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

Breakaway
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Break break shakeaway
Break breakaway
Now I'm free to do what I wanna do

Time will not wait for me
Time is my destiny
Why change the part of me that has to be free
The love that passed me by

I found no reason why

But now each day is filled with the love
That very same love
That passed me by
And that is why

I can breakaway from that lonely life
And I can do what I wanna do
And breakaway from that empty life
And my world is new

When I layed down on my bed
I heard voices in my head
Telling me now "Hey it's only a dream"
The more I thought of it
I had been out of it
And here's the answer I found instead

(Baby baby)
Found out it was in my head
(Baby baby)
(Baby baby)
Found out it was my head
(Baby baby)
(Baby baby)
Found out it was in my head
(Baby baby)

And I can breakaway to the better life
Where the shackles never hold me down
I'm gonna make a way for each happy day
As my life turns around

Come on we're free to breakaway
(Oh boy you jump for joy)
Now won't you come on
(When you breakaway)
You're free to breakaways
(Breakaway)
Come on you're free to breakaway
(Breakaway)
Now won't you come on
(Breakaway)
You're free to breakaways
(Breakaway)

Feel the vibrations
In all the sensations
Breakaway

Feel the vibrations

In all the sensations
Breakaway

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Beach Boys's song Breakaway revolve around freedom and breakaway from the monotony of daily life. The song's upbeat rhythm and positive message inspire listeners to pursue their dreams and be free to do what they want. The first verse speaks of time being the singer's destiny and how they cannot change the part of them that has to be free, followed by the chorus that affirms their breakaway from a lonely and empty life. The second verse depicts the singer hearing voices in their head telling them it's only a dream but finding out that they have been living out of it. The chorus again emphasizes breakaway to a better life with no shackles holding them down, where they can make a way for each happy day.

The words of the song suggest that the singer has been living a life without love and is finally finding it, but only because they broke away from the previous life. The song's chorus is the epitome of its message: “And I can break away from that lonely life/And I can do what I wanna do/And break away from that empty life/And my world is new.” The Beach Boys's Breakaway is an inspiring message that urges people to break away from routine and monotonous life, chase their dreams and seek a life that makes them happy.

Line by Line Meaning

Break break shakeaway
Break free and shake off the things that hold you back

Break breakaway
Continue to break free and be unburdened

Now I'm free to do what I wanna do
Without ties, there is unlimited potential for the future

Time will not wait for me
Each second is fleeting and must be used wisely

Time is my destiny
Our path is determined by how we use our time

Why change the part of me that has to be free
The authentic self must be allowed to thrive and grow

The love that passed me by, I found no reason why
Past love that disappeared without any explanation or closure

But now each day is filled with the love, that very same love that passed me by. And that is why
By letting go of the past, new love is able to be found and enjoyed

I can breakaway from that lonely life and I can do what I wanna do
Leaving behind a life of solitude, and building a new future filled with possibilities

And breakaway from that empty life and my world is new
Discarding a life that has no meaning and finding a new kind of happiness

When I laid down on my bed, I heard voices in my head telling me 'Hey, it's only a dream'
Dreams have the power of bringing new possibilities and hope

The more I thought of it, I had been out of it, and here's the answer I found instead
The more I thought of the dream, the more I realized it was real and I must chase it accordingly

(Baby, baby) Found out it was in my head
Realizing that dreams were actually real and confirming that they had meaning in my life

And I can breakaway to the better life where the shackles never hold me down
Going towards a better future by breaking free from present limitations and restrictions

I'm gonna make a way for each happy day as my life turns around
Creating a new outlook on life, finding happiness in each passing day

Come on we're free to breakaway (Oh boy you jump for joy)
Encouraging and motivating others around us to break free and achieve happiness

(When you breakaway) You're free to break away
Breaking free brings enormous joy and freedom

Come on you're free to breakaway (Breakaway)
Empowering others by letting them know they have the power to break away themselves

Feel the vibrations in all the sensations, Breakaway
The ability to feel life's pulse and energies, which allows the spirit to break free and thrive

Feel the vibrations in all the sensations, Breakaway
Encouraging people to discover new experiences and emotions that make life worth living

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Donald Dennis, Philip Burrell, Sheldon Campbell, Sly Dunbar, Phillips Burrell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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