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
Wendy
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We went together for so long
I never thought a guy could cry
'Til you made it with another guy
Oh, Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
Wendy, Wendy don't lose your head
(Lose your head)
I can't picture you with him
His future looks awful dim
Oh, Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
I thought we had our love down pat
Guess I was wrong
The farthest thing from my mind
Was the day that I'd wake up to find
My Wendy, Wendy left me alone
Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
Wendy, Wendy left me alone
The Beach Boys' "Wendy" is a heartbreaking song about a guy who has been left by his girlfriend for another man. The song starts with the main character, presumably the lead singer, asking Wendy what went wrong with their relationship that they had been together for so long. He had never imagined that he would cry like this because of someone, but Wendy's infidelity has proved him wrong. Wendy is portrayed as the one who left the singer alone, and he expresses the excruciating pain he feels.
The second verse of the song sees the singer trying to warn Wendy about her new guy. He tells her not to trust anything he says and not to lose her head over him. The singer can't picture Wendy with her new guy, and he thinks that the man's future doesn't look bright. He warns Wendy about him because he still has feelings for her and doesn't want to see her hurt like he was.
The chorus repeats twice, and it is clear that Wendy has left the singer alone, and it hurts him badly. He thought that they had their love down pat, and the furthest thing from his mind was waking up one day to find that Wendy had left him. The Beach Boys' smooth harmonies and Brian Wilson's writing style make this song easily relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Wendy, Wendy what went wrong oh, so wrong
The singer is asking Wendy what happened to their relationship and how it went so wrong
We went together for so long
They had been together for a very long time
I never thought a guy could cry
The singer never thought he would cry over a girl until Wendy made it with another guy
'Til you made it with another guy
Wendy cheated on the singer with another guy
Oh, Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
The singer is in a lot of pain and hurt because Wendy left him alone
Wendy, Wendy don't lose your head
The singer is asking Wendy to not lose her mind and make the wrong decisions
Wendy don't believe a word he says, ooh ooh
The singer is warning Wendy to not believe anything the other guy says
I can't picture you with him
The singer can't imagine Wendy being with the other guy
His future looks awful dim
The other guy doesn't have a bright future
Oh, Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
The singer is still in a lot of pain and hurt because Wendy left him alone
I thought we had our love down pat
The singer thought they had their relationship figured out and it was going well
Guess I was wrong
However, the singer was wrong in thinking everything was okay
The farthest thing from my mind
The singer never imagined that Wendy would leave him for someone else
Was the day that I'd wake up to find
But that's exactly what happened and it came as a shock to the singer
My Wendy, Wendy left me alone
The singer repeats that Wendy left him alone and it still hurts him so much
Wendy, Wendy left me alone (hurts so bad)
The pain of being left alone by Wendy is so intense that the singer feels the need to repeat it
Wendy, Wendy left me alone
The singer ends the song with the same repeated line, emphasizing how much he's hurting over Wendy leaving him alone
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL LOVE, BRIAN WILSON
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