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

Keep an Eye on Summer
The Beach Boys Lyrics

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Keep an eye on summer this year
Keep an eye on summer
Keep an eye on

We said goodbye last September
Your words I still can hear
Keep an eye on summer this ahh haaa ahhhh (summer)
(keep an eye on)

Those things I say in my letters
You'll find them most sincere
Keep an eye on summer this year-ear-ear

Soon we'll be graduating
And we'll be so far apart
And though you could be dating
I'm waiting and waiting

And as we look at the future
Though it be through a tear
Keep an eye on summer this (year)ahh haaa ahhhh
(keep an eye on summer)
(keep an eye on)
Ahhh haaaa ahhhh
(keep an eye on summer)
(keep an eye on)
Ahhh haaaa ahhhh
(keep an eye on summer)

(keep an eye on)
Ahhh haaaa ahhhh

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys captured the essence of teenage love and longing in their hit song "Keep an Eye on Summer." The song’s lyrics are a plea from a young man to his beloved to remember him and their love during the summer months. The song captures the melancholy of the end of the school year when teenage lovers must say goodbye and part ways, facing the prospect of being apart from each other.

The opening lyrics “Keep an eye on summer this year” suggest the singer's desire for his lover to hold on to the memories of their summer love even though circumstances may change as time passes. The line "Soon we'll be graduating and we'll be so far apart" reinforces this notion of impending separation. He acknowledges that it is inevitable that they might date other people over the summer, but he’s still hopeful that they will reunite. The repetition of the phrase "keep an eye on" evokes the sense of how precious moments and memories can be quickly lost if not cherished or guarded from the distractions and changes that come with time.

In conclusion, "Keep an Eye on Summer" is a classic ode to teenage love, capturing the innocence and longing of a brief but intense relationship threatened by the transition to adulthood. It paints a picture of summer love that is alluring, hopeful, and heartbreaking. And the song's catchy melody and beautiful harmonies evoke fond memories and nostalgia of what it's like to be young and in love once more.

Line by Line Meaning

Keep an eye on summer this year
Be mindful of the upcoming summer season

Keep an eye on summer
Pay attention to what summer may bring

Keep an eye on
Stay alert and watchful

We said goodbye last September
We parted ways in the previous year's September

Your words I still can hear
I can still remember what you said

Keep an eye on summer this ahh haaa ahhhh (summer)
Be attentive to the summer season, as represented by the vocalization 'ahh haaa ahhhh'

(keep an eye on)
Reiteration of the need to stay watchful

Those things I say in my letters
The sentiments expressed in my letters

You'll find them most sincere
You will perceive them to be genuine

Keep an eye on summer this year-ear-ear
Continuation of the appeal to remain attentive to the summer season

Soon we'll be graduating
We will graduate in the near future