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

Hawaii
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you want to go
Straight to Hawaii
(Hawaii) Hawaii (Hawaii)
Straight to Hawaii (Hawaii, Hawaii)
Oh do (Honolulu, Waikiki) you want to come along with me
(Do you want to come along with me)

I heard about all the pretty girls

With their grass skirts down to their knees
All my life I wanted to see
The island called Hawaii

Go to Hawaii
(Hawaii) Hawaii (Hawaii)
Straight to Hawaii (Hawaii, Hawaii)
Oh do (Honolulu, Waikiki) you want to come along with me
(Do you want to come along with me)

Now I don't know what town you're from
But don't tell me that they got bigger waves
Cause everyone that goes
Comes back with nothing but raves

That's in Hawaii
(Hawaii) Hawaii (Hawaii)
That's in Hawaii (Hawaii, Hawaii)
Oh do (Honolulu, Waikiki) you want to come along with me
(Do you want to come along with me)

And pretty soon this winter
They'll hold the surfing championship of the year
Surfer guys and girls
Will be coming from far and near

Go to Hawaii
(Hawaii) Hawaii (Hawaii)
Go to Hawaii (Hawaii, Hawaii)
Oh do (Honolulu, Waikiki) you want to come along with me
(Do you want to come along with me)

And you now (Honolulu, Waikiki)
You want to live Hanah Lee
(Do you want to come along with me)
Ooo ooo ooo (Honolulu, Waikiki)
Ooo ooo ooo (Do you want to come along with me)
Ooo ooo ooo (Honolulu, Waikiki)

Ooo ooo ooo (Do you want to come along with me)
Ooo ooooo (Honolulu, Waikiki)

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys' song "Hawaii" is about the band's desire to travel to Hawaii, a tropical paradise that seems to have captured their imagination. The song opens with an invitation: "Do you want to go straight to Hawaii?" The group then extols the virtues of the island, describing it as a place with pretty girls in grass skirts and massive waves that attract surfers from around the world. The song also alludes to the fact that Hawaii holds a surfing championship every winter and that male and female surfers from all over the world come to compete.

There is an air of yearning and anticipation in the lyrics, as if the band is attempting to appeal to its listeners' sense of adventure and desire for new experiences. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii," adds to the song's sense of excitement and longing. The song ends with a final invitation, urging the listener to "come along" to Hawaii and experience everything the island has to offer.

Overall, "Hawaii" is a celebration of a tropical paradise that has captivated the imaginations of many Americans. It is an upbeat and energetic song that captures the Beach Boys' desire for fun, adventure, and the excitement of the unknown.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you want to go
Asking if the listener wants to travel to Hawaii

Straight to Hawaii
Traveling directly to Hawaii

(Hawaii) Hawaii (Hawaii)
Repeating the name of the destination, Hawaii

Oh do (Honolulu, Waikiki) you want to come along with me
Asking the listener if they want to come on the trip and visit Honolulu and Waikiki

(Do you want to come along with me)
Reiterating the invitation to join the artist

I heard about all the pretty girls
Speaker has heard about the attractive women in Hawaii

With their grass skirts down to their knees
Describing the traditional clothing worn by the women

All my life I wanted to see
Speaker has always wanted to visit Hawaii

The island called Hawaii
Referring to the state of Hawaii as an island

Now I don't know what town you're from
Speaker is unsure of the listener's hometown

But don't tell me that they got bigger waves
Challenging the idea that the listener's hometown has better waves for surfing

Cause everyone that goes
Implying that everyone who visits Hawaii

Comes back with nothing but raves
Returns with only positive feedback about Hawaii

That's in Hawaii
Reiterating that the favorable experience is due to being in Hawaii

And pretty soon this winter
Referring to an upcoming event

They'll hold the surfing championship of the year
A notable surfing competition will take place soon

Surfer guys and girls
Describing the participants in the surfing event

Will be coming from far and near
Competitors will travel from various places to participate

Go to Hawaii
Encouraging the listener to travel to Hawaii

Ooo ooo ooo (Honolulu, Waikiki)
Vocalizing the names of the specific places in Hawaii again

Ooo ooo ooo (Do you want to come along with me)
Reiterating the invitation to join the artist

Ooo ooo ooo (Honolulu, Waikiki)
Vocalizing the names of the specific places in Hawaii again

Ooo ooo ooo (Do you want to come along with me)
Reiterating the invitation to join the singer

Ooo ooooo (Honolulu, Waikiki)
Vocalizing the names of the specific places in Hawaii again

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Love, Brian Wilson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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