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.
Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine
Brian Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Painted the violets and the daffodils
He put the purple in the twilight haze
Then did a rainbow for the rainy days
Dreamed up the murals on the blue summer skies
Painted the devil in my darling's eyes
Captured the dreamer with a thousand thrills
The old master painter from the faraway hills
He smiled down from heaven and he gave me you
What a beautiful job on that wonderful day
The old master painter from the hills faraway
The old master painter from the faraway hills
Painted the violets and the daffodils
He put the purple in the twilight haze
Then did a rainbow for the rainy days
Dreamed up the murals on the blue summer skies
Painted the devil in my darling's eyes
Captured the dreamer with a thousand thrills
The old master painter from the faraway hills
Then came his masterpiece and when he was through
He smiled down from heaven and he gave me you
What a beautiful job on that wonderful day
The old master painter from the hills faraway
Faraway, faraway
In Brian Wilson’s song “Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine,” the singer describes the world as painted by an old master painter from the faraway hills. He depicts the flowers, the colors of nature, and the skies as the product of this painter’s brush. The chorus suggests that the singer views his lover as the ultimate masterpiece of this painter. The lyrics paint a picture of a romantic dream world, where the beauty of nature and the cherished love of another work together in harmony.
Wilson’s music uses contrasting elements in this song to support the dreamlike quality of the lyrics. The melody is sweet and simple while the harmonies are complex and rich, creating an other-worldly atmospheric sound. Wilson uses a bright instrumental palette to create a vivid landscape, and the lyrics themselves are rife with romantic imagery. The pairing of an idealized love with the imagined talents of a fictional master painter makes for a captivating and imaginative piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
The old master painter from the faraway hills
An artist of great skill from a distant place
Painted the violets and the daffodils
Created beautiful, colorful flowers
He put the purple in the twilight haze
Added the color purple to the sky at dusk
Then did a rainbow for the rainy days
Painted a rainbow to brighten up a gloomy day
Dreamed up the murals on the blue summer skies
Imagined and painted beautiful, large-scale images on the bright summer sky
Painted the devil in my darling's eyes
Used his talent to depict a sinister quality in my beloved's gaze
Captured the dreamer with a thousand thrills
Created art that was so powerful it made people feel incredibly alive and inspired
Then came his masterpiece and when he was through
After all his hard work and dedication, he completed a work of art so great it was undeniably his masterpiece
He smiled down from heaven and he gave me you
Heavenly approval of his masterpiece and his greatest gift to the world- my beloved
What a beautiful job on that wonderful day
An expression of awe and gratitude for the creation of such beauty in the world
The old master painter from the hills faraway
A continued acknowledgement of the artist's incredible skills and legacy, even from afar
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind