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

Long Tall Texan
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One, two, three, four

Giddy up
Giddy up

Well I'm a long tall Texan
I ride a big white horse
(He rides from Texas on a big white horse)

Well I'm a long tall Texan
I ride a big white horse
(He rides from Texas on a big white horse)

Well people look at me and say
Hurrah hurrah is that your horse?
(He rides from Texas on a big white horse)
Yeah

Well I'm a long tall Texan
I wear a ten gallon hat
(He rides from Texas with a ten gallon hat)

Well I'm a long tall Texan
I wear a ten gallon hat
(He rides from Texas with a ten gallon hat)

Well people look at me and say
Hurrah hurrah is that your hat?
(He rides from Texas with a ten gallon hat)
Yeah

Well I was walkin' down the street
With my shinin' badge
My spurs jinglin' down at my feet
I seen a man a comin'
Comin' with a gun
And I just can't be beat

Well I'm a long tall Texan
I enforce justice for the law
(He rides from Texas to enforce the law)

Well I'm a long tall Texan
I enforce justice for the law
(He rides from Texas to enforce the law)

Well people look at me and say
Hurrah hurrah are you the law?
(He rides from Texas to enforce the law)
Yeah

Thank you
Thank you
Thanks a million

That's wonderful
Thanks an awful lot

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys' song "Long Tall Texan" tells the story of a tall Texan horseback rider dressed in a ten-gallon hat who enforces justice for the law. The singer of the song rides from Texas on a big white horse, sporting a shiny badge and spurs jingling at his feet. People always look at him with awe and wonder if the horse and the hat are his. Suddenly, a man appears, armed with a gun, but the lawman remains unshaken, and his fearless attitude indicates that he is unbeatable.

The song is a fun and upbeat tribute to the mythos of the Texan cowboy, and it glorifies the culture associated with Texas and the US Wild West. It expresses the idea of heroism and justice, as well as the romanticism that surrounds cowboys' lifestyle. The singer is depicted as the archetypical hero, with his physical appearance, horse-riding ability, and his heroic duties to enforce the law.

Line by Line Meaning

One, two, three, four
Counting the beats to start the song.

Giddy up
An expression of excitement and readiness to ride the horse.

Well I'm a long tall Texan
The singer is introducing himself as a Texan who is tall in height.

I ride a big white horse
He travels from Texas to other places on a big white horse.

Well people look at me and say Hurrah hurrah is that your horse? Yeah
People often ask if the horse he rides is his and he confirms that it is.

Well I wear a ten gallon hat
He wears a hat that holds ten gallons of water on his travels.

Well people look at me and say Hurrah hurrah is that your hat? Yeah
People often ask if the hat he wears is his and he confirms that it is.

Well I was walkin' down the street With my shinin' badge My spurs jinglin' down at my feet I seen a man a comin' Comin' with a gun And I just can't be beat
He narrates a situation where he was walking with his shiny badge and heard someone coming at him with a gun, indicating his readiness and ability to beat them.

Well I enforce justice for the law
He is a law enforcement officer who enforces justice in the places that he travels to.

Well people look at me and say Hurrah hurrah are you the law? Yeah
People often ask if he is the law and he confirms that he is.

Thank you Thank you Thanks a million That's wonderful Thanks an awful lot
An expression of gratitude and appreciation for listening to his story.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, MUSIC COPYRIGHT CONSULTANT GRP
Written by: HENRY STRZELECKI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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