The Beach Boys are an iconic American rock band, frequently cited as one of… Read Full Bio ↴The Beach Boys are an iconic American rock band, frequently cited as one of the most influential and commercially successful groups in the history of popular music due to their intricate vocal harmonies, studio experiments, and novel approaches to pop songwriting. Rooted in doo-wop and rock and roll, their early string of vocal surf hits defined the '60s California Sound. For a period afterward, they notably delved into progressive pop styles. often combining elements from classical and jazz in innovative ways.

Formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, the original group comprised singer-musician-composer and bandleader Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Wilson neighbor David Marks appeared on their first four albums and was a member from 1962 to 1963 as a temporary replacement for Jardine, who had left the group to pursue a career in dentistry.

On their first few studio albums, the group primarily played surf music, but this changed after 1964 as their songs became more sophisticated and autobiographical. The 1965 album Today! particularly represented this shift in sound. Bruce Johnston joined the group that same year. Session drummer Hal Blaine is quoted: "We all studied in conservatories; we were trained musicians. We thought it was a fluke at first, but then we realized Brian was writing these incredible songs. This was not just a young kid writing about high school and surfing."

Following their most esteemed work, Pet Sounds (1966), the band became symbols of psychedelic counterculture. The highly anticipated follow-up, Smile, was left unfinished, and Brian soon relinquished his creative hold on the group. A trilogy of lo-fi releases followed: Smiley Smile (1967), Wild Honey (1967), and Friends (1968). Brian would not be credited as a primary composer for any Beach Boys album until 1977's Love You, an album on the fringe of synth-pop, new wave, and punk.

In Brian's absence, the Beach Boys still managed to release music that was regarded favorably by fans and critics despite poor sales: Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971). South African musicians Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar played and sang with the band on the next two albums: Carl & the Passions - So Tough (1972), and Holland (1973).

Many changes in both musical style and personnel have occurred in their sometimes-stormy career: Brian Wilson's mental illness and drug addiction; the deaths of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998; and continuing legal battles among surviving members of the group. With the release of 1974's Endless Summer they became a more popular touring act, playing their greatest hits. They have recorded 36 Billboard Top 40 hits (including four number-one singles), have had over 100 million sales, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Official site: http://www.thebeachboys.com

Anna Lee the Healer
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Anna Lee, Anna Lee, the healer
Healer with the healing hands
Makes you well as quick as she can
You'd love to see those smiling eyes
Of Anna Lee

From the Himalaya mountain side
Of the Nishigesh

To a California beach house
Facing towards the sea
Goes a gal who got her fame
By going round healing folks

Anna Lee, Anna Lee, the healer
Healer with the healing hands
Makes you well as quick as she can
You'd feel those healing hands
Of Anna Lee

When she gets a chance to help someone
She's really happy
If you trust her with your ill
She'll quickly make you see
She can fix things up for you
Just like she did for me

Anna Lee, Anna Lee, the healer
She cures people with her hands
I'm just one of her many fans
You'd love to feel those healing hands
Of Anna Lee

The healer, the healer, the healer, the healer

Overall Meaning

The song Anna Lee, the Healer is a tribute to Anna Lee Phillips, a friend of The Beach Boys who had a reputation for her healing powers. The lyrics speak of the miracles she performs with her hands, mending broken souls and curing the sick, as well as her charismatic smile and her zeal to help others. The song is a hymn to her seemingly supernatural abilities and the way she uses them to bring hope and healing to those around her.

The first verse describes Anna Lee as a fixture of peace and comfort, with hands that can "make you well as quick as she can." The second verse speaks of her global reach, all the way from the Himalayas to California, and how she gained her fame by healing people all around the world. The final verse concludes with the singer offering his own testimonial to Anna Lee's powers, saying he is just one of her many fans who has felt the magic of her healing touch.

Line by Line Meaning

Anna Lee, Anna Lee, the healer
Anna Lee is a renowned healer

Healer with the healing hands
Anna Lee has a special healing touch

Makes you well as quick as she can
Anna Lee strives to heal people as fast as possible

You'd love to see those smiling eyes
Anna Lee is a warm and friendly person

Of Anna Lee
This line reinforces who the song is about

From the Himalaya mountain side
Anna Lee has traveled widely to share her healing gift

Of the Nishigesh
This line refers to a specific place Anna Lee has visited

To a California beach house
Anna Lee now lives in California

Facing towards the sea
She has a house with a view of the ocean

Goes a gal who got her fame
Anna Lee became famous for her healing abilities

By going round healing folks
She travels to different places to heal people