Born in Hawthorne, California to Murry and Audree Wilson, Carl Wilson was the youngest of the Wilsons' three sons. A contrast to the ambitious and melancholy Brian and the rebellious Dennis, Carl was a quiet, well-mannered young man who rarely if ever felt the brunt of the parental abuse often perpetrated by father Murry. As a teenager, Carl became enamored with the growing rock and roll scene, particularly Chuck Berry, whom he sought to emulate when learning to play the guitar. Carl's love of rock and roll is partly credited with shaping the early sound of The Beach Boys, and as a result, surf rock as a whole.
When The Beach Boys were formed, Carl became lead guitarist; his Berry-inspired lead guitar lines are a staple of many of their early, primarily surf rock-driven hit singles, among them their very first, "Surfin'" (1961). During the first three years of the band's existence, Carl rarely sang lead vocals. Notably, when Brian's production methods started to shift more towards session musicians, Carl remained one of the few group members to still contribute instrumental tracks, recording guitar leads during vocal sessions with his guitar plugged directly into the soundboard.
As the '60s progressed, Carl became a more confident singer and performer; following his much-vaunted lead vocal for "God Only Knows", featured on the seminal Pet Sounds (1966), more and more often he found himself in the role of a featured lead vocalist, a role previously dominated by Brian and bandmate Mike Love. Following the worldwide success of "Good Vibrations", throughout the '60s Carl would continue to lend his voice to (admittedly more modest) hit singles such as "Darlin'", "I Can Hear Music", and "Wild Honey".
After brother Brian's retirement as an onstage performer in 1965, Carl assumed the role of de facto onstage bandleader (contracts from this time stipulating that promoters would be hiring "Carl Wilson plus four other musicians"), eventually taking charge of studio sessions as well in response to Brian's continually decreasing role within the group. In the late '60s, Carl also made headlines as a conscientious objector to the ongoing Vietnam War; at one point, the Beach Boys were forced to go on tour without Carl due to his having to appear before the draft board.
Though never a prolific songwriter, the dawn of the '70s saw the genesis of Carl's first self-composed songs; previously released songs credited to Carl had been either surf rock instrumentals, or songs on which he was credited for arrangement ideas rather than songwriting. Together with then-manager Jack Rieley, Carl wrote two songs for The Beach Boys' 1971 album Surf's Up; namely, "Feel Flows" and "Long Promised Road", the latter of which he viewed as his "first real song." Subsequent Beach Boys albums would typically feature a couple of Carl Wilson originals, usually co-written with a bandmember or other writer.. Another notable song composed with Rieley was "The Trader", an anti-imperialist opus that opened side two of the Beach Boys' 1972 album Holland. This particular album was meant to be Brian's glorious return to the producer's chair, but a lack of interest on his part resulted in Carl having to take the brunt of the responsibility.
Throughout the '70s, Carl also served as producer for a number of other artists such as Ricci Martin (son of Dean Martin; Carl would later marry Dean's daughter Gina), and South African group The Flame, of which members Blondie Chaplin Rikki Fataar would serve as members of The Beach Boys for a couple of years. The lineup including Chaplin and Fataar would release the album Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (1972), its title a reference both to a long-forgotten name once used for the group that would become The Beach Boys, as well as a nod at Carl's long-running de facto leadership.
By the early 1980s, The Beach Boys had split into several camps, the two most basic of which were "nostalgia" and "progress"; Carl was of the latter group. Frustrated with the band's continuing reliance on decade-old hits and half-hearted emulation of their '60s aesthetics, Carl took a leave of absence in 1981. During the years that followed, he would release two solo albums--Carl Wilson (1981) and Youngblood (1983)--which received favorable reviews but disappointing sales, not at all helped by a lack of record label support and promotion.
By the time Youngblood was released, however, Carl had already rejoined his old group. That same year, brother Dennis drowned in an unfortunate accident, and was given the unique honor of receiving a burial at sea, an honor usually reserved for war heroes. Though Carl would relegate songwriting and production duties to other bandmates and parties, he continued to produce his own recordings throughout the years. Notably, he performed co-lead vocals on The Beach Boys' last #1 hit, "Kokomo".
