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Author Topic: Deciphering "He Gives Speeches" - any Twain experts out there?  (Read 11620 times)
Jeff
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« on: February 01, 2011, 01:50:34 PM »

A few of you may remember a couple of posts on the old Smile Shop board speculating that He Gives Speeches is about Mark Twain and may at one time have been intended for Do You Like Worms.  I've long believed in that theory, but haven't been able to solve the complete puzzle.  While some of the lyrics are fairly easily understood, others are difficult.

Here are the lyrics:

* He gives speeches but they put him back in bed
* Where he wrote his satire
(Twain liked to write in bed, but did others in any way "put him" there?)
 
* He gives speeches always reaches out a lot
* Led him to discover
(Probably a reference to Twain traveling a lot, and to his evolving views on various issues.)

* Silken hair more silken hair fell on his face
* And no wind was blowing
(This certainly seems to fit Twain.)

* Stepped across the golden fields
(Twain visited the California "gold fields," where many were mining for gold, and wrote about them.)

* And saw that she was soon trailing after
* She was nice and didn't fight
* He fell into her friendly persuasion
(A reference to his wife?  She had a big impact on his evolving views.)

* Late that night while by a street light
* Little hands shadowed on the ceiling
(I'm stumped by these lines.)

As for the connection to DYLW, Twain was certainly known for giving speeches criticizing U.S. imperialism in Hawaii.  He spoke about "the white man [who] came and brought various complicated diseases," and lamented the fact that native Hawaiians were basically dying off.  He sarcastically noted that "[w]hen they pick up and leave we will take possession as lawful heirs."

Twain also was fascinated by bicycles.  He wrote an essay at one point called "Taming the Bicycle," and also wrote about cycling knights in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

Incidentally, although it's doubtful that HGS would have been in a final mix of DYLW, it actually works fairly well as a part of the song.  To me DYLW drags a little bit without lead vocals, but adding in HGS livens it up to the point where the missing vocals aren't really noticeable.
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« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2011, 02:00:43 PM »

Incidentally, although it's doubtful that HGS would have been in a final mix of DYLW, it actually works fairly well as a part of the song.  To me DYLW drags a little bit without lead vocals, but adding in HGS livens it up to the point where the missing vocals aren't really noticeable.

Given that the lyric for "Worms" was entirely different, yes, most doubtful.
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« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2011, 02:45:32 PM »

Incidentally, although it's doubtful that HGS would have been in a final mix of DYLW, it actually works fairly well as a part of the song.  To me DYLW drags a little bit without lead vocals, but adding in HGS livens it up to the point where the missing vocals aren't really noticeable.

Given that the lyric for "Worms" was entirely different, yes, most doubtful.

Thanks everyone.  Just a single response, and a negative one at that.  Once again, I expressly said that I did NOT think that the finished version of DYLW would have included HGS.  But remember, HGS was recorded early on - 9/1/66, so we can't know what it was intended for.  It certainly could have been part of another song; maybe DYLW even grew out of it.

Anyway, I was hoping to stimulate discussion on what used to be the subject of this board.  Obviously a silly idea.
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« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2011, 02:57:17 PM »

Incidentally, although it's doubtful that HGS would have been in a final mix of DYLW, it actually works fairly well as a part of the song.  To me DYLW drags a little bit without lead vocals, but adding in HGS livens it up to the point where the missing vocals aren't really noticeable.

Given that the lyric for "Worms" was entirely different, yes, most doubtful.

Thanks everyone.  Just a single response, and a negative one at that.  Once again, I expressly said that I did NOT think that the finished version of DYLW would have included HGS.  But remember, HGS was recorded early on - 9/1/66, so we can't know what it was intended for.  It certainly could have been part of another song; maybe DYLW even grew out of it.

Anyway, I was hoping to stimulate discussion on what used to be the subject of this board.  Obviously a silly idea.

I'm no muso, but I don't see how "Worms" grew out of "Speeches", given that there's no melodic similarity whatsoever. As to it being part of another song, or even part of Smile at all... well, I'd say the fact that Brian didn't return to it until he was hurting for album material some ten months later is strongly suggestive of the esteem in which he held the piece.
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« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2011, 04:29:14 PM »

Incidentally, although it's doubtful that HGS would have been in a final mix of DYLW, it actually works fairly well as a part of the song.  To me DYLW drags a little bit without lead vocals, but adding in HGS livens it up to the point where the missing vocals aren't really noticeable.

