The first official release credited to Wilson as a solo artist was the 1966 Beach Boys single "Caroline, No" (b/w "Summer Means New Love"), due to being the single's arranger and sole vocal presence. Around the same time, Wilson also produced cuts for other artists such as The Beach Boys' spear counterpart The Honeys (member Marilyn Rovell was Wilson's first wife), and Jan & Dean, whose "Surf City" became a #1 hit single. The 1977 album Love You and the unreleased Adult/Child (recorded during the same sessions) were tentatively considered for release as Brian Wilson solo albums, although the idea fell through. Love You would be last Beach Boys albums to feature Wilson's extended involvement for the better part of 35 years.
Brian's solo career, despite a few false starts, began in earnest with the 1987 single "Let's Go to Heaven in My Car" (b/w "Too Much Sugar"), featured in the film Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. A year later, his debut solo album, the eponymous Brian Wilson, was released, at the time hailed as a 1980s equivalent of what is widely regarded as Wilson's magnum opus, 1966's Pet Sounds. A follow-up in much the same vein, Sweet Insanity, was scrapped due to various personal issues.
Also left on the shelf was a fruitful collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist Andy Paley, informally known as "The Paley Sessions". Over the years, a few tracks were released through various albums, but dozens more have been bootlegged, and a comprehensive release has yet to be assembled.
Instead, 1995 saw the release of two albums: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, a collection of re-recordings seemingly meant to reintroduce him to the public, and Orange Crate Art, a song cycle written by one-time lyricist Van Dyke Parks with contributions by Wilson, were released. An album of new compositions entitled Imagination followed in 1998.
Wilson began performing live again in 1999, and with his confidence as a performer growing ever stronger, he chose to release a live album documenting the Imagination tour (Live at the Roxy Theatre). In 2002, he began incorporating Pet Sounds in its entirety into his live performances; this, too, was documented in a live album titled Pet Sounds Live.
In 2004, Wilson revived and completed SMiLE, his unfinished 1967 album, performing the work in its entirety on a celebrated tour. The positive response lead him to record a studio version which met similar acclaim; the album cut "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental. That same year, he released Gettin' in Over My Head (containing many songs originating with the ill-fated Sweet Insanity album), featuring guest musicians Elton John, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and brother Carl, who passed away in 1998. Brian's song "Lay Down Burden" was written in tribute of his brother.
Brian released a collection of Christmas songs entitled What I Really Want For Christmas in 2005. His 2008 album, That Lucky Old Sun, marked his return to Capitol Records. As part of a two-album deal with Disney, Wilson released Reimagines Gershwin (2010), a tribute to his idol George Gershwin, and In the Key of Disney (2011), a collection of cover songs from various Disney films.
2012 saw the The Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary, reuniting a majority of surviving band members including Brian, for a worldwide tour as well as the release of an album, That's Why God Made the Radio, composed almost entirely by Wilson with an assortment of co-writers. The album became the group's biggest chart success in decades, peaking at #3 on the Billboard album charts. Status quo was restored as the group members went their separate ways again after the conclusion of the tour.
In 2015, Wilson released his eleventh studio album, No Pier Pressure. Originally conceived as a follow-up to That's Why God Made the Radio before The Beach Boys reunion fell through, the album features guest appearances by contemporary artists such as Kacey Musgraves, She & Him, and Nate Ruess (of fun.), as well as former Beach Boys Al Jardine, Blondie Chaplin, and David Marks. Summer 2015 will also see the public release of Wilson's autobiographical motion picture Love and Mercy (named after Wilson's 1988 comeback single), with actors Paul Dano and John Cusack starring as a younger and older Wilson.
Barnyard
Brian Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do their number. Out in the barnyard,
The cook is choppin' lumber.
Jump in the pig pen, next time I'll take
My shoes off.
Hit the dirt, do a two-and-a-half,
Next time I'll leave my hat off.
The lyrics to Brian Wilson's song, "Barnyard" paint a vivid picture of the hustle and bustle of farm life. The opening lines describe the chickens in the yard performing without abandon while the cook is heard chopping away at wood. This could be interpreted as a celebration of life in the barnyard where everyone is busy with their individual duties, living in harmony.
This carefree attitude is also expressed in the second verse where the singer talks about jumping in the pig pen with his shoes on, and then recklessly doing a two-and-a-half flip. The song seems to be about not taking life too seriously and enjoying every moment, no matter how mundane or difficult it may seem. It's almost as if the barnyard represents a microcosm of life in general, and the singer is suggesting that we should all let go of our inhibitions and live life as if there's no tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the barnyard, the chickens
Do their number. Out in the barnyard,
The cook is choppin' lumber.
Amidst the rural atmosphere, farm animals, namely chickens, are following their instinctual behavior while, at the same time, the cook is busy chopping wood
Jump in the pig pen, next time I'll take
My shoes off.
I'll go into the messy pig pen, but next time, I'll be more careful and remove my shoes before entering.
Hit the dirt, do a two-and-a-half,
Next time I'll leave my hat off.
I fell into the dirt and did a particular diving move. Next time, I'll take off my hat before doing the same feat to avoid losing it.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind