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
Let Us Go on This Way
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't gonna let you slip through my fingers
Going to school isn't my fondest desire
But sittin' in class you set my soul on fire
God please let us go on this way
All day long I practiced what to say-ay
I think about this game that I like to play-ay
'Cause you're my only happiness
God please let us go on this way
Seems we have extra-sensory perception
You can send me thoughts I'd have no objection
Now we can fly high in the sky
We'll live forever, we'll never die
God please let us go on this way-ay
(God please let us go on)
God please let us go on this way-ay
(God please let us go on)
God please let us go on this way-ay
(God please let us go on)
God don't let her slip through my fingers
(God please let us go on)
God please let us go on this way-ay
The Beach Boys' song Let Us Go on This Way is a love song that portrays the singer's desperation to keep his lover close to him. The first line of the song, "To get t'you baby I went through the wringer," implies that the singer had to go through a lot of trouble to win his lover's affection. He is determined not to let her slip through his fingers, which is why he pleads with God to let them continue being together.
The singer's reluctance to go to school suggests that he is preoccupied with his lover, who sets his soul on fire even when he is in class. The line "All day long I practiced what to say" implies that the singer rehearses conversations with his lover in his mind, hinting at an awkwardness when they are together. In moments when he's not with her, he thinks about the "game" of love he likes to play, suggesting that his attentions are fixated on her.
The singer believes that he and his lover share a supernatural connection. He believes that they have extra-sensory perception and can communicate telepathically. The line "Now we can fly high in the sky" suggests that their love is boundless, and they will live forever in each other's arms. The final repetition of "God please let us go on this way" emphasizes the singer's desperation to keep his lover and their love going.
Line by Line Meaning
To get t'you baby I went through the wringer
I faced many difficult situations to be with you, my beloved
Ain't gonna let you slip through my fingers
I won't let you go or lose you easily
Going to school isn't my fondest desire
Attending school is not something I enjoy very much
But sittin' in class you set my soul on fire
However, when I see you in class, you spark fire within my soul and I have a burning desire for you
God please let us go on this way
I hope and pray that we can continue our love and relationship like this
All day long I practiced what to say-ay
I rehearsed all day what I would say to you
I think about this game that I like to play-ay
I constantly think of ways to win you over and make you stay
When I leave you I'm so depressed
I feel sad and down when I have to leave you
'Cause you're my only happiness
You are the only thing that brings me joy and happiness
God please let us go on this way
I pray that we can continue on with this love and happiness
Seems we have extra-sensory perception
It appears that we have some kind of special connection or intuition with each other
You can send me thoughts I'd have no objection
You can communicate with me telepathically and I welcome it
Now we can fly high in the sky
We can experience freedom and joy together
We'll live forever, we'll never die
Our love and happiness will never end and we will always be together
God don't let her slip through my fingers
I hope and pray that I never lose you or let you go
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: BRIAN DOUGLAS WILSON, MICHAEL EDWARD LOVE
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