A habitual smoker since age 13, Carl was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1997; he would continue performing live with The Beach Boys until a few months before his death. Though his illness had stricken him to the point where he had trouble standing up, when performing "God Only Knows", he always respectfully stood for the duration of the song. Carl Wilson died in February 1998, only three months after the death of his mother, Audree Wilson. He was survived by his brother Brian, wife Gina Martin Wilson, and two sons by his first marriage, Justyn and Jonah. His gravestone is inscribed with the words "The heart and voice of an angel."
Posthumously, Carl has been featured on a number of recordings, most notably with supergroup Beckley-Lamm-Wilson (consisting of Gerry Beckley of America and Robert Lamm of Chicago, alongside Carl), on some of brother Brian's (whose 1998 song "Lay Down Burden" was dedicated to his late brother) solo recordings, and the continuing slew of archival releases by The Beach Boys. Though his Beach Boys vocal spots are usually given to other group members now, performances of "God Only Knows" have often made use of Carl's original, irreplaceable vocal tracks.
The Grammy
Carl Wilson Lyrics
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After all the time I've been out here
My music is still the same
Why is it just now getting there?
Wonder why this one got such play?
Wonder why all the fuss is made?
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
Who's the judge of this anyway?
My music said what I had to say
Who decides if it's wrong or right?
The authority with such insite?
Wonder why this one got the play?
Wonder why all the fuss is made?
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
We thought you wanted to be a star
You worked so hard to get this far
You played all the small time scenes
We just wanted to fulfill your dreams
You won a Grammy, you won a Grammy
You won a Grammy, you won a Grammy
Don't think I want to be bothered at all
Maybe I'll just give them a call
I won't go through pomp and circumstance
Anyway, my music isn't fancy
You invite me to share my fame
I've decided not to play your game
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
We thought you wanted to be a star
We thought you wanted to be a star
We thought you wanted to be a star
We thought you wanted to be a star
We thought you wanted to be a star
We thought you wanted to be a star
We thought you wanted to be a star
The lyrics to Carl Wilson's "The Grammy" express the frustration and confusion that can come with sudden fame and recognition in the music industry. Wilson is questioning why his music, which has always been the same, is only now getting attention and winning awards. He questions who is the judge of what is "right" or "wrong" in music, and who decides which artists get the spotlight. Wilson seems to push back against the idea of celebrity status, saying that he doesn't want to go through the "pomp and circumstance" that is expected of award winners. Ultimately, he decides not to engage with the game of fame and instead focuses on his music, which he believes speaks for itself.
The song's lyrics reflect the tension that exists in the music industry between commercial success and artistic integrity. Many musicians aspire to achieve fame and recognition, but at the same time, they do not want to compromise their artistic vision in order to appeal to the masses. Wilson's lyrics suggest that he feels torn between these two desires - on the one hand, he is pleased to have won a Grammy, but on the other hand, he questions why his music is only now getting recognition and resists the expectations that come with fame.
Line by Line Meaning
You invite me to pick up my award
Someone is extending an invitation to accept an award
After all the time I've been out here
Even though I have been in the industry for a long time
My music is still the same
My music has not changed much over time
Why is it just now getting there?
Wondering why the music is just now getting the recognition it deserves
Wonder why this one got such play?
Wondering why this particular song received so much attention
Wonder why all the fuss is made?
Questioning why so much attention is being given to the award
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
Now the focus has shifted to someone else
Who's the judge of this anyway?
Questioning who has the right to judge the quality of music
My music said what I had to say
The music conveyed the artist's message effectively
Who decides if it's wrong or right?
Questioning who has the authority to determine if the music is good or bad
The authority with such insite?
The person or group with insightful knowledge and experience
Don't think I want to be bothered at all
Not interested in being bothered with the award ceremony
Maybe I'll just give them a call
Perhaps the artist will contact the organizers of the ceremony
I won't go through pomp and circumstance
Not interested in the grandeur associated with the ceremony
Anyway, my music isn't fancy
The music is not elaborate or showy
You invite me to share my fame
Someone is inviting the artist to share the spotlight
I've decided not to play your game
The artist has decided not to participate in the ceremony
We thought you wanted to be a star
The organizers thought the artist wanted fame and recognition
You worked so hard to get this far
The artist put in a lot of effort to reach this point
You played all the small time scenes
The artist performed in small venues
We just wanted to fulfill your dreams
The organizers wanted to play a role in helping the artist achieve their goals
You won a Grammy, you won a Grammy
The artist received a Grammy award
Contributed by Mackenzie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.