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.
What You Gonna Do About Me?
Carl Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got them standin' in line in a huff
You know they all want to share your sweet stuff
But what you gonna do about me
I'm the one you keep on runnin' to
After they've walked all over you
I'm the one who dries your lonely tears
So what you gonna do about me
Baby what you gonna do about the one who really loves you
What you gonna do 'bout the one who really cares
Sugar what you gonna do about the one who wants you only
How long do you think I can keep on waiting here
You get a charge gettin' your selfish heart broken
Seeking out that same kind of charm
When you gonna realize you're only a token
Don't want to cause no serious alarm
But when the pressure gets to more than you can bear
Pick up the phone 'cause you know I wait to hear
And when you need to have a little real fun
Just count on me to be the one
Baby what you gonna do about the one who really loves you
What you gonna do 'bout the one who really cares
Sugar what you gonna do about the one who wants you only
How long do you think I can keep on waitin' here
Let's get together, go out on the town
Go back to my place you can let your hair down
I got a few things I want to say to you
Oo - baby what you gonna do about me
Baby what you gonna do about the one who really loves you
What you gonna do 'bout the one who really cares
Sugar what you gonna do about the one who wants you only
Baby tell be what to do, tell me what you gonna do
The lyrics of Carl Wilson's song "What You Gonna Do About Me" are about a man who is in love with a woman who is seeing other men. The man is convinced that he is the only one who truly cares for her and is frustrated that she cannot see it. He is asking her to make a decision and choose him over the other men she is seeing. He mentions how he is always there for her, comforting her when the other men disappoint her, and is the one who truly loves her. Despite his frustration, he continues to wait for her, hoping that one day she will see his worth and commit to him.
The lyrics highlight the emotions of a person who is in love with someone who does not reciprocate their feelings. They are always there, waiting in the wings for the other person to realize that they are the one they should choose, but they never do. The song is a plea for the woman to recognize the love that the man has for her and to choose him over the other men in her life.
Overall, "What You Gonna Do About Me" is a simple yet powerful song that conveys the emotions of unrequited love. The lyrics are relatable and speak to the frustrations of anyone who has ever been in love with someone who cannot see their worth.
Line by Line Meaning
You been givin' them all of your crush
You have been giving all of your attention to these other people.
You got them standin' in line in a huff
They are frustrated and upset waiting in line for your attention.
You know they all want to share your sweet stuff
You are aware that they all want to be with you intimately.
But what you gonna do about me
What are you going to do about me, the one who truly cares for you?
I'm the one you keep on runnin' to
I am the one you turn to when you need someone to talk to or comfort you.
After they've walked all over you
After these other people have mistreated or taken advantage of you.
I'm the one who dries your lonely tears
I am the one who comforts you when you are sad and alone.
So what you gonna do about me
What are you going to do about me, the one who truly loves you?
Baby what you gonna do about the one who really loves you
What are you going to do about me, the one who truly loves and cares for you?
What you gonna do 'bout the one who really cares
What are you going to do about me, the one who truly cares for you?
Sugar what you gonna do about the one who wants you only
What are you going to do about me, the one who solely wants to be with you?
How long do you think I can keep on waiting here
How much longer do you think I can wait for you to realize my love for you and reciprocate it?
You get a charge gettin' your selfish heart broken
You seem to enjoy the thrill of having your heart broken due to your selfish behavior.
Seeking out that same kind of charm
You keep seeking out the same type of people who will eventually hurt you.
When you gonna realize you're only a token
When will you realize that these other people see you as just a meaningless object, and not truly care for you?
Don't want to cause no serious alarm
I don't want to upset you, but I need to express my feelings for you.
But when the pressure gets to more than you can bear
When the stress and anxiety becomes too much for you to handle.
Pick up the phone 'cause you know I wait to hear
Call me because I am always here to listen and support you.
And when you need to have a little real fun
When you want to let loose and have some actual fun.
Just count on me to be the one
You can rely on me to be there for you and make you happy.
Let's get together, go out on the town
Let's spend time together and enjoy ourselves out in the city.
Go back to my place you can let your hair down
We can go back to my house where you can truly relax and be yourself.
I got a few things I want to say to you
I have some things I want to express to you about my feelings for you.
Oo - baby what you gonna do about me
Oh baby, what are you going to do about me, the one who truly loves and cares for you?
Baby tell be what to do, tell me what you gonna do
Please tell me what I should do or what your plans are for our relationship.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Carl Dean Wilson, Myrna Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind