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.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Brian Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
Good tiding we bring to you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year
Good tiding we bring to you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
So bring some out here
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Good tiding we bring to you and your kin
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy new year
(Ooh, bop diddy)
(Ooh, bop diddy)
(Ooh, bop diddy)
And a happy new year
(Ooh, bop diddy)
(Ooh, bop diddy)
(Ooh, bop diddy)
Happy new year
Merry Christmas and a happy new year
The lyrics of Brian Wilson's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" are a cheerful expression of the holiday spirit. Across the song's three verses, Wilson repeatedly wishes his listeners a merry Christmas and a happy new year. In the second verse, Wilson sings "Oh, bring us some figgy pudding," a traditional English dessert that dates back to the 1600s. The carolers in the song request this sweet and spicy pudding and won't leave until they receive some. The third verse repeats the message of the first two, emphasizing the joyous nature of the season.
Beyond these straightforward lyrics, some additional interpretation is possible. The good tidings that Wilson sings of could be interpreted as the joyful news of the birth of Jesus Christ. Just as the carolers in the song aim to spread holiday cheer, the biblical narrative of Christ's birth is a story of hope and happiness. Additionally, the repetition of the phrase "we won't go until we get some" could be seen as a playful nod to the holiday tradition of caroling. In this context, the line could be interpreted as a statement that the carolers won't stop singing until they've brought joy to all those around them.
Overall, Brian Wilson's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a fun and festive holiday tune that celebrates the joy and happiness of the Christmas season. Through its lively melody and colorful lyrics, the song serves as a reminder of the importance of spreading goodwill and cheer to those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
We wish you a merry Christmas
We express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
Once again, we express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
One more time, we express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
And a happy new year
Additionally, we express our hope that you will have a happy and prosperous new year
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
Please, bring us some sweet dessert made with dried figs and other ingredients
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
We repeat our request for the sweet dessert made with dried figs and other ingredients
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
Again, we request for the sweet dessert made with dried figs and other ingredients
Good tiding we bring to you and your kin
We convey good news about the spirit of Christmas to you and your family
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year
We reiterate our good news about the spirit of Christmas and our hope for your happy and prosperous new year
Good tiding we bring to you and your kin
We repeat our conveyance of good news about the spirit of Christmas to you and your family
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year
Once again, we reiterate our good news about the spirit of Christmas and our hope for your happy and prosperous new year
We won't go until we get some
We insist on receiving some of the sweet figgy pudding before we leave
We won't go until we get some
We repeat our insistence on receiving some of the sweet figgy pudding before we leave
We won't go until we get some
Again, we insist on receiving some of the sweet figgy pudding before we leave
So bring some out here
Please, bring the sweet figgy pudding to us here, where we are
We wish you a merry Christmas
One more time, we express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
Yet again, we express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
Once more, we express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
And a happy new year
Additionally, we express our hope that you will have a happy and prosperous new year
Good tiding we bring to you and your kin
We convey good news about the spirit of Christmas to you and your family
Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year
Again, we reiterate our good news about the spirit of Christmas and our hope for your happy and prosperous new year
We wish you a merry Christmas
One final time, we express our desire for you to have a joyful and delightful Christmas
And a happy new year
Finally, we express our hope that you will have a happy and prosperous new year
Ooh, bop diddy
An exclamation of joy and excitement
Ooh, bop diddy
Another exclamation of joy and excitement
Ooh, bop diddy
Yet another exclamation of joy and excitement
And a happy new year
Lastly, we express our hope for your happy and prosperous new year
Ooh, bop diddy
A final exclamation of joy and excitement
Ooh, bop diddy
Another final exclamation of joy and excitement
Ooh, bop diddy
Yet another final exclamation of joy and excitement
Happy new year
Finally, we wish you a happy and prosperous new year
Merry Christmas and a happy new year
In conclusion, we wish you a joyful Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year
Contributed by Lincoln Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.