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
It's About Time
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Proud as I could be
Struggling to express myself
For the whole world to see
I used to blow my mind sky high
Searching for the lost elation
Little did I know the joy I was to find
In knowing I am only me
I'm singin' in my heart
I'm singin' in my heart
I'm singin' love to sing
I love to sing it from my heart
Of the creation yeah
Of which I'm doing my part
With an open-hearted laugh of realization in my mind
And now I'm but a child who art
Erect in humility
Serving out of love, everyone I meet
In truth who are really me
I'm singin' in my heart
I'm singin' in my heart
I'm singin' love to sing
I love to sing it from my heart
No-no-no no no
Hoo no hey yeah no-no-no-no
It's about time now it's about time now
It's about time now don't you know now
It's about time now it's about time now
It's about time now don't you know now
It's about time we get together
To be out front and love one another
Brothers sisters everybody
We better start to help each other now
We need it now
When we're sharin' our love brother
That's when we know we can shape another world
Lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord lord
Oooh lord
Lord lord lord lord lord Oh Oh
Oh no lord no no oh
The Beach Boys' song "It's About Time" is a reflection of the transformation that the lead singer has undergone in his own life experience. In the beginning of the song, he talks about his past self as a struggling artist who was always trying to express himself and achieve fame in the eyes of the world. He was constantly searching for a sense of elation, seeking to blow his mind sky high. However, somewhere along the way, he found a greater sense of joy in understanding and accepting his true self.
The singer describes the feeling of singing from his heart with love and joy, and in doing so, contributing to the greater creation. He has come to realize that our purpose in life is not just to achieve personal glory but to make the world a better place by serving others out of love. He sees himself as a child who is humble and open-hearted and wants to spread that feeling to everyone he meets.
The chorus talks about the necessity of coming together as a community and loving one another, regardless of our differences. The singer believes that by sharing our love and working together, we can create a better world for everyone. The song ends with a prayer to the lord, emphasizing that the singer's transformation has been a spiritual one.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to be a famous artist
I was once recognized for my artistic genius.
Proud as I could be
I was proud of my accomplishments as an artist.
Struggling to express myself
But I found it difficult to express myself clearly.
For the whole world to see
I wanted the world to see my art.
I used to blow my mind sky high
I used to take drugs to try and find inspiration.
Searching for the lost elation
I was searching for the happiness I had lost.
Little did I know the joy I was to find
But I eventually discovered that my real joy came from being myself.
In knowing I am only me
I found happiness in simply being myself and not trying so hard to impress others.
Of the creation yeah
My purpose in life is to contribute to the world's creations.
Of which I'm doing my part
And I am doing my part to contribute.
With an open-hearted laugh of realization in my mind
I am grateful for my life experience and understand the importance of joy.
And now I'm but a child who art
I feel like a child who loves to create art.
Erect in humility
I am confident in my abilities, but humble to learn from others.
Serving out of love, everyone I meet
I serve others with love because I believe in treating others how I want to be treated.
In truth who are really me
I see myself in everyone I meet, and believe in the interconnectedness of all humans.
It's about time we get together
It's time for us to come together as a community.
To be out front and love one another
We need to be open, communicative, and loving towards one another.
Brothers sisters everybody
We are all connected, and must recognize this if we want to create a harmonious world.
We better start to help each other now
It's urgent that we start helping and supporting one another right now.
When we're sharin' our love brother
If we share love with one another, we can create a better world.
That's when we know we can shape another world
Love has the power to create positive change in the world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alan Jardine, Bob Burchman, Carl Wilson, Dennis C. Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackmarchant06
I’m surprised this song wasn’t a hit back when it came out, it’s a pretty rocking song for the Beach Boys
@fshoaps
Amen.
@bandgeek_weirdo
This is such a groove that The Beach Boys had written
Love it!
@greggardner6270
Great rocking track from Dennis.
@carinedupont9376
Dennis is the rocker of the whole band!!!!
@m.ericwatson968
The production on this is spectacular
@LTBP
Would've been interesting to see how the BBs sound may have evolved under Carl.
@767scarecrow
Indeed, but worth noting this is a Dennis song.
@voodooloungeable
Great song!
@arnold5437
ガチかっこいい...