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.
Save The Day
Brian Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not too long ago
Change was in the air
Strangers smiled hello
Love is at the park
Flowers in our hair
Music our password
People really cared
Opened up our minds
Reached for the sky
Saw God all around
Future limitless
Made a joyous sound
Don't let your youthful dreams and vision fade away
Dust off your wild ideals and come on out and play
The power of love still can help us save the day
Save the day
Lennon said it best
Let's give peace a chance
Turn the other cheek
Practice tolerance
So we left the beach
Tried to end the war
We marched for peace
Good vibrations
Shook the status quo
We rocked the nation
Wo wo
Don't let your youthful dreams and vision fade away
Dust off your wild ideals and come on out and play
The power of love still can help us save the day
Help us save the day
Hang on to hope
We need our dreams
Don't let them crush you
Stay alive
Stay alive
Stay alive
Greed is a bad thing
Fills you up with hate
Pollution's killing us
Hope it's not too late
Let's renew our vow
Up to me and you
Time to change is now
Rise above the crowd
Register and vote
Speak your mind out loud
Don't let your youthful dreams and vision fade away
Dust off your wild ideals and come on out and play
The power of love still can help us save the day
Wo
Don't let your youthful dreams and vision fade away
Dust off your wild ideals and come on out and play
The power of love still can help us save the day
The song "Save the Day" by Brian Wilson takes the listener on a nostalgic trip back in time when people were open-minded, caring, and willing to try new things. The song paints a picture of a time when love and music brought people together and there was hope that the future would be limitless. The lyrics encourage listeners not to let go of their youthful dreams and wild ideals, but rather to dust them off and come out and play. The power of love is still strong enough, according to the song, to help save the day.
The song then takes a political turn, referencing John Lennon's famous plea for peace and urging listeners to practice tolerance and try to end the war. Good vibrations and the power of music were able to shake the status quo and even rock the nation. The lyrics warn against greed, hate, and pollution and urge listeners to make a change by speaking their minds loudly and going out to register and vote.
Overall, the song challenges the listener to continue to hold on to hope, to chase their dreams, and to use the power of love and music to make a change in the world. It is a call to action to not let go of the ideals and beliefs that one holds dear.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time
Refers to a time in the past, when something important was present
Not too long ago
The time referred to in the previous line is not too far in the past
Change was in the air
A period of transition was happening
Strangers smiled hello
People were friendly and welcoming towards each other
Love is at the park
There was an atmosphere of love and happiness in the park
Flowers in our hair
People were wearing flowers in their hair, symbolizing the carefree nature of the time
Music our password
The people of this time shared a love for music, which united them
People really cared
People had a genuine care for one another
Unafraid to try
People were not afraid to take risks and try new things
Opened up our minds
People were open to new ideas and ways of thinking
Reached for the sky
People were ambitious and believed in a better future
Saw God all around
People found beauty and goodness in everything
Future limitless
The future seemed full of possibilities and opportunities
Made a joyous sound
There was a feeling of happiness and celebration in the air
Lennon said it best
Refers to John Lennon's message of peace as being the best way forward
Let's give peace a chance
Advocates for peace as a solution to all conflicts
Turn the other cheek
Urge to forgive and let go of anger
Practice tolerance
Encourage acceptance and respect towards others
So we left the beach
Transitioned from the carefree times at the beach to face the challenges of the world
Tried to end the war
Advocated for peace and an end to war
We marched for peace
Organized public demonstrations to promote peace and end wars
Good vibrations
Positive energy which can bring about change and transformation
Shook the status quo
The positive energy and optimism disrupted the established way of doing things
We rocked the nation
The positive energy and optimism spread throughout the country
Hang on to hope
Encourage to hold on to hope during difficult times
We need our dreams
Encourage to hold on to one's dreams and aspirations
Don't let them crush you
Urge to not let obstacles and challenges discourage or defeat
Stay alive
Encourage to keep living and never give up
Greed is a bad thing
Greed is negative and can lead to harmful actions
Fills you up with hate
Greed can cause negative feelings such as hate and resentment
Pollution's killing us
The environmental pollution is causing harm to humans and the planet
Hope it's not too late
There is still hope for the future, but action needs to be taken now
Let's renew our vow
Urge to recommit to making a positive change
Up to me and you
Stresses that each person has a role to play in making the world a better place
Time to change is now
Emphasizes the urgency for making positive changes
Rise above the crowd
Encourage to be unique and stand out
Register and vote
Advocates for participation in democratic processes
Speak your mind out loud
Encourage to express one's opinions and beliefs boldly and honestly
Wo
An interjection used to express excitement or enthusiasm
Contributed by Evan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mikeomo3235
These songs need to be remastered and officially released in good quality
@thomasSrock2008
that 808 cowbell 😩
@briank4972
I would say Sweet Insanity (the first version that contains this song along with Turning Point and Heavenly Bodies) is my 2nd favorite Brian Wilson solo album, right after That Lucky Old Sun. I just really like the sound... cool chord progressions, intricately layered synth backing tracks. None of that sterile filtration that plagued later works with Joe Thomas.
@Marco-ys2he
Love this one. I like rainbow eyes from this album. I didn’t like the 2004 version
@EloraBB
never been a fan of the 2004 reworks myself either
@Marco-ys2he
We have to thank the old Landy. I’m not convinced he was a complete negative force. Brian even said he misses him back in 2006 when he passed
@ok3339
@DJ L33 a necessary monster. Like him or not, without Landy, Brian would've probably died
@sheatiller2465
Of course he was mixed, but in that situation it makes sense that you would miss someone even if they are overall terrible.
@Robert-pe9sy
There was a hq version of this song on YouTube for a while but I can’t find it. Do you have it somewhere?
@masterman7166
Hmm, i think that the version i have doesn't have this song