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 Right Lane
Carl Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keepin' my speed a steady pace
I've been tryin' to do the best thing
Goin' a little slow, but staying in the race
Always believed I could get what I wanted
Even if it took a little while
Always believed I could take care of my brother
I've been livin' in the right lane (right lane)
Sometimes arrive a little late
I've been tryin' to do the best thing (best thing)
People tell me a shouldn't wait
There have been others travelin' the same road
Get just where they want to be
There have been times when I wanted to break my mold
Switch over to another street
I've been livin' in the right lane (right lane)
Seeing others cruise on by
I've been tryin' to do the best thing (best thing)
Think I'll give the passin' lane a try
Am I the kind who would run over my brother
Just to get where I should be?
Am I the kind to be content in my splendor
After all the trouble gettin' on the freeway?
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane, right lane)
(I've been livin' in the right lane)
Carl Wilson's "The Right Lane" is about the songwriter's determination to stay true to himself and his values, even if it means taking a slow and steady path towards success. Despite seeing others pass by him in the passing lane, he remains focused on doing what is right and not sacrificing his integrity for quick gains. He asks himself whether he would be willing to harm others or become complacent once he reaches his destination, but ultimately decides to keep moving forward in the right lane.
The lyrics suggest that staying in the right lane represents a moral and ethical approach to life, while switching to the passing lane represents a willingness to compromise one's principles in pursuit of success. The repeated refrain of "I've been livin' in the right lane" emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself, despite the temptations of the passing lane.
The song can be interpreted as a metaphor for the challenges of navigating the music industry, and the pressure to conform to certain expectations in order to achieve commercial success. By choosing to stay in the right lane, Carl Wilson prioritizes his artistic integrity over commercial gain.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been livin' in the right lane
I've been living cautiously and steadily towards my goals
Keepin' my speed a steady pace
Moving forward constantly but not too fast, being careful not to get in trouble
I've been tryin' to do the best thing
I've been attempting to make choices that are advantageous and ethical
Goin' a little slow, but staying in the race
I’m taking my time but still putting forth efforts to achieve my objectives
Always believed I could get what I wanted
Being optimistic, I have always believed that I can achieve anything
Even if it took a little while
I have faith in my capability to persist, even if it takes longer than anticipated
Always believed I could take care of my brother
I have confidence in my ability to assist my fellow human beings, even when I am on the path to success
Do my thing with style
I am confident and comfortable with myself, which is reflected in the cool manner in which I go about doing things
Sometimes arrive a little late
I'm sometimes behind schedule due to being careful
People tell me a shouldn't wait
Others tell me that while my caution is commendable, I should take more risks for faster progress
There have been others travelin' the same road
I am not alone in my journey, others too are travelling the same path as mine
Get just where they want to be
Others have accomplished their objectives and are now where they want to be
There have been times when I wanted to break my mold
There have been situations when I’ve considered taking a different approach to accomplish my objectives
Switch over to another street
To try something new or different in pursuit of my goals
Seeing others cruise on by
Observing others’ success while I move forward more carefully
Think I'll give the passin' lane a try
I'm willing to take more risks to achieve success more quickly
Am I the kind who would run over my brother
Am I the kind of person who would be willing to sacrifice and harm others for my own sake?
Just to get where I should be?
Would I be willing to hurt others for my own success?
Am I the kind to be content in my splendor
After having struggled to achieve my goals and having reached success, would I behave arrogantly and be satisfied with my achievements only?
After all the trouble gettin' on the freeway?
After having faced many difficulties to get to where I am today?
Contributed by Maya K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MilkshakeEnthusiast1992
I've been livin' in the right lane
Keepin' my speed a steady pace
I've been tryin' to do the best thing
Goin' a little slow, but staying in the race
Always believed I could get what I wanted
Even if it took a little while
Always believed I could take care of my brother
Do my thing with style
I've been livin' in the right lane
Sometimes arrive a little late
I've been tryin' to do the best thing
People tell me a shouldn't wait
There have been others travelin' the same road
Get just where they want to be
There have been time when I wanted to break my mold
Switch over to another speed
I've been livin' in the right lane
Seeing others cruise on by
I've been tryin' to do the best thing
Think I'll give the passin' lane a try
Am I the kind who would run over my brother
Just to get where I should be?
Am I the kind to be content in my splendor
After all the trouble gettin' on the freeway?
I've been livin' in the right lane
@patrickmcgrath5411
WE "ALL" MISS YOU, CARL DEAN WILSON❣️😇
@garysnow1475
How could the song have been so overlooked? I'm 65 years old and I've never heard it and I've listened to rock all my life.
@glennmorris3370
Carl we miss you _ you gave us many moments in the 🌞 sun.
@Horacio-qm7uz
Un genio!!!... que buen disco!!!
@jamesdunn9714
This song reminds me of the Eagles sound.
@danielratner6810
That 2 minute guitar solo, great stuff.
@lastrada52
Reminds me a little of the early, classic horn band Chicago -- with Terry Kath. Back in the 70's the Beach Boys teamed with Chicago for some concerts and they appeared together on the track "Wish You Were Here." Maybe Carl picked up some vocalizing tips from the then Chicago lead vocalist. This could easily be a Chicago song and that's a compliment to Carl.
@johndalyguitar
John, that's a hell of a compliment. I'm the lead guitar player on this track, and when I was recording it, Jimmy Guercio said I reminded him of Terry Kath too. After all these years, I'm jazzed that maybe he wasn't just blowing smoke. Oddly, Carl had asked for me to give him Joe Walsh, and that's what I ended up with.
@thehammockdistrict5355
As a lifelong guitar player with great style :) :) :) I would like to say that your work here was super tasteful and fit the song really well - always interesting but never took it over. Very good job. Although to be honest part of me is disappointed at the confirmation of what was always suspected, that Carl didn't dust off his lead guitar licks at all on his solo album.
@ironmanchuckhayes
I think it was the other way around--(respectfully) 7 years late!