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The Beach Boys - Caroline, No

The Beach Boys - Caroline, No Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Pet Sounds
Released: 1966

Caroline, No Lyrics

Where did your long hair go
Where is the girl I used to know
How could you lose that happy glow
Oh, Caroline no

Who took that look away
I remember how you used to say
You'd never change, but that's not true
Oh, Caroline you

Break my heart
I want to go and cry
It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die
Oh, Caroline why

Could I ever find in you again
The things that made me love you so much then
Could we ever bring 'em back once they have gone
Oh, Caroline no

Writer/s: WILSON, BRIAN DOUGLAS / ASHER, TONY
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Caroline, No

This is a heartbreaking song about a girl who is moving on with her life, leaving the singer to wonder why she changed and what went wrong. Brian Wilson considers it one of his most successful ballads, along with "In My Room," "Surfer Girl" and "God Only Knows." He calls these ballads, "sweet, pretty, angelic songs that people liked."

Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson wrote this song with the lyricist Tony Asher, who also worked with him on "God Only Knows." It was a very personal song for both writers. Wilson married his first wife, Marilyn, in December, 1964, and the couple were going through many changes in their relationship. In the notes for the reissued album Wilson explained: "We were young, Marilyn nearing 20 and me closing in on 24, yet I thought we'd lost the innocence of our youth in the heavy seriousness of our lives."

Wilson took his concept of lost innocence to Asher, who drew from his own personal experience to complete the lyrics. Asher had recently broken up with his girlfriend, Carol, who moved across the country to New York City. When Asher visited her, he was struck by how much she had changed - her new haircut inspired the first line in the song.

Asher wrote a lyric in the song as "Carol, I Know," which Wilson interpreted as "Caroline, No," which both men agreed was a much more interesting title.

Brian Wilson put a variety of unusual instruments on this track, including harpsichord, ukulele and vibraphone. He used some of the top Los Angeles session players on the recording, including Hal Blaine on drums, Carol Kaye on bass and Glen Campbell on guitar. Blaine created a unique percussion sound by hitting an empty, upside-down water bottle, which is what you hear at the beginning of the track.

Brian Wilson recorded this without the rest of the group - on the single it's listed as "Brian Wilson," not "The Beach Boys." The released version was recorded a half step slower so that when played back, the vocal would sound a little higher in pitch. (The same technique McCartney used on "When I'm Sixty Four" - the acetate is in the original key of C major as opposed to C# on "Pepper".) It was supposed to give the vocal a more "youthful" sound. (thanks, Barry Kesten - Bellmore)

This was the last song on the original version of the Pet Sounds album. At the end of the song, the sounds of a passing train and barking dogs come in. The train came from a sound effects reel, but the dogs were original: Brian Wilson brought his pooches Banana and Louie into the studio and recorded their barks. This was done to tie in the "Pet Sounds" concept.

This song was referenced in the third verse of Neil Young's "Long May You Run," which is addressed to his famous Pontiac hearse; "Maybe the Beach Boys have got you now, with those waves singing Caroline, oh Caroline, no." (thanks, Ekristheh - Halath)

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Pet Sounds
Released: 1966

God Only Knows Lyrics

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God Only Knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would livin' do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would livin' do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

God only knows what I'd be without you

Writer/s: WILSON, BRIAN DOUGLAS / ASHER, TONY
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

God Only Knows

Brian Wilson wrote this song with Tony Asher, who was an advertising copyrighter and lyricist that Wilson worked with on songs for Pet Sounds. This song reflects Wilson's interest in spirituality, and it was a big departure from previous Beach Boys songs that dealt with girls, cars and surfing. Wilson explained to Goldmine in 2011: "Tony Asher and I tried to write something very spiritually. It's got a melody similar to the song (recites lyric to 'The Sound Of Music'), 'I hear the sound of music…' (Sings lyrics to 'God Only Knows') 'I may not always love you…' It was similar to it. Tony came up with the title 'God Only Knows.' I was scared they'd ban playing it on the radio because of the title but they didn't."

This song is considered a Beach Boys classic, but it only managed to scrape the Top 40 in the United States. That's because it was released as a B-side, partly because of fear that radio stations would refuse to play a song with "God" in the title. In the liner notes to the reissued Pet Sounds album, Tony Asher explained, "I really thought it was going to be everything it was, and yet we were taking some real chances with it. First of all, the lyric opens by saying, 'I may not always love you,' which is a very unusual way to start a love song."

Carl Wilson handled lead vocals on this track. Not long after the song was released, he said, "At present our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work."

The Beatles' "Here, There And Everywhere" was inspired by this song. John Lennon and Paul McCartney heard Pet Sounds at a party and went back to Lennon's house to write it. Paul McCartney once called "God Only Knows" "The greatest song ever written."

The famous French horn on this song was played by Alan Robinson, who appeared on the scores for many films, including The Sound of Music and The Ten Commandments. He got the call for the session because he could play without music written out. Brian Wilson sang him the horn line he had in mind, and Robinson played it by ear using a glissando technique suggested by Wilson.

Brian Wilson planned to sing the lead vocal himself, but decided that his brother Carl was better suited for the track. "I was looking for a tenderness and a sweetness which I knew Carl had in himself as well as in his voice," said Brian.

This was featured at the end of the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually. It was also used in the films Boogie Nights (P.T. Anderson's drama about the porn industry) and Saved (a 2004 drama about a Christian high school, where there are two versions, both covers). (thanks, David - Roseville, MN)

This was the theme song for the first three seasons of the HBO television series Big Love, which ran 2006-2011.

Asked by The Guardian which Beach Boys song took the least effort to write, Brian Wilson replied: "I wrote 'God Only Knows' in 45 minutes. Me and Tony Asher."

In Al Kooper's tell-all autobiography Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards , Kooper talks about his evening visiting Brian Wilson only a week before Pet Sounds hit the streets: "Brian played a test-pressing of the record, jumping up and stopping cuts in the middle and starting them over to emphasize his points. He was very proud of his accomplishment, maybe even a little show-offish, but I wasn't about to argue. Do you remember the first time you heard 'God Only Knows'?"

A cover version of the song was broadcast simultaneously across BBC television and radio channels on October 7, 2014 to launch BBC Music. The new adaptation featured Brian Wilson himself as well as various guest stars including Pharrell Williams, Sir Elton John, Lorde, Chris Martin, Stevie Wonder, One Direction and Dave Grohl.

The Beach Boys - Sloop John B

The Beach Boys - Sloop John B Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Pet Sounds
Released: 1966

Sloop John B Lyrics

We come on the Sloop John B
My grandfather and me
Around Nassau town we did roam
Drinking all night
Got into a fight
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home

So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the main sail sets
Call for the Captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I want to go home, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up
I want to go home

The first mate he got drunk
And broke in the Cap'n's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff John Stone
Why don't you leave me alone, yeah yeah
Well I feel so broke up, I want to go home

So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the main sail sets
Call for the Captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I want to go home, let me go home
Why don't you let me go home
(Hoist up the John B's sail)
Hoist up the John B
I feel so broke up I want to go home
Let me go home

The poor cook he caught the fits
And threw away all my grits
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
Let me go home
Why don't they let me go home
This is the worst trip I've ever been on

So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the main sail sets
Call for the Captain ashore
Let me go home, let me go home
I want to go home, let me go home
Why don't you let me go home

Writer/s: Edwards, Nole / Wilson, Don / Bogle, Bob / Taylor, Melvin
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Sloop John B Song Chart

This is a traditional West Indies tune about a sunken boat. It was adapted in 1951 by Lee Hays of the Weavers (as "The John B Sails") and revived in 1960 by Lonnie Donegan. The Beach Boys' folk music buff, Al Jardine, turned Brian Wilson onto the Kingston Trio's recording of the song. For their updated version, Wilson added elaborate vocals and a 12-string guitar part. He also changed some of the lyrics, including "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "...I've ever been on" as a wink to acid culture.

The song was popularized by The Kingston Trio, who adapted it from a version in poet Carl Sandburg's 1927 songbook The American Songbag. The Kingston Trio's version stays true to the song's Calypso roots, and was released on their first album in 1958. Eight years later, The Beach Boys changed the title to "Sloop John B," and came away with a hit. Their debt to The Kingston Trio goes far beyond this song: The Beach Boys adopted the group's striped, short-sleeved shirts and wholesome persona as well. (thanks, rob - Birmingham, England)

This was the biggest hit from The Beach Boys landmark album Pet Sounds. The album was the brainchild of Brian Wilson, and he got the title when Beach Boy Mike Love suggested dogs were the only creatures that would like it. To keep the animal theme, Wilson put some barking dogs on the album.

With Wilson at the controls, the album was recorded at United Western Recorders in Los Angeles, in the studio known as "Western 3." Wilson coaxed a big sound out of the little room, which measured just 14' x 34'.

Brian Wilson hired 13 musicians to record this song on a midnight-3am session on July 12, 1965. The session players packed into United Western Recorders in Los Angeles that night were:
Hal Blaine (drums)
Carol Kaye (electric bass)
Al De Lory (keyboards)
Al Casey (guitar)
Lyle Ritz (upright bass)
Billy Strange (guitar)
Jerry Cole (guitar)
Frank Capp (Glockenspiel)
Jay Migliori (clarinet)
Steve Douglas and Jim Horn (flutes)
Jack Nimitz (sax)
Charles Britz (engineer)

Billy Strange did some guitar overdubs at another session on December 29, 1965.

According to Pop historian Joseph Murrells, this was the Beach Boys' fastest selling record to date - over 500,000 within 2 weeks in the US alone. (thanks, Gary - Auckland, New Zealand)

During a discussion and performance at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles in January 2009 Wilson said that Pet Sounds was named using Phil Spector's initials. Wilson's approach to the producing of the album was influenced by Spector's "Wall of Sound" technique.

In the movie Forrest Gump, this plays when Forrest is in Vietnam, and the camera shows the latrines. The lines, "This is the worst trip I've ever been on... I wanna go home" are emphasized. (thanks, Natasha - Chico, CA)

In the days before digital, recording engineers had a limited number of tracks to work with, so they would sometimes mix-down their recordings to free up extra tracks (losing a generation of recording quality every time). "Sloop John B" was mixed down twice, while all the other songs on the album had at most one mix-down.