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
Cotton Fields (DIGITALLY REMASTERED 01 FOR UK
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
I had to walk a long, long way to town
I came upon a nice old man well, he had a hat on
Wait a minute, mister, can you give me some directions?
I'm gonna want to be right off for home
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
Don't care if them cotton balls get rotten
When I got you, baby, who needs cotton?
In them old cotton fields back home
Brother, only one thing more that's gonna warm you
A summer's day out in California
It's gonna be those cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
Give me them cotton fields (It was back in Louisiana)
Let me hear it for the cotton fields (Just about a mile from Texarkana)
You know that there's just no place like home
Oh, boy, it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
You shoulda seen their faces when they seen how I grown
In them old cotton fields back home
The song Cotton Fields by The Beach Boys is a remastered version of the classic Lead Belly blues tune. The first verse of the song brings us back to a nostalgic memory of the singer's childhood when he was just a baby and his mother used to rock him in the cradle in the old cotton fields back home. The lyrics give a detailed description of the old cotton fields, their location in Louisiana, and their proximity to Texarkana.
As the song progresses, the singer describes how he got into an unfortunate situation when he caught a nail in his tire while driving. He had to walk a long way to town, and that's when he met an old man who gave him directions to get back home. The song concludes with a reminder that there is no place like home, and the cotton fields back home in Louisiana will always be special to the singer.
The lyrics of the song are simple yet evocative, and The Beach Boys' version has a livelier and more upbeat feel to it.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little bitty baby
As a small infant
My mama done rock me in the cradle
My mother rocked me back and forth in a cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
In the cotton fields of my hometown
It was back in Louisiana
This took place in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
Approximately one mile from Texarkana
Let me tell you now well, I got me in a fix
I found myself in a difficult situation
I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
I got a flat tire while driving fast
I had to walk a long, long way to town
I had to walk a great distance to reach the town
I came upon a nice old man well, he had a hat on
I encountered a friendly elderly man wearing a hat
Wait a minute, mister, can you give me some directions?
Excuse me, sir, could you provide me with directions?
I'm gonna want to be right off for home
I intend to return home soon
Don't care if them cotton balls get rotten
I am not concerned if the cotton deteriorates
When I got you, baby, who needs cotton?
Having you, my dear, makes any material possession irrelevant
Brother, only one thing more that's gonna warm you
Nothing else can provide as much warmth and comfort
A summer's day out in California
A warm, sunny day in California
It's gonna be those cotton fields back home
The cotton fields in my hometown provide the most comfort
Give me them cotton fields (It was back in Louisiana)
I long for the cotton fields in Louisiana
Let me hear it for the cotton fields (Just about a mile from Texarkana)
Let us celebrate the cotton fields located near Texarkana
You know that there's just no place like home
One's true happiness and contentment can only be found in their hometown
Oh, boy, it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
Returning to my hometown brings a sense of relief and satisfaction
You shoulda seen their faces when they seen how I grown
Those who knew me before were impressed with how much I had grown
In them old cotton fields back home
In the familiar cotton fields of my hometown
Contributed by Ethan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
木倉谷哲也
Lyrics:
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
Let me tell you now well, I got me in a fix
I caught a nail in my tire doing lickitey splits
I had to walk a long, long way to town
Came along a nice old man
Well, he had a hat on
Wait a minute, mister, can you give me some directions?
I’m gonna want to be right off for home
When I was a little bitty baby
My mama done rock me in the cradle
In them old cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cotton fields back home
Don’t care if them cotton balls get rotten
When I got you, baby, who needs cotton?
In them old cotton fields back home
Brother, only one thing more that’s gonna warm you
A summer’s day out in California
It’s gonna be those cotton fields back home
It was back in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
Give me them cotton fields (It was back in Louisiana)
Let me hear it for the cotton fields (Just about a mile from Texarkana)
You know that there’s just no place like home
Oh, boy, it sure feels good to breathe the air back home
You shoulda seen their faces when they seen how I grown
In them old cotton fields back home
lejoe48
Great work by Al Jardine. Great song!
Ruggero Canti
Pure country rock
c wilson
YES 🙂 Cathy Nashville Tennessee
LittleRedCorvette
Great song!
DNF - DEAD
Such great music
c wilson
Always loved this Song ! Mike Love band with Bruce Johnson do an outstanding job on this song with John Cowsill Playing & Singing Lead Great Awesome Song Love Beach Boys since 60s
DaNerd89
Matt Jardine on the intro as a kid. An all Al production too.
Sonny Poremba
Always a Fav!
Tobias Morrison
Reached #1 in Australia, and Norway; #2 in Denmark, South Africa and Sweden; #3 in Ireland; #5 in the UK.
Goldtown 67
Unfortunately only a # 29 in Germany; nevertheless far better than the # 103 chart position in the US single charts. 😉