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.
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Brian Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I can speak my mind
I've been trying hard to find the people
That I won't leave behind
They say I got brains
But they ain't doing me no good
I wish they could
Each time things start to happen againI think I got something good goin' for myself
But what goes wrong
Sometimes I feel very sad
Sometimes I feel very sad
(Can't find nothin' I can put my heart and soul into)
Sometimes I feel very sad
(Can't find nothin' I can put my heart and soul into)
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
Every time I get the inspiration
To go change things around
No one wants to help me look for places
Where new things might be found
Where can I turn when my fair weather friends cop out
What's it all about
Each time things start to happen again
I think I got something good goin' for myself
But what goes wrong
Sometimes I feel very sad
Sometimes I feel very sad
(Can't find nothin' I can put my heart and soul into)
Sometimes I feel very sad
(Can't find nothin' I can put my heart and soul into)
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
"I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" by Brian Wilson is a song that captures the feeling of being out of place in a rapidly changing world. The song begins with the singer expressing the need to find a place where he can speak his mind and find acceptance. He feels disconnected from those around him and struggles to find people who share his values and vision for the future. Despite being recognized as intelligent, he feels unfulfilled and frustrated that he can't seem to find a purpose.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly isolated and disillusioned with his attempts to make a positive change in the world. He feels like he's constantly met with resistance and negativity from those around him, and he doesn't know where to turn for help. The repetitive refrain of "Sometimes I feel very sad" underscores the sense of hopelessness and despair that the singer feels.
Overall, "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" is a poignant reflection on the difficulty of finding one's place in a rapidly changing world. The song speaks to anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong or struggled to find their footing in a world that seems to be moving too quickly for them.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep looking for a place to fit
I am searching for a place where I can belong.
Where I can speak my mind
Where I can express my thoughts freely without fear of judgment.
I've been trying hard to find the people
I have put in a lot of effort to find the right group of people.
That I won't leave behind
That I can rely on and who won't abandon me.
They say I got brains
People say that I am smart.
But they ain't doing me no good
But my intelligence is not helping me in my current situation.
I wish they could
I wish my brains could be useful to me.
Each time things start to happen again
Every time something good starts to happen to me.
I think I got something good goin' for myself
I think I am finally making progress in my life.
But what goes wrong
But something always seems to go wrong and ruin it.
Sometimes I feel very sad
I am filled with sadness at times.
(Can't find nothin' I can put my heart and soul into)
I cannot find anything that truly ignites my passion.
I guess I just wasn't made for these times
Perhaps my struggles are due to not being well-suited for the current era.
Every time I get the inspiration
Whenever I feel the urge and motivation to make changes.
To go change things around
To try to shake things up and make a difference.
No one wants to help me look for places
Nobody wants to support me in my search for new opportunities.
Where new things might be found
Where I could discover something that excites me.
Where can I turn when my fair weather friends cop out
Who can I rely on when my unreliable friends desert me?
What's it all about
What is the meaning of life, and why am I struggling so much?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN WILSON, TONY ASHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind