When I Grow Up To Be A Man - "Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?"
• Mele Kalikimaka - "I wanna spend Christmas where I dig it the most, in Hawaii"

. . and don't forget "The Private Life of Bill & Sue"

The "dig" lyric in "The Private Life of Bill & Sue" is probably the only thing I actually like about that song, since it's a tip of the hat to BW/ML's old lingo, and shows us BW's still a child of the 60s.

[bossaroo]

-Could the title of Brian's "Love is a Woman" be a partial dig/pun at making fun of Mike? Yes, the lyrics are about a man and a woman, but I'd think that someone in the band at the time would have noticed the double meaning (and at least laughed at it).

 


"Hang on to Your Ego" always seemed like a fairly obvious dig at Mike imo

there's also Mike's comments about the other band members during the Lei'd version of Heroes & Villains

and Mike is the king of passive aggressive digs in interviews

[Andrew G. Doe]

-Could Mike's "Helter Skelter" reference in "Looking Back With Love" be a subliminal dig against Dennis and his Manson connection?

No - because he didn't have anything to do with the composition of that song. Credits are Studer/Thomas/Parker.

[retrokid67]

What about "All Summer Long" where they say "member when you spilled coke all over your blouse?"  I don't remember if it was the American Band movie or the other one where it shows Brian spilling Marylin's drink on her by accident the day they first met 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Hot chocolate, Pandora's Box, late summer/early fall 1962.

Dear lord, I just typed that without any coherent thought whatsoever...

[retrokid67]

Hot chocolate, Pandora's Box, late summer/early fall 1962.

Dear lord, I just typed that without any coherent thought whatsoever...

  it's all good

[Andrew G. Doe]

Hot chocolate, Pandora's Box, late summer/early fall 1962.

Dear lord, I just typed that without any coherent thought whatsoever...

  it's all good

This is your future, my son: turn around and run away now, while you still can... 

[CenturyDeprived]

-Could Mike's "Helter Skelter" reference in "Looking Back With Love" be a subliminal dig against Dennis and his Manson connection?

No - because he didn't have anything to do with the composition of that song. Credits are Studer/Thomas/Parker.

True, but Mike still green-lit the lyrics and sang them on his record. Considering how deeply the Manson incident affected Dennis personally (which was no secret to anyone in the band, and many would argue it was a major contributing factor to his decline/alcoholism which eventually led to 12/28/83), I'd say the Mike singing the lyric was to some degree a dig against Dennis. Mike's way too clever/perceptive a guy for the thought of the Mason/Dennis connection to have not for a moment crossed his mind when he read/approved/sang the lyric - wouldn't you agree? It was arguably the all-time most embarrassing/icky moment in the band's and more specifically Dennis' history.

Granted, Mike and Dennis' relationship was probably at an all time low around that time; Dennis was then (or would shortly thereafter get) involved with Mike's alleged daughter, and I doubt 1981 Mike was giving much of a sh*t if he hurt Dennis' feelings with singing a lyrical reminder of the connection... those guys pretty much loathed each other at that time, right? Whether the lyric was from the start conceived with ill-intent is very unlikely (I'd imagine it was inadvertent since you mentioned it was written by someone else), but the fact is that Mike allowed the lyric to make it to wax. Surely I'm overanalyzing this a bit, but such is what we do on this board.

[Jay]

He's one of us now. There's no going back.

[CenturyDeprived]

Another song that would maybe be considered a "dig" could be "She's Going Bald", against Mike... I realize the song is credited to Wilson/Parks/Love (and yes, I know that Mike sings on it), and not sure if Mike, Brian or Van suggested the initial subject matter.  

But, if perhaps Brian suggested to do a song about baldness (even if it was under the guise of a funny, psychedelic/bizarre subject, further obfuscated by it being about a girl), it would not surprise me if the song was a subliminal dig against the Lovester, who was someone that Brian surely had some brewing issues with at the time.

[CenturyDeprived]

He's one of us now. There's no going back.

 

[bluesno1fann]

He's one of us now. There's no going back.

 

[retrokid67]

I guess I should've adjusted my profile earlier   

[Andrew G. Doe]

Boy, girl, androgen - makes no difference: now, you belong to us. 

[retrokid67]

Boy, girl, androgen - makes no difference: now, you belong to us. 

Thanks I appreciate it 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Boy, girl, androgen - makes no difference: now, you belong to us. 

Thanks I appreciate it 

Errrrrrrrrrrr... you ever heard of Baron Samedi ? 

[punkinhead]

Hot chocolate, Pandora's Box, late summer/early fall 1962.

Dear lord, I just typed that without any coherent thought whatsoever...

  it's all good

This is your future, my son: turn around and run away now, while you still can... 

No way Andrew! This typ of behavior really brings in the ladies!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Actually... it does...