Given that the lyric for "Worms" was entirely different, yes, most doubtful.

Thanks everyone.  Just a single response, and a negative one at that.  Once again, I expressly said that I did NOT think that the finished version of DYLW would have included HGS.  But remember, HGS was recorded early on - 9/1/66, so we can't know what it was intended for.  It certainly could have been part of another song; maybe DYLW even grew out of it.

Anyway, I was hoping to stimulate discussion on what used to be the subject of this board.  Obviously a silly idea.

I'm no muso, but I don't see how "Worms" grew out of "Speeches", given that there's no melodic similarity whatsoever. As to it being part of another song, or even part of Smile at all... well, I'd say the fact that Brian didn't return to it until he was hurting for album material some ten months later is strongly suggestive of the esteem in which he held the piece.

Not so, both are in F. Brian didn't need much more than two sections being the same key to weld them together, so it's not completely out of the realms of possibility - imagine the last bass note slotting into the 'Mahalo Lu Lei' section of Worms...

 Of course, AGD's second point is more pertinent, but Brian obviously didn't forget about it and favoured it over more 'canonical' Smile material for Smiley, which surely says something, and possibly not that he held them in low esteem - Wonderful and Vegetables were songs he obsessed over, for instance.

I enjoyed the lyrical analysis of it, too - I don't have much clue about those lyrics, so them being about Twain would slot it into the Americana vibe into some sort of tangential way....
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« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2011, 05:53:11 PM »

this might be my least favorite Brian Wilson song of all-time. The melody is boring and repetitive, and the words always seemed silly to me.

your analysis has made me rethink my position somewhat, so thanks.
I think the Mark Twain connection is very plausible. Has Van Dyke never commented on these lyrics?

I hear a real similarity in the background part Brian sings on "Speeches" and the tag on the end of the Cantina version of "H&V", which is one of my all-time favorite Brian Wilson moments. If "Speeches" contributed to that tag, then I appreciate it even more.

I also get a big chuckle out of "She's Goin Bald", particularly the lines "she made a beeline to her room and grabbed all kinda juice" and "it's too late mama, ain't nothin upside your head"... pretty funny stuff. so I guess the song isn't so horrible after all.


also, don't let Andrew get you down. he likes to appear the expert that he is, apparently even in matters of pure conjecture. Not sure if his tone is meant to be as condescending as it comes across... maybe it just appears that way in print.
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« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2011, 06:49:15 PM »

Thanks bossaroo.  I think you're right about the similarity between HGS and the Cantina tag, and I know others have made comments about that in the past.

I remember that someone emailed Van Dyke about HGS a few years ago, and he responded by saying "Not mine."  I really have a hard time believing that, given the lyrics are very Parksian, and he's known to be a Twain fan.  I often forget things that I write after only a few months, so it wouldn't surprise me if he forgot 40 years later.
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« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2011, 07:33:43 PM »


I'm no muso, but I don't see how "Worms" grew out of "Speeches", given that there's no melodic similarity whatsoever. As to it being part of another song, or even part of Smile at all... well, I'd say the fact that Brian didn't return to it until he was hurting for album material some ten months later is strongly suggestive of the esteem in which he held the piece.

Not so, both are in F. Brian didn't need much more than two sections being the same key to weld them together, so it's not completely out of the realms of possibility - imagine the last bass note slotting into the 'Mahalo Lu Lei' section of Worms...


Harmonic similarity, but not melodic similarity. That they share two similar (but not exact) chords doesn't seem like enough to suggest a correlation, especially given AGD's and VDP's remarks.
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« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2011, 12:56:32 AM »

Incidentally, although it's doubtful that HGS would have been in a final mix of DYLW, it actually works fairly well as a part of the song.  To me DYLW drags a little bit without lead vocals, but adding in HGS livens it up to the point where the missing vocals aren't really noticeable.

Given that the lyric for "Worms" was entirely different, yes, most doubtful.

Thanks everyone.  Just a single response, and a negative one at that.  Once again, I expressly said that I did NOT think that the finished version of DYLW would have included HGS.  But remember, HGS was recorded early on - 9/1/66, so we can't know what it was intended for.  It certainly could have been part of another song; maybe DYLW even grew out of it.

