Brian´s new Songs...

[Sam_BFC]

I think the mumma-yumma-glory chant was referred to as originating from the 1970s.

[wallabie]

@Rocker: I think I meant the plural you and not the singular "you"... 

[Rocker]

@Rocker: I think I meant the plural you and not the singular "you"... 

I'd guess so, but where did anyone say that most of the songs were written in the 70s ? Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember.

[wallabie]

Maybe I imagined it but I thought a guy wrote it on page 1... gosh... I should stop drinking the irish milk.. or the water...

By the way - ireland. "Hurrican" Brian hit Ireland by the start of september. The tickets were daylight robbery (250 Bucks) so i didn´t go there.. but I got a nice Video and some pictures... 

[runnersdialzero]

Well, I don`t see the point in debating a few percent here or there Clearly Scott wrote the lyrics which is half of the song right there.

Lyrics are not half of a song.

[the captain]

Well, I don`t see the point in debating a few percent here or there Clearly Scott wrote the lyrics which is half of the song right there.

Lyrics are not half of a song.

That absolutely depends on the song in question (or really, the listener's taste). In many cases, lyrics are far more than half a song: Bob Dylan, Lou Reed/VU, or the Mountain Goats would be examples when at least sometimes the music is entirely unremarkable except for the lyrics. For most BBs-related music, I'd agree that the music is more interesting to me, and so "more than half."

[Mr. Cohen]

That absolutely depends on the song in question (or really, the listener's taste). In many cases, lyrics are far more than half a song: Bob Dylan, Lou Reed/VU, or the Mountain Goats would be examples when at least sometimes the music is entirely unremarkable except for the lyrics. For most BBs-related music, I'd agree that the music is more interesting to me, and so "more than half."

YOU ARE SCUM.

[the captain]

Hmm, in this thread I've now been called scum and been asked by a drug-ranter whether I wear women's underwear. Perhaps it's time for me to bow out.

[Mr. Cohen]

Actually, it just makes you sound like you must be Lou Reed.

[Surfer Joe]

Well, I don`t see the point in debating a few percent here or there Clearly Scott wrote the lyrics which is half of the song right there.

Lyrics are not half of a song.

That absolutely depends on the song in question (or really, the listener's taste). In many cases, lyrics are far more than half a song: Bob Dylan, Lou Reed/VU, or the Mountain Goats would be examples when at least sometimes the music is entirely unremarkable except for the lyrics. For most BBs-related music, I'd agree that the music is more interesting to me, and so "more than half."

Good post, I agree with Luther here, although he is a bounder and a cad [there, add those!].

To me, even titles are bigger than the actual lyrics in some cases, including a lot of the Beach Boys' classic stuff. Once you had "Good Vibrations" or "California Girls" or "I Get Around" the idea is there and the rest falls into place. "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?"- there's a classic, but can many people hum the whole thing or give me a lot of the lyrics beyond the memorable title?

Something like Peggy Lee's hit "Is That All There Is" is overwhelmed by the lyrics, and even a lot of  older songs like Johnny Mercer's "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" and Nat King Cole's "Straighten Up And Fly Right" seem to get more bang out of the lyrics than the melody. "Who Let The Dogs Out"- I'm going with the lyrics. "Whoomp! (There It Is)"- ditto. The 1966 "Batman Theme"- tie.  "Tequila"- ditto. Most of Beethoven's stuff, I'm going with melody.  "Bridge Over Troubled Water"- both. "The Macarena"- neither.

Off hand, I don't know if there's ever been one Brian Wilson song that truly had stronger lyrics than melody. There must be one somewhere.

[the captain]

Off hand, I don't know if there's ever been one Brian Wilson song that truly had stronger lyrics than melody. There must be one somewhere.

I prefer the H&V lyrics to the melody. So if co-writes count, I'd vote for that. And of course I, a cross-dressing cad/scum/bounder (I don't even know what a bounder is, actually), say this at the risk of being called a thief or rapist or something...

[the captain]

Oh, and I was going to vote for Speed Turtle, but Brian didn't write it.

[Surfer Joe]

Off hand, I don't know if there's ever been one Brian Wilson song that truly had stronger lyrics than melody. There must be one somewhere.

I prefer the H&V lyrics to the melody. So if co-writes count, I'd vote for that.

That's a decent call, you sheep-stealer.  I would agree that that one's a better lyric than melody, just because it's one of the best lyrics ever put to a Brian Wilson song, in my opinion, and also, it's much more of a production/arrangement than melody. So yeah, but it's not a real big disparity, like so many are going the other way.

[Surfer Joe]

On second thought, make that "horse thief".

[nobody]

Hmm, in this thread I've now been called scum and been asked by a drug-ranter whether I wear women's underwear. Perhaps it's time for me to bow out.

G-strings aren't really women's underwear. Well, they are but not exclusively. Do you find it sexy when you see the strings over a girl's pants, Luthy? I think I developed a fetish for that due to being in school classrooms before schools issued a ban on any visible underwear. Those were the days. Thongs everywhere. Total distraction. My 10th grade science teacher (female, mid 30s, quite sexy) used to wear a tiny white g-string every single day and it would always make itself known at some point every day. I didn't learn a thing.

[the captain]

Shhh. And don't call me Luthy.

[Nicko1234]

It is quite an interesting debate I guess and I would say that in nearly all cases that music and lyrics are equal contributions (obviously if a song contains almost no music or lyrics then that changes things). With The BBs I think that the lyrics are just as important as the music in terms of songwriting (production and vocal arrangements are a different thing of course). For example, if those early songs had been about anything other than surfing or cars then I don`t think they would have been hits. Also, the words to California Girls, whether they are good or not, are crucial to the song as if it had been about any other subject then it would never have become the group`s anthem.

On some of the lesser songs this is even more apparent. Match Point of Our Love is musically not too bad but it`s the lyrics that have led to it being almost universally panned. And if the lyrics of Summer of Love were combined with any music then I can`t believe that a good song would materialise.

[Amy B.]

I think if you're Cole Porter, the lyrics are as important as the music. If you're Brian Wilson, not so much.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Off hand, I don't know if there's ever been one Brian Wilson song that truly had stronger lyrics than melody. There must be one somewhere.

That's a fascinating question. I guess it's true across the board, including all artists/musicians, but especially with Brian Wilson.

I can only think of a couple of songs, and I don't feel particularly strongly about these, but maybe "Your Summer Dream", "Add Some Music To Your Day", and "Take A Load Off Your Feet".

[Surfer Joe]

Amy, I agree, and I have always disagreed that the early stuff rode the coattails of the surfing and car genres.  There were a ton of bands doing that stuff at the time, and the Beach Boys emerged from the pack.  I think they could have taken Murry's suggestion and written about yellow roses and had hits with songs and vocal arrangements that were that good.  They were going to happen no matter what. That being said, the lyrical subject matter and the lyrics are sort of different discussions. 

Sheriff, interesting picks- especially "Add Some Music".  Brian Wilson's stuff has had a wide variety of quality in the lyrics, ranging from the brilliance of Parks, which fully answered Brian's genius, to the awfulness of some of the stuff like "It's Over Now" and "That Same Song" and a lot of other mid-seventies "Johnny Carson" era material that I find really frustrating, though some people seem to find a great camp value in that period.

[Aegir]

I never thought "It's Over Now" had "bad" lyrics.

[donald]

Who wrote the lyrics to Stardust?  We remember the composer....but the lyricist?

[Wirestone]

It's Over Now --

The flame of love we had has finally died
Can't take this emptiness it left inside
It's over now

And though I played the role I lost my soul
It's still within your heart
It's over now
It's over now
Shades of blue and purple haunt me

The noise outside my window carries on
Like distant bugles love is very gone
It's over now

It took a part of me, the heart of me
To watch it fade away
It's over now
It's over now
Shades of blue and purple haunt me

Heaven
Heaven is far away
Angels no longer play

I need to take this fear and force it down
And just pretend that you are not around
It's over now

I'll put a Frank Sinatra album on
And cry my blues away
It's over now
It's over now
Shades of blue and purple haunt me

[Nicko1234]

Like distant bugles love is very gone

Now that is a terrible line but the rest of it is ok.

[hypehat]

Like distant bugles love is very gone

Now that is a terrible line but the rest of it is ok.

It's not the line, it's the way he tells 'em.