1. Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is a founding member, singer/s… Read Full Bio ↴1. Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is a founding member, singer/songwriter and lead singer of the Beach Boys. He is a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day. He has appeared on every Beach Boys album, writing mainly with Brian, but sometimes Dennis, Al, or producer Terry Melcher.

In the mid 1970s, he recorded and released two albums with side band Celebration (members included jazz musician Charles Lloyd, Ron Altback of King Harvest and Wells Kelly of Orleans) including the top 30 hit single "Almost Summer" co-written with Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. In the late 1970s, he also recorded two unreleased solo albums, First Love and Country Love. Some tracks from these sessions were used on later Beach Boys releases (such as Sumahama from L.A. (Light Album) and Daybreak Over the Ocean from That's Why God Made the Radio). In 1981, he released a solo album, Looking Back with Love featuring a cover of Be My Baby produced by Brian Wilson.

In 1988, the Beach Boys had a US number-one hit with Kokomo, the only number-one song the band had without Brian Wilson's involvement. Kokomo was nominated for a Golden Globe Award (1988) in the Original Song category, and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

After the death of Carl Wilson, the band fragmented, and Love continued to tour as The Beach Boys, along with Bruce Johnston and a supporting band of new musicians. Love was the only original member in the band lineup until the 50th Anniversary Reunion in 2012.

2. Mike Love is an American reggae musician and singer from Hawai'i. His 2014 record, Jah Will Never Leave I Alone, reached #3 on Billboard's Reggae chart. He self-describes his style as "revolutionary consciousness music".

Born in O'ahu, he grew up in Kalama Valley and attended Henry J. Kaiser High School. He released his debut album The Change I'm Seeking in 2012, followed by Jah Will Never Leave I Alone in 2014, Love Will Find A Way in 2015, and the Love Overflowing EP a year later.

Mike Love opened for Xavier Rudd's Boulder, Colorado concert in 2015, singing together during the end of the show. Love attributes some of his success to his YouTube rendition of "Permanent Holiday", which has more than 20 million views as of 2019. The song's lyrics turn what seem to be a "random assortment of syllables...into a song over a period of three minutes", according to Colossal.

Love has toured in the Philippines (headlining the Malasimbo music festival), New Zealand, and Costa Rica, among other locations internationally. In the US he has played at the Rise Up Music Festival in 2019, the Rhode Island Reggae Festival in 2019, Bhakti Fest in 2019, Think Bank Down By the Riverside in 2019, and was slated to perform at the California Roots Music and Arts Festival until its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Love has collaborated with Clinton Fearon on his album History Say. He participates in Playing for Change.

He currently plays with his band, Mike Love and the Full Circle, consisting of Sam Gonsalves, John Hawes, Keith Tsukamaki, Reggie Padilla, and Arthur Davis. In addition to touring, the band does a weekly gig at Hawaiian Brian's on O'ahu. All of Love's albums are released independently on his own label, Love Not War Records.

Movin' On
Mike Love Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've had enough of this fooling around
Being knocked down
And playing the clown
This city life was never meant for me
I got to get back to the country
So I'm gonna spread my wings
Fly away, I can't stay another day
I'm leaving out of Babylon

I'm movin' on

Come rally all my people it's time we move
If you're stuck you got to groove
Shake the dust off of your bones
You don't want to be left alone
Cause we've been tricked and fooled for so long
Held captive down in Babylon
So listen to your heart it'll show you the way
Don't get caught up in hearsay

I've had enough of this fooling around
Being knocked down
And playing the clown
This city life was never meant for me
I got to get back to the country

Cause every time I go to town I see the police man with his ticket book in his hand
He says license, registration, and insurance please
He already knows I ain't got none of these
Cause I'm a natural dread just trying to survive
Jah knows I ain't gonna work no 9 to 5
But I got to provide for my youths and my wife
And make sure that they have a good life
But Babylon just won't let us be
Who we really want to be
And we been troddin' for so long
How many more miles 'til we're free?
How many more miles 'til we're free?
I'm crying from the mountaintop
Babylon set my people free
Why can't the heathen see

