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

We'll Run Away
The Beach Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We know they're right when they say we're not ready
But all we care is how we feel right now
We'll go ahead just the same
Prepare to take the blame
We'll run away and get married anyhow

They warned us that we can't live on love forever
But we just tell them we'll get by somehow

Our problems will be greater
We'll worry 'bout them later
We'll run away and get married anyhow

If other kids went through it
Then I know we can do it
If our love is that much stronger
It will last that much longer

It wasn't too long ago when our folks were
Were going through the same thing we are now
But one thing they're forgetting
A thing they're not regretting
They ran away and got married anyhow
(ran away and got married)
Anyhow

(ran away and got married)
They ran away and got married anyhow

Overall Meaning

The Beach Boys' song "We'll Run Away" portrays a couple that is deeply in love and ready to get married despite their parents' disapproval. The opening line, "We know they're right when they say we're not ready," initially acknowledges the parents' concerns, but the singer disregards them, focusing solely on their feelings in the present. They "[go] ahead just the same" and "[prepare] to take the blame." The couple is aware of the consequences of their actions, but they choose to pursue their love for each other.

The second verse solidifies the parents' pragmatic warnings about the harsh realities of living on love alone. However, the singer is not deterred and declares that they will "get by somehow." The couple plans to deal with their issues later, and for now, they'll just "run away and get married anyhow." The following lines suggest that the couple takes solace in the fact that other people in the same situation have successfully navigated love against all odds. They argue that if their love is stronger than the other couples', then it will last longer.

The final verse references the singer's parents, who apparently ran away and got married as well. The singer and their lover are aware of this and question why their parents are not extending the same courtesy to them. In the end, the couple decides to run away and get married "anyhow." This song captures the passion of youth and the feeling of being in love and willing to do anything to stay together, despite the odds.

Line by Line Meaning

We know they're right when they say we're not ready
We acknowledge that others caution us not being mature enough

But all we care is how we feel right now
But we are currently focused on our emotions disregarding everyone else

We'll go ahead just the same
We will move forward despite what anyone else says

Prepare to take the blame
We are ready to handle any consequences that may result from our actions

We'll run away and get married anyhow
We will elope to unite our love, regardless of any doubts the world may have

They warned us that we can't live on love forever
Others have warned us that love alone cannot sustain a fulfilling life

But we just tell them we'll get by somehow
Yet, we reassure them that we will find a way to manage

Our problems will be greater
Although we know our issues will grow

We'll worry 'bout them later
We will deal with them at a subsequent time

If other kids went through it
If other young individuals can achieve this, too

Then I know we can do it
Then, i trust we can accomplish the same