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
