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
Strange World
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We watch the people who gather here
The uninvited who've lost their way
And now we're all here to stay
And it's a strange world
There's nothing to it
Strange world
Strange world
Thinking it over
It's a strange world after all
In multi-colourful lives we run
To catch a glimpse of the setting sun
I can't imagine how life would be
If you were not here with me
And it's a strange world
There's nothing to it
Strange world
I'm getting through it
Strange world
Strange world after all
Sunday morning
Skies so blue
Yo te amo
Means I love you
You can drive your car
To the county fair
Or ride your bicycle anywhere
It doesn't matter that much to me
'Cause we're pretty good company (strange world)
And it's a strange world
There's nothing to it
Strange world
I'm getting through it
Strange world
Thinking it over
It's a strange world after all
(All, all)
The Beach Boys' song "Strange World" is a pop rock tune that invites us to reflect on life's strangeness while displaying their signature harmonies. Starting on Santa Monica city pier, the band lays out a scene of "the uninvited who've lost their way" gathered there. However, they decide to stay and observe, leading into the chorus with three repetitions of "Strange world, there's nothing to it, strange world, I'm getting through it, strange world, thinking it over, it's a strange world after all."
The next verse takes us into a colorful description of how they run to catch the setting sun, but they can't imagine how their lives would be without someone by their side. The chorus comes in again, this time with a heavier tone but still ending on "it's a strange world after all." Finally, we are left with a snippet of Sunday morning on a blue sky day, where "Yo te amo" (I love you) is heard, and the last mention of how it doesn't matter where they go because they're pretty good company.
One interpretation of the song is that it points to the chaos and uncertainty of the world we live in, but the band chooses to appreciate the strange moments that arise, including those shared with loved ones. The lyrics, although simple, are catchy and provide a message of hope that the strangeness of the world is something we can all endure together.
Line by Line Meaning
On Santa Monica city pier
We're standing on the pier in Santa Monica, watching people.
We watch the people who gather here
We observe all the people who come here to the pier.
The uninvited who've lost their way
Many people here seem lost or without a sense of direction.
And now we're all here to stay
We'll be here for a while, just like everyone else on the pier.
And it's a strange world
The world is not what we thought it was.
There's nothing to it
There is no particular reason for the way things are.
Strange world
The world is full of unexpected things.
I'm getting through it
I'm managing to cope with this strange world.
Thinking it over
I'm reflecting on what I've seen and experienced in this world.
It's a strange world after all
Overall, the world is a perplexing and mysterious place.
In multi-colourful lives we run
Our lives are full of many different experiences and emotions.
To catch a glimpse of the setting sun
We're always seeking out beauty and wonder in the world.
I can't imagine how life would be
I can't picture what my life would be like without you in it.
If you were not here with me
Your presence in my life is so important to me.
Sunday morning
It's a peaceful Sunday morning.
Skies so blue
The sky is a beautiful shade of blue.
Yo te amo
I love you (in Spanish).
Means I love you
That's what 'yo te amo' means.
You can drive your car
You have the freedom to travel by car.
To the county fair
You could go to the fair for entertainment.
Or ride your bicycle anywhere
You're also free to explore by bike.
It doesn't matter that much to me
I don't really care what we do, as long as we're together.
'Cause we're pretty good company (strange world)
We get along well and are good companions, even in this strange and unpredictable world.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH THOMAS, BRIAN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Captain Fantastic
"I can't imagine how life would be/if you were not here with me."
That line always kills me.
It sounds like it would also kill the singer if his partner were no longer here.