"Vega-Tables" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys. Written by Br… Read Full Bio ↴"Vega-Tables" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, it was one of the last tracks recorded for the unfinished album Smile and was briefly projected to be that album's lead single. Like other tracks on Smiley Smile, the finished arrangement was more stripped-down than the version conceived for Smile.

The song was partly inspired by Wilson's obsession with physical fitness in the late 1960s. In a contemporary article, he stated, "I want to turn people on to vegetables, good natural food, organic food. Health is an important element in spiritual enlightenment. But I do not want to be pompous about it, so we will engage in a satirical approach." Another reported inspiration for the song was a humorous comment Wilson heard about the effect of marijuana turning him and his friends into a "vegetative" state.

The Beatles' Paul McCartney is rumored to be a guest contributor on early versions of the track that were released for the compilations Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys (1993) and The Smile Sessions (2011). While many witnesses support that he contributed chewed celery noises at an early session, held in April 1967, researchers failed to uncover any audio evidence that would confirm his presence on any surviving recording of the song.

Vega-Tables
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm gonna be round my vegetables
I'm gonna chow down my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vegetable

If you brought a big brown bag of them home
I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot

I'm gonna keep well my vegetables
Cart off and sell my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vegetable

Oh oh taba vega vegel

I tried to kick the ball but my tenny flew right off
I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarrassed

Sleep a lot eat a lot brush em like crazy
Run a lot do a lot never be lazy
Sleep a lot eat a lot brush em like crazy
Run a lot do a lot never be lazy

Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
oh yeah
Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do
Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do

I throw away my candy bar and I ate the wrapper
And when they told me what I did I burst into laughter

I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in
Your letter an'

Tell us the name of your
Your favorite vegetable

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys’s song Vega-Tables initially seems like a simple song about a person’s love for vegetables. However, there is much more to the song than that. In fact, the lyrics delve into deeper themes such as environmentalism, health, and self-improvement. The song encourages listeners to take care of their bodies and the Earth by eating healthy and living an active lifestyle. The lyrics "Sleep a lot, eat a lot, brush'em like crazy, run a lot, do a lot, never be lazy" emphasize the importance of taking care of oneself.

The song also references the band's disagreements with their record label at the time. In the verse "Cart off and sell my vegetables," the band is criticizing Capitol Records for not releasing an album of their music called Smile, which included Vega-Tables. The line "I know that you'll feel better when you send us in your letter" may refer to the band’s struggle with their record label.

One of the most interesting aspects of the song is the use of non-lexical vocables such as "Oh oh taba vega vegel" and "Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do." These sounds are meant to represent the sound of fruits and vegetables being chopped and prepared.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm gonna be round my vegetables
I will devote my time and energy to cultivate vegetables.

I'm gonna chow down my vegetables
I will eat vegetables excitedly because they are good for me.

I love you most of all
My admiration for vegetables is not a comparison with the one I love most.

My favorite vegetable
I have a special desire for a certain type of vegetable.

If you brought a big brown bag of them home I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot
I would be so thrilled if you brought home so many vegetables that I would be willing to eat any kind, even if it's not exactly what I want.

I'm gonna keep well my vegetables Cart off and sell my vegetables
I will take care of my vegetables and even sell them to others who are interested.

Oh oh taba vega vegel
An exclamatory interlude that doesn't have a specific meaning.

I tried to kick the ball but my tenny flew right off I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarrassed
I tried to be athletic but failed, which caused me to turn red because of shame.

Sleep a lot eat a lot brush em like crazy Run a lot do a lot never be lazy Sleep a lot eat a lot brush em like crazy Run a lot do a lot never be lazy
Healthy habits like sleeping, eating, and brushing must always be emphasized, together with being active and avoiding laziness.

Oh oh dum do dum de dooby do
An exclamatory interlude that doesn't have a specific meaning.

oh yeah
An enthusiastic expression to someone who agrees with what is being said.

Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do Oh badumday oh dum do dum de dooby do
Refrain from the song, doesn't have a literal meaning but adds a playful tone to the song.

I throw away my candy bar and I ate the wrapper And when they told me what I did I burst into laughter
I mistakenly tried to eat the wrapper of a candy bar, leading to others finding the incident funny afterward.

I know that you'll feel better When you send us in Your letter an' Tell us the name of your Your favorite vegetable
I believe that telling us about your favorite vegetable will make you happy and share your enthusiasm for healthy eating habits.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Brian Douglas Wilson, Van Dyke Parks

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS