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
Heroes and Villains: Part 2
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been taken for lost and gone
And unknown for a long long time
Fell in love years ago
With an innocent girl
From the Spanish and Indian home
Home of the heroes and villains
Once at night Catillian squared the fight
And she was right in the rain of the bullets that eventually
Brought her down
But she's still dancing in the night
Unafraid of what a dude'll do in a town full of heroes and
Villains
Heroes and villains
Just see what you've done
Heroes and villains
Just see what you've done
Stand or fall I know there
Shall be peace in the valley
And it's all an affair
Of my life with the heroes and villains
My children were raised
You know they suddenly rise
They started slow long ago
Head to toe healthy wealthy and wise
I've been in this town so long
So long to the city
I'm fit with the stuff
To ride in the rough
And sunny down snuff I'm alright
By the heroes and
Heroes and villains
Just see what you've done
Heroes and villains
Just see what you've done
The Beach Boys' "Heroes and Villains: Mission Pak" is a song that is open to interpretation. It features verses that seem to tell different stories with seemingly little connection to one another, although the refrain "Heroes and Villains" ties them together.
The opening line, "I've been in this town so long that back in the city / I've been taken for lost and gone / And unknown for a long long time" suggests someone feeling disconnected from their surroundings. However, the story quickly shifts to a love affair with an "innocent girl from the Spanish and Indian home", which was "home of the heroes and villains". The song then transitions into a dangerous standoff that the girl is caught in, but she remains unafraid and continues to dance in the night, defying the heroes and villains in the town.
The refrain "Heroes and Villains" seems to suggest that they are all a part of a grander scheme, with connections between them that we might not consciously understand. The final verse of the song is somewhat mysterious, discussing the singer's children and how they have "started slow long ago / Head to toe healthy wealthy and wise", but saying they "know they suddenly rise". Overall, "Heroes and Villains: Mission Pak" is a song that raises many questions and offers few answers, urging the listener to connect the dots between these disparate stories.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been in this town so long that back in the city
I've spent so much time in this town that when I go back to the city I feel lost and unknown, as if I've been away for a long time.
I've been taken for lost and gone
People mistake me for someone who is lost or gone, because I've been away for so long.
And unknown for a long long time
Because I've been gone for so long, people don't know who I am anymore.
Fell in love years ago
I fell in love a long time ago.
With an innocent girl
The person I fell in love with was a kind and innocent girl.
From the Spanish and Indian home
She was from a home with Spanish and Indian roots.
Home of the heroes and villains
The town where she came from was home to both good and bad people, heroes and villains.
Once at night Catillian squared the fight
There was once a fight at night between two groups, and someone named Catillian was involved.
And she was right in the rain of the bullets that eventually Brought her down
Catillian was hit by bullets during the fight and eventually died.
But she's still dancing in the night
Even though Catillian is gone, her spirit lives on through the memories of her dancing at night.
Unafraid of what a dude'll do in a town full of heroes and Villains
Catillian was brave and unafraid of the dangers that come with living in a town full of both good and bad people.
Heroes and villains Just see what you've done
Both the heroes and villains in the town have caused some kind of impact or change that is worth noting.
Stand or fall I know there
Whether I succeed or fail, I know that there will always be peace in the valley.
Shall be peace in the valley
No matter what happens, there will always be peace in the valley where I live.
And it's all an affair Of my life with the heroes and villains
My life has been shaped by the good and bad people in this town, and that's just the way it is.
My children were raised You know they suddenly rise They started slow long ago Head to toe healthy wealthy and wise
My children have grown up to be successful and healthy, even though they started out slow and with little resources.
I've been in this town so long So long to the city
I've spent so much time in this town that I feel disconnected from the city.
I'm fit with the stuff To ride in the rough And sunny down snuff I'm alright By the heroes and
I am tough enough to handle anything that comes my way, and I owe that strength to the heroes and villains in my life.
Heroes and villains Just see what you've done
Both the good and bad people in my life have had an impact, and it is worth reflecting on.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN WILSON, VAN DYKE PARKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Kokomo
This song is an absolute classic and I love the way that it lists all the major destinations in the Caribbean.
Philip Kassabian
on Surfin' U.S.A.
A great song by The Beach Boys hit all the major surfing destinations.
Philip Kassabian
on Catch a Wave
This song really gets you in the mood for surfing.
Philip Kassabian
on Surfer Girl
What a splendid song by The Beach Boys. They really were a great band.
Philip Kassabian
on Wouldn't It Be Nice
One of the greatest Beach Boys songs.
Les lumb
on Surf's Up
Love Good Vibrations ,God Only Knows however this is my fav Beach Boys song
Les lumb
on San Miguel
It captures the mood of the place, very atmospheric
Les lumb
on Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) [Single Version]
Great version by the Beach Boys it flows
Les lumb
on Break Away
Soothing
Leslie Lumb
on Break Away
Love the opening verses beautiful words