Anyway, I was hoping to stimulate discussion on what used to be the subject of this board.  Obviously a silly idea.

I'm no muso, but I don't see how "Worms" grew out of "Speeches", given that there's no melodic similarity whatsoever. As to it being part of another song, or even part of Smile at all... well, I'd say the fact that Brian didn't return to it until he was hurting for album material some ten months later is strongly suggestive of the esteem in which he held the piece.

Not so, both are in F. Brian didn't need much more than two sections being the same key to weld them together, so it's not completely out of the realms of possibility - imagine the last bass note slotting into the 'Mahalo Lu Lei' section of Worms...

Thanks for that - as I say, I'm no muso (often wish I was ) but to my simple mind, 'growing out of a song' would involve more than them just being in the same key and 'welding together', more a shared riff or chord sequence, e.g. "Wind Chimes"-"Been 'Way Too Long" or "Barbara"-"Cuddle Up".

also, don't let Andrew get you down. he likes to appear the expert that he is, apparently even in matters of pure conjecture. Not sure if his tone is meant to be as condescending as it comes across... maybe it just appears that way in print.

This is unfortunately true - I don't like peppering my posts with smileys, hence I can come across as something of a humorless pedagogue when you can't see the raised eyebrow or the wink.  I'm much nicer in person (although I expect someone who's initials are CK might debate that...).  Smiley
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« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2011, 01:49:15 AM »

This is unfortunately true - I don't like peppering my posts with smileys, hence I can come across as something of a humorless pedagogue when you can't see the raised eyebrow or the wink.  I'm much nicer in person (although I expect someone who's initials are CK might debate that...).  Smiley

It might be your avatar, Andrew. He looks a bit grumpy towards me everytime I read one of your posts.  Grin
But I assume William Beldham was much nicer in person as well.  Smiley
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« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2011, 02:42:29 AM »

This is unfortunately true - I don't like peppering my posts with smileys, hence I can come across as something of a humorless pedagogue when you can't see the raised eyebrow or the wink.  I'm much nicer in person (although I expect someone who's initials are CK might debate that...).  Smiley

It might be your avatar, Andrew. He looks a bit grumpy towards me everytime I read one of your posts.  Grin
But I assume William Beldham was much nicer in person as well.  Smiley

His two wives and nine children would agree with you.
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« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2011, 02:50:14 AM »

This is unfortunately true - I don't like peppering my posts with smileys, hence I can come across as something of a humorless pedagogue when you can't see the raised eyebrow or the wink.  I'm much nicer in person (although I expect someone who's initials are CK might debate that...).  Smiley

It might be your avatar, Andrew. He looks a bit grumpy towards me everytime I read one of your posts.  Grin
But I assume William Beldham was much nicer in person as well.  Smiley

His two wives and nine children would agree with you.

Sounds like you should write a book about him !  (by the way, two wives at the same time?  Roll Eyes  )
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Check out the Beach Boys Starline website, the place for pictures of many countries Beach Boys releases on 45.

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« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2011, 03:38:57 AM »

This is unfortunately true - I don't like peppering my posts with smileys, hence I can come across as something of a humorless pedagogue when you can't see the raised eyebrow or the wink.  I'm much nicer in person (although I expect someone who's initials are CK might debate that...).  Smiley

It might be your avatar, Andrew. He looks a bit grumpy towards me everytime I read one of your posts.  Grin
But I assume William Beldham was much nicer in person as well.  Smiley

His two wives and nine children would agree with you.

Sounds like you should write a book about him !  (by the way, two wives at the same time?  Roll Eyes  )

I'm researching it now (2012 is the 150th anniversary of his death)... and no. Stout Surrey yeomen didn't do that back then.
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« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2011, 03:54:02 AM »


I'm no muso, but I don't see how "Worms" grew out of "Speeches", given that there's no melodic similarity whatsoever. As to it being part of another song, or even part of Smile at all... well, I'd say the fact that Brian didn't return to it until he was hurting for album material some ten months later is strongly suggestive of the esteem in which he held the piece.

Not so, both are in F. Brian didn't need much more than two sections being the same key to weld them together, so it's not completely out of the realms of possibility - imagine the last bass note slotting into the 'Mahalo Lu Lei' section of Worms...


