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.
Pet Sounds
Brian Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong
You know its gonna make it that much betterWhen we can say goodnight and stay together
Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through
Happy times together we've been spending
I wish that every kiss was never ending
Wouldn't it be nice
Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true
Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do
We could be married
And then we'd be happy
Wouldn't it be nice
You know it seems the more we talk about it
It only makes it worse to live without it
But lets talk about it
Wouldn't it be nice
Good night my baby
Sleep tight my baby
The song "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is about the yearning for the idealistic kind of love that is often portrayed in movies and television, where two people are able to spend their lives together without any obstacles in their way. The song starts off with the wish to be older so that waiting for love to work out wouldn't take so long. Another wish expressed in the song is the desire to wake up together in the morning and spend every moment of the day together, eventually leading to a lifetime of blissful marriage.
The song reflects the innocence and optimism of youth and the hope that everything will work out perfectly in the end. It is a dreamy, sentimental love song that describes an ideal world where all problems are solved and all wishes are fulfilled. The song represents a longing for something greater than one's current reality, and it has resonated with people for decades because it touches on these universal themes of love, hope, and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
It would be fantastic if we were already grown-ups
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
We wouldn't have to wait a lot of time for things such as living together
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
How sweet it would be to reside together
In the kind of world where we belong
In a world where we feel like we fit in
You know its gonna make it that much better
It will make things a lot more pleasant if we can remain together throughout the night
When we can say goodnight and stay together
It would be wonderful to kiss goodnight and stay in each other's arms
Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
It would be nice to wake up together
In the morning when the day is new
When the sun has just begun to rise
And after having spent the day together
After being in one another's company for the entire day
Hold each other close the whole night through
Embrace each other throughout the night
Happy times together we've been spending
We've been having very joyful moments together
I wish that every kiss was never-ending
I would really like it if every kiss we ever had never stopped
Wouldn't it be nice
Would not it be fantastic
Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true
It's possible that our dreams could come to fruition if we believe and pray
Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do
If we stay together, we will be capable of achieving anything our hearts desire
We could be married
We could choose to wed
And then we'd be happy
If we got married, we would be happy
You know it seems the more we talk about it
It seems the more we discuss it
It only makes it worse to live without it
The longer we wait for things, the harder it becomes to live without them
But let's talk about it
Let's have a conversation about it
Wouldn't it be nice
Wouldn't it be wonderful
Goodnight my baby
Goodnight, my beloved
Sleep tight my baby
Sleep well, my darling
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brian Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gailsutherland5764
I am overwhelmed by Brian Wilson's goodness. He wrote music to make people to happy.
@1920Janice
I have suffered from mental illness my entire life and was ashamed of it. Brian and his music have taught me that i have nothing to be ashamed of. Thank You Brian !!
@marias7599
1920Janice
You didn’t have anything to feel ashamed of dear.
The best of this Universe to you
@gavinking9215
Keep on please
@DummyYEEEAAHHHHH
Amen to that. I too have struggled with mental health and substance amd alcohol abuse for the better part of my life and I'm only 31.... Brian's music is not only genius...but also very therapeutic. He is truly one of the greatest musicians/song writers and composers of all time. Like Sean Lennon once said.. "I listen to the Beach Boys everyday because Brian's music is powerful enough to make the worst of days tolerable with his brilliant melodies and lyrics... God bless Brian Wilson.
@DummyYEEEAAHHHHH
@Justin Puga Yes he did... I honestly forget which one it was...but it was was on a documentary about him...theres quite a few.... A cpl yrs ago Showtime did a documentary about the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds... If u go thru the track list on thr album..and search for example "behind the sound..wouldnt it be nice" and there will be a 7-8 min video talking about each song.. The documentary features commentary by Brian(obviously lol),Al Jardine,and alot of the Wrecking Crew interviews... The wrecking crew was a group of extremely talented studio musician's...frequently used by Brian's idol Phil Spector(atleast before he killed that girl)...thats a good one... If u search Brian Wilson documentaries..theres like 6 or 7 of em...all very good... Check em out brother...youll dig it...alsk idk if your a Crosby,Stills,Nash,and Young fan.. Another great documentary by Cameron Crowe called "Remember My Name" its about David Crosby...and one more lol...its called "Echo in the Canyon" by Bob Dylan's son Jakob...its about all the bands that came out of Laurel Canyon in the 60s... He interviews Brian Wilson,Jackson Browne,Graham Nash,Ringo,Eric Clapton and alot more...its great...so theres a list of dope documentaries about bands that we both obviously like... Enjoy my friend....also check out the trailers to "Echo in the Canyon" and "Remember My Name"...it'll give u a taste on how good those documentaries are.
@owennied8039
you don't have anything to worry about. I love you so much :)
@58joana
To have suffered what he has and still be able to do this , it's a miracle of love
@organaphus
I've heard people say that Brian doesn't have much charisma or stage presence...I think he has more presence than any pretentious rock performer alive. He may not jump around the stage, but he speaks to the audience like his friends, and he relates to people so well...he makes you feel as though he is speaking directly to you every time.
@1920Janice
I met Brian Wilson at a meet & greet when my son and I went to The 50th Anniversary Of Pet Sounds concert. He was such a sweet man! I only talked to him for a couple of minutes but he was smiling and very friendly. He was also happy to take a picture with those of us that were there to meet him. It truly was a special night for me and my son!! 😊❤️