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

In the Still of the Night
The Beach Boys Lyrics

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In the still of the night
I held you, held you tight
Cause I love, love you so
Promise I'll never let you go
In the still of the night

I remember that night in May
The stars were bright above

I'll hope and I'll pray
To keep your precious love
Well before the light
Hold me again with all of your might
In the still of the night

So before the light
Hold me again with all of your might
In the still of the night

(In the still of the night)
In the still of the night

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys’ “In the Still of the Night” is a heartfelt and tender love ballad that speaks of a deep and abiding love that the singer never wants to lose. The opening line, “In the still of the night, I held you, held you tight,” creates an intimate atmosphere, implying that the two characters are alone and caught up in each other’s presence. The singer promises that he will never let his lover go, thus emphasizing the depth of his feelings that he wants to keep forever. The ballad is set in May, with bright stars shining above, and this romantic setting further highlights the intensity of the love shared between the two characters. The lyrics also suggest that the singer has some experience of losing love and it is through prayer and hope that he wants to ensure that he never loses his “precious love” again. The song’s final line echoes its opening, with a plea from the singer for his lover to “hold me again with all of your might” suggesting that the intensity of their love is still present and strong.

The phrasing of the song's verses is also noteworthy. The emphasis given to the phrase “in the still of the night” helps convey the sense of the condition that the singer is speaking of, a quiet moment of togetherness uncontaminated by the noise or distractions of the outside world. The song is also notable for being able to navigate the difficult line between truly heartfelt sentimentality and the kind of cheesy overindulgence that so often marks songs like it.

Line by Line Meaning

In the still of the night
During the silence of the night

I held you, held you tight
I embraced you lovingly and held you firmly

Cause I love, love you so
Because I adore you very much

Promise I'll never let you go
I swear that I will always keep you close to me

I remember that night in May
I recall an occasion in the month of May

The stars were bright above
The sky was illuminated by luminous stars

I'll hope and I'll pray
I will have faith and appeal to a higher power

To keep your precious love
To retain and regard your valuable affection

Well before the light
Much earlier than the sunrise

Hold me again with all of your might
Embrace me once again with all of your strength

In the still of the night
During the silence of the night