Harmonic similarity, but not melodic similarity. That they share two similar (but not exact) chords doesn't seem like enough to suggest a correlation, especially given AGD's and VDP's remarks.

This is a particularly odd remark, i think. By that logic, putting Bicycle Rider in Worms is completely insane! The melodies aren't similar at all! It belongs in H&V! etc This welding of disparate sections (particularly on H&V/'Americana' sections) is the sort of thing Brian did with Smile. And HGS/Mahalo is a change that could fit, musically. I myself have attempted it back when i could be arsed to make Smile mixes. Sounded good....

As for Brian's writing method during Smile, if i knew that I wouldn't be here!  Grin
To get boring/technical (if I haven't been already), Verse of Worms is F - Bb,  the chorus is F - Gm, Bicycle rider is Gm - C, and the Mahalo Lu Lei section is Gm - Cm.
HGS is F - Gm - C all the way thru. They ARE similar. But then, the bridge to GV shares HGS' chords. Brian likes those ones, so that could just be the extent of the link.
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« Reply #14 on: February 04, 2011, 05:40:36 AM »


This is unfortunately true - I don't like peppering my posts with smileys, hence I can come across as something of a humorless pedagogue when you can't see the raised eyebrow or the wink.  I'm much nicer in person (although I expect someone who's initials are CK might debate that...).  Smiley

What have you done to Calvin Klein to make him think so?
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« Reply #15 on: February 04, 2011, 08:49:41 AM »

As for Brian's writing method during Smile, if i knew that I wouldn't be here!  Grin
To get boring/technical (if I haven't been already), Verse of Worms is F - Bb,  the chorus is F - Gm, Bicycle rider is Gm - C, and the Mahalo Lu Lei section is Gm - Cm.
HGS is F - Gm - C all the way thru. They ARE similar. But then, the bridge to GV shares HGS' chords. Brian likes those ones, so that could just be the extent of the link.

Brian seemed to be on a writing kick with those chord changes at this time. Was it because he was writing similar chord progressions into these "fragments" to eventually thread the whole thing together and make them interchangeable, or was it just something he was stuck on at the time like he was the "Be My Baby" groove, the "Shortnin Bread" groove, and any number of boogie-woogie riffs that would appear and re-appear in his writing?

I will say Brian was ahead of the pack in a way with those motifs, and I wrote an entire analysis which touched on this. It was a Miles Davis-John Coltrane trademark which would soon be adapted by many bands like Santana, The Doors, Allman Brothers, Quicksilver Messenger Service, etc who would use those same chord sequences Brian was plugging into Smile to launch instrumental jams. For better or worse, mind you... Smiley
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« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2011, 10:38:57 AM »


This is a particularly odd remark, i think. By that logic, putting Bicycle Rider in Worms is completely insane! The melodies aren't similar at all! It belongs in H&V! etc This welding of disparate sections (particularly on H&V/'Americana' sections) is the sort of thing Brian did with Smile. And HGS/Mahalo is a change that could fit, musically. I myself have attempted it back when i could be arsed to make Smile mixes. Sounded good....

As for Brian's writing method during Smile, if i knew that I wouldn't be here!  Grin
To get boring/technical (if I haven't been already), Verse of Worms is F - Bb,  the chorus is F - Gm, Bicycle rider is Gm - C, and the Mahalo Lu Lei section is Gm - Cm.
HGS is F - Gm - C all the way thru. They ARE similar. But then, the bridge to GV shares HGS' chords. Brian likes those ones, so that could just be the extent of the link.

No argument here that the progression is similar. But there's something about Bicycle Rider -- similarity to H&V, production style, whatever -- that makes sense in the context of Worms in a way that HGS doesn't. And I think pointing out the similarity to GV just proves that two similar chords doesn't really mean anything when it comes to finding ways to merge sections together.
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« Reply #17 on: February 04, 2011, 10:49:58 AM »

The other thing to consider is that since we have full lyrics for both WORMS and SPEECHES, we can see that the two don't match very well thematically. For as cryptic as Parks lyrics are, there is a consistency in viewpoint and tone within each song. "Cabin Essence" provides the biggest shift in subject matter within a single song, but it's not too much of a stretch to connect a "home on the range" lyric with one describing an early locomotive. SPEECHES just doesn't sound like it fits into a song concerning Manifest Destiny and displacing native people; the tone, in fact, fits better with "Wonderful".
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« Reply #18 on: February 04, 2011, 12:04:34 PM »

Years ago I recall reading a thread (perhaps even here on SS.net) where the initial poster was making the case that HGS was about a baby.  It was rather interesting and actually made a lot of sense when one examines the lyrics, however the Twain idea works too.
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« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2011, 06:57:16 PM »

this might be my least favorite Brian Wilson song of all-time. The melody is boring and repetitive, and the words always seemed silly to me.

your analysis has made me rethink my position somewhat, so thanks.
I think the Mark Twain connection is very plausible. Has Van Dyke never commented on these lyrics?

I hear a real similarity in the background part Brian sings on "Speeches" and the tag on the end of the Cantina version of "H&V", which is one of my all-time favorite Brian Wilson moments. If "Speeches" contributed to that tag, then I appreciate it even more.

I also get a big chuckle out of "She's Goin Bald", particularly the lines "she made a beeline to her room and grabbed all kinda juice" and "it's too late mama, ain't nothin upside your head"... pretty funny stuff. so I guess the song isn't so horrible after all.


also, don't let Andrew get you down. he likes to appear the expert that he is, apparently even in matters of pure conjecture. Not sure if his tone is meant to be as condescending as it comes across... maybe it just appears that way in print.

Yeah, I think She's goin' Bald is definitely a case where Mike improved on the original Parks lyrics.  Makes me wish he had taken on some other Smile songs, like Cabinessence!
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« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2011, 07:50:22 PM »

No Way, HGS is Brian having fun. The lyrics are great in their Parks-Scurity...I love this tune, probably more so than SGB...
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« Reply #21 on: February 04, 2011, 08:33:52 PM »

HGS and the tag to the early H&V are musically the same idea, but it's an idea that runs through many Smile fragments.

I can't hear HGS ever being part of DYLW, or that one grew out of the other.  The two have a completely different feel to each other.

I thought Bicycle rider only became part of H&V when the single mix was produced.  I thought originally it was never intended to be part of H&V.
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« Reply #22 on: February 05, 2011, 06:59:58 AM »

HGS and the tag to the early H&V are musically the same idea, but it's an idea that runs through many Smile fragments.

I can't hear HGS ever being part of DYLW, or that one grew out of the other.  The two have a completely different feel to each other.

I thought Bicycle rider only became part of H&V when the single mix was produced.  I thought originally it was never intended to be part of H&V.

Someone made a point ( I think it was Cam) that early on,  half the SMiLE songs were probably parts of H&V. 'Half' seems like a big number, but I imagine quite a few sections at least had their origins in H&V. I always thought Bicycle Rider was also the middle section of Worms.
I always thought it was neat how the BV's of 'HGS' were the same  to the BB's vocals on the tag of the Cantina H&V. Must have been a tune Brian couldn't get out of his head.
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« Reply #23 on: February 05, 2011, 04:37:35 PM »

HGS and the tag to the early H&V are musically the same idea, but it's an idea that runs through many Smile fragments.

I can't hear HGS ever being part of DYLW, or that one grew out of the other.  The two have a completely different feel to each other.

I thought Bicycle rider only became part of H&V when the single mix was produced.  I thought originally it was never intended to be part of H&V.

I am glad someone pointed this out. The backing vox on He Gives Speeches is the exact same melody as the fade section of the cantina version of H&V. And since the fade to H&V has links to You Are My Sunshine, I always figured that HGS was an early fragment of H&V. Remember that in Al Kooper's book he mentions hearing an early version of H&V that sounded like a bunch of strange versions of You Are My Sunshine. HGS is so early in the primordial ooze of the early Smile project, that it's impossible to guess what BW's intentions were. It is obviously VDP's lyrics. Who else writes like that? But HGS was only worked on that one time in August 1966 and then never touched again until Wilson was searching for material for Smiley Smile (the bulk of Smile songs having been vetoed by the group or him or both).
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« Reply #24 on: November 04, 2011, 03:55:03 PM »

I thought the silken hair was corn silk as he's walking through a cornfield.
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