Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California) is an Am… Read Full Bio ↴Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and musician, best known for being the principal songwriter and co-lead singer for The Beach Boys, co-founded with brothers Carl and Dennis. Once known for his iconic falsetto, much of Brian's most well-known work is tinged with melancholy and existentialism. Due to his unorthodox approach to composition, arrangement, and recording, Brian is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential creative forces in popular music.

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.

You Still Believe In Me
Brian Wilson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know perfectly well
I'm not where I should be
I've been very aware
You've been patient with me

Every time we break up
You bring back your love to me
And after all I've done to you

How can it be

You still believe in me
I try hard to be more
What you want me to be
But I can't help how I act
When you're not here with me

I try hard to be strong
But sometimes I fail myself
And after all I've promised you
So faithfully

You still believe in me
I want to cry . . .

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Brian Wilson's song You Still Believe In Me are about a love that has endured through both good and bad times. The singer acknowledges that they are not where they should be, but their partner has been patient with them despite all their flaws. The love between them is apparent from the fact that even after they break up, the partner still brings back their love. The singer is bewildered at how their partner can still believe in them after everything they have done.

The singer tries hard to be more of what their partner wants them to be, but they can't help but act in a certain way when their partner is not around. They try to be strong but sometimes fail themselves, breaking their own promises, even though they have promised their partner so faithfully. Despite all this, the partner still believes in them, which makes the singer want to cry. The song is a poignant reminder of how fragile love can be, yet how resilient it continues to be against all odds.

Line by Line Meaning

I know perfectly well
I am fully aware

I'm not where I should be
I am not in the right place or mindset

I've been very aware
I have been conscious and observant

You've been patient with me
You have remained tolerant and understanding

Every time we break up
Whenever our relationship ends

You bring back your love to me
You return your affection and devotion to me

And after all I've done to you
Despite all the wrongs I have committed towards you

How can it be
I question how it is possible

You still believe in me
You still have faith in me

I try hard to be more
I exert effort to improve myself

What you want me to be
To be the kind of person you desire me to be