'All I Wanna Do' Mystery Lyrics

[krabklaw]

If you you listen to the phrase "lonely every time" repeatedly you'll hear it. It can sound like "lonely in the night"; that's what I thought it was for a while. There is no 'n' sound for night- it's a 't' sound, and if you listen closely enough you will hear the word "time".  I'm now hearing the line as "Whenever it's lonely, every time I've come and given to you".

[Tom]

This is definitely subjective to a point since the vocal is so heavily processed and not very high in the mix, but I think we do have to use a degree of logic too. Chances are the lyric forms a coherent sentence (this was generally their preference, even when writing counterpoint lines that were to be less audible), and chances are it matches the overall sentiment of the song.

A side question worth discussion - was this a Brian vocal arrangement or did he just sing his parts then split, with Carl figuring out the counter melodies?

[Tom]

Another cover. Another using the "Lonely in the night I feel" during the fade.  Its not just me. I think it is a great, simple lyric that describes Brian perfectly at this time in his life....or most times in his life.

https://youtu.be/6TR0cL0ztSc

The cover artists don't have access to any more info than we do - they're just guessing. Both of the covers you posted use a wrong lyric in the bridge  - 'my moon and stars...' when it should be 'like moon and stars...'. Further, many of the covers on YT and elsewhere don't even get the chords right for the last bar of the bridge - it's supposed to go E7-Am under 'stars shine nightly' - the guy in that acoustic version just lingers on E7, to very strange musical effect. The first one you posted gets it right, to be fair, but most don't - check the Antoine Diligent version for e.g. which gets it even more wrong, just going to a G chord for the last two bars of the bridge. And that's on a professional level recording.

So yeah, I'd say the covers are a non argument here - all they do is perpetuate the same misconceptions about the content of the song.

Really look at the lyrics - the whole essence of the song is that the narrator feels warm inside even though they're apart, because he's able to send good thoughts. The lyric is almost completely selfless (rare for a love song). 'Lonely in the night I feel' is nonsensical, and directly contradicts the rest of the lyric - something starting with 'If you get lonely...' is much more in line with the overall sentiment. Plus the fact that Carl's melody there clearly doesn't start on the word lonely - it starts with a C4 on beat 2, with a lyric that certainly sounds like 'if' to my ears.

Of course, a vocal only mix on the Feel Flows set is the only thing that can settle the debate at the end of the day - let's hope it happens.

[Tom]

For what it's worth, I checked the Mike live versions and they dodge this line altogether. So I guess Mike and Bruce don't remember either?

[sloopjohnb72]

This is definitely subjective to a point since the vocal is so heavily processed and not very high in the mix, but I think we do have to use a degree of logic too. Chances are the lyric forms a coherent sentence (this was generally their preference, even when writing counterpoint lines that were to be less audible), and chances are it matches the overall sentiment of the song.

A side question worth discussion - was this a Brian vocal arrangement or did he just sing his parts then split, with Carl figuring out the counter melodies?

It sounds like a Brian vocal arrangement, and all 5 are singing on the same track here, probably at the same time - Bruce is singing the "all I wanna do" line, Brian's doing a high falsetto, Al is singing the midrange "do do do do" part, Mike is singing the bass vocal, and Carl's singing this line.

[sloopjohnb72]

On the covers and 'lonely in the night I feel' - that lyric shows up on every single lyrics site. Once someone posts the lyrics somewhere for the first time, they end up on every site with all the same errors. Similarly, "she's goin' bald" is the line written on every lyric site for Mike's first bass part in SGB, when listening to the song clearly reveals he's singing 'she was kinda nutty.'

The line here starts before the word 'lonely' and continues for two more measures, and 'lonely in the night I feel' wouldn't even make sense in the context of the song. It's just something someone heard that got repeated, since it's clearly very hard to tell what's being sung here.

[Tom]

Straining my ears but the line really is almost inaudible after a certain point. I am convinced it starts with 'If you get lonely in the night'. OP - I hear the faint 't' sound you're referring to but I think that's more an incidental click or percussion thing - the second and third times round it's clearer and he's definitely singing 'in the night' there. It does sound like some variation of 'I'd come/I come/I'd call/I call' next. The rest of the melody can be made out, but the words are mush. Fingers crossed for acapella or an answer from Mr. Desper in the other thread.

[krabklaw]

For what it's worth, I checked the Mike live versions and they dodge this line altogether. So I guess Mike and Bruce don't remember either?

In that live performance I noticed that for this line Mike sings it "Like THE moon and stars shine nightly". It's very hard to hear a  "the" on the record and, according to Custom Machine, "the" is not included on the published sheet music, but I think it's there on the record.

[krabklaw]

8/30/2020 Update:
Although I've gone to great effort in trying to determine what these lyrics are for my video, listening to some lines literally hundreds of times, sometimes one syllable at a time, I will allow that some degree of error could exist. Maybe time (or some nice isolated vocal tracks) will judge how well I have done in my attempt to determine exactly what these 'missing lyrics' are. This is what I've come up with:

All I wanna do
Is always bring good to you

To give you all the love I can
And help you in whatever you do

Sure as the sun will come around again to start off another day
You can be sure that in my heart and soul I'll love you in every way

All I wanna do
Is bring happiness to you

I hope it makes you happy to know
My love's with you wherever you go

Ooh, when I sit and close my eyes
A gentle thought comes in my mind

My love is burnin' brightly
Like the moon and stars shine nightly

{Note:  Lines notated with the a, b, c, and d are sung simultaneously}

a. All I wanna do...All I wanna do
b. All I wanted to do is just send a prayer to the people
c. I want you to warm me all night and know that I'll warm you too

a. All I wanna do...All I wanna do
b. Yes, I wanted to rely on you when ya just send a prayer to the world
c. I want you to rely on our love and know we rely on you
   When you're all rockin'

Ooh, let these little words of love
Become the lamps that light your way

My love is burnin' brightly
Like the moon and stars shine nightly

a. All I wanna do...All I wanna do
b. All I wanted to do is come and give to you
c. Whenever it's lonely every night I've come in faith to you
The feel, the real

a. All I wanna do...All I wanna do
b. My love is burnin' brightly, like the moon and stars shine nightly
c. Now all our love is burning bright, these gifts sent just for you
d. My advocates thoroughly ending pride, I've come in faith to you
The feel, the real

a. All I wanna do...All I wanna do
b. My love is burning brightly, like the moon and stars shine nightly
c. Now all I wanted to do is do it again for you
d. Ne'er forget to the end of time I come in faith to you
The feel, the real

[Tom]

I think the simpler explanation is probably the correct one here. They did sometimes have lyrics change throughout repetitions in a coda (e.g. Break Away 'mothers and brothers' etc...) - but more often they kept them the same on each repetition. They also never used words like 'advocate' - Mike would have scoffed at a lyric like that.

I do think the full lyric is genuinely indiscernible in the existing mix, such that over-listening will only reinforce whatever your brain has decided it's hearing. I still hear 'If(/when) you get lonely in the night I...' on every repetition. It just makes the most sense, bearing in mind the stuff about sending words of love to light the way in darkness etc. The word 'lonely' is the most indisputable overall, it is definitely present every time.

Perhaps someone could try with the slightly more 'spatialised' version from the Desper study video, on the odd chance anyone still has access to it.

[WillJC]

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[krabklaw]

I think the simpler explanation is probably the correct one here. They did sometimes have lyrics change throughout repetitions in a coda (e.g. Break Away 'mothers and brothers' etc...) - but more often they kept them the same on each repetition. They also never used words like 'advocate' - Mike would have scoffed at a lyric like that.

I do think the full lyric is genuinely indiscernible in the existing mix, such that over-listening will only reinforce whatever your brain has decided it's hearing. I still hear 'If(/when) you get lonely in the night I...' on every repetition. It just makes the most sense, bearing in mind the stuff about sending words of love to light the way in darkness etc. The word 'lonely' is the most indisputable overall, it is definitely present every time.

Perhaps someone could try with the slightly more 'spatialised' version from the Desper study video, on the odd chance anyone still has access to it.

Tom, you seem to be a logical guy and thank you for your thoughts on these lyrics. I would maintain though, that in this same time period, Mike Love wrote songs with such words and phrases as "ecological aftermath", "omnipresent", "emancipate", "astrology", and "transcendental meditation". I don't think it's much of stretch to think he would use the word "advocates" in this song. This was written in a time when the Beach Boys were struggling to regain some commercial relevance in the face of major cultural shifts and 'All I Wanna Do' is a song that reflects that.

[Dan Lega]

To make it clear, this is what I'm hearing from Carl:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tEcsst0coh1pAPM2NclXDb0_K1kfJNYV/view?usp=sharing

In this isolated clip the best I can figure is... "If you feel lonely in the night I'd always be with you." 

Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, though.   

At first I heard "call", but I couldn't hear "call and...", so that's why I think it might be "always".

[WillJC]

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[Tom]

Yeah, there's definitely not that many lyrical parts going on. The delay and the sheer density of the production makes it sound like more.

Mike: All I wanna do (straight rhythm, low)
Al and Brian: Doo doo doo's in two part harmony
Bruce: All I wanna do (syncopated, high lead part)
Carl: If/when you get lonely in the night I/I'd [indecipherable]

Then the 'my love is burning brightly' bit comes in which is an overdub. But that's definitely all there is.

[Jay]

After listening to the song carefully several times, the only thing I can conclude for sure is that different people are singing totally different lyrics at the same time, and it's very confusing. lol

[WillJC]

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[loren swartz]

I like the version JMC posted. She’s a Canadian artist, I believe. Yes, she sings the wrong lyrics using “my moon” instead of “like (the) moon”. I’ve always heard them that way and believe the work better in the song. There must be a dozen different versions I’ve listened to recently and her version captures the vibe of the song exceedingly well.

[Tom]

Resurrecting this thread since it's relevant again.

The acapella solves it - Carl's line is "If you get lonely in the night I'd come and be with you"

[hongkongcrowe]

Definitely Mike Love's finest tune in the Beach Boys pantheon.

[krabklaw]

Resurrecting this thread since it's relevant again.

The acapella solves it - Carl's line is "If you get lonely in the night I'd come and be with you"

 I need to have a listen if it's on the  YouTube

[pixletwin]

I've always the lyric as "Black moon and starts shine nightly" makes a kind of poetic sense... kind of...