I've had enough of this fooling around
Being knocked down
And playing the clown
This city life was never meant for me
I got to get back to the country
I've had enough of this mentality
That's poisoning all humanity
It's rising all around me so I man I must flee
I got to get back to the country
So I'm gonna spread my wings
Fly away, I can't stay another day
I'm leaving out of Babylon
I'm movin' on
Spread my wings
Fly away, I can't stay another day
I'm leaving out of Babylon
I'm movin' on

So I'm gonna spread my wings
Fly away, I can't stay another day
I'm leaving out of Babylon
I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on

So I'm gonna spread my wings
Fly away, I can't stay another day
I'm leaving out of Babylon

I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mike Love's "Movin' On" speak to the frustration and desire for change that many people feel in today's society. Love expresses his longing for a simpler life in the country, away from the "city life" that feels oppressive and limiting. He also speaks to the issue of societal injustice, acknowledging the ways in which people are "tricked and fooled" and held "captive down in Babylon" (a metaphor for society at large).

The song's message is one of hope, encouraging people to "rally" together and take action instead of simply accepting their circumstances. Love urges listeners to "shake the dust off of [their] bones" and follow their hearts towards a better future. He recognizes the sacrifices that must be made in order to provide for loved ones, but also emphasizes the importance of fighting for freedom and individuality.

Overall, "Movin' On" is a powerful anthem for anyone who longs for change and wants to take control of their own life. It speaks to the universal desire for something more than the status quo, and encourages people to never give up on their dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

I've had enough of this fooling around
I am tired of being tricked and deceived

Being knocked down
Being pushed around and held down

And playing the clown
And being made to look foolish

This city life was never meant for me
The fast-paced city lifestyle is not what I want or need

I got to get back to the country
I need to return to a simpler, more natural way of life

So I'm gonna spread my wings
I am going to take control of my life

Fly away, I can't stay another day
Leave this place, I can't keep living like this

I'm leaving out of Babylon
I am leaving the deceitful and oppressive city environment

I'm movin' on
I am moving forward and making changes

Come rally all my people it's time we move
We need to unite and make a change

If you're stuck you got to groove
If you're feeling stuck, you need to find your way out

Shake the dust off of your bones
Let go of old ways and ideas

You don't want to be left alone
Being alone is not what anyone wants

Cause we've been tricked and fooled for so long
We have been deceived for too long

Held captive down in Babylon
We have been oppressed in the city for too long

So listen to your heart it'll show you the way
Follow your instincts to find what's right for you

Don't get caught up in hearsay
Don't be swayed by rumors or false information

Cause every time I go to town I see the police man with his ticket book in his hand
Every time I go into the city, I see authority figures trying to control me

He says license, registration, and insurance please
He asks for identification documents which I do not have

He already knows I ain't got none of these
He knows I don't have those documents

Cause I'm a natural dread just trying to survive
I am a person of natural and authentic way of life, trying to survive in the city

Jah knows I ain't gonna work no 9 to 5
I am not going to work a conventional job

But I got to provide for my youths and my wife
I have a family to support

And make sure that they have a good life
I want to ensure the well-being of my loved ones

But Babylon just won't let us be
The city is not conducive to our way of life

Who we really want to be
We are unable to be our true selves in this environment

And we been troddin' for so long
We have been struggling for freedom for a long time

How many more miles 'til we're free?
How much longer until we achieve true freedom?

I'm crying from the mountaintop
I am expressing my emotions and struggle openly

Babylon set my people free
The city and its oppressive ways must let us live as we desire

Why can't the heathen see
Why are those in power unable to see us for who we are?

I've had enough of this mentality
I am tired of the attitudes and beliefs of society that hold us back

That's poisoning all humanity
These attitudes are harmful to everyone

It's rising all around me so I man I must flee
These negative attitudes are becoming more prevalent and I must leave to find peace