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

I Wanna Pick You Up
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I love to pick you up
'Cause you're still a baby to me
Cribs and cradles and bottles and toys
Are part of the joys they bring

I wanna wash your face
And change your clothes and button your shoes
Walk you around and wrestle with you

Then I'm gonna make you sing

In the mornin' I could wake you up
Feed you breakfast from a little cup

I want to pick you up
Rock you back and forth and make you smile
I want to hold you close for a while

I wanna tickle your feet
Drop you in your little tub
Wash your body and shampoo your hair
Be careful not to sting your eyes

When it's night I'll put you in your bed
And I'll bend and kiss ya on your head

I want to pick you up
Rock you back and forth and make you smile
I want to hold you close for a while

Pat pat pat pat pat her on her butt butt
She's going to sleep be quiet
Pat pat pat pat pat her on her butt

She's going to sleep
Little baby go to sleep

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys' song "I Wanna Pick You Up" expresses the deep love and affection a father has for his child. The lyric in which he states "I love to pick you up 'Cause you're still a baby to me" shows that even if the child has grown up, in the father's eyes, they will always be his little baby. The father reminisces on the joy that comes with being a parent, such as "Cribs and cradles and bottles and toys." He longs to do the simple things for his child, such as "wash your face, change your clothes and button your shoes." He delights at the thought of walking his child around, wrestling with them, and even making them sing. The father wakes up in the morning to feed his child breakfast from a little cup and wants to rock and tickle them as he puts them to sleep. The lyrics are a beautiful representation of the unconditional love a parent has for their child and the joy that comes with being a parent.

Line by Line Meaning

I love to pick you up
I enjoy picking you up

'Cause you're still a baby to me
Because you still seem like a baby to me

Cribs and cradles and bottles and toys
Various baby items such as cribs, cradles, bottles, and toys

Are part of the joys they bring
These items are part of the joy that babies bring

I wanna wash your face
I want to wash your face

And change your clothes and button your shoes
And change your clothes and button your shoes

Walk you around and wrestle with you
Walk around with you and play wrestle

Then I'm gonna make you sing
Then I will make you sing

In the mornin' I could wake you up
In the morning I could wake you up

Feed you breakfast from a little cup
Give you breakfast in a small cup

I want to pick you up
I want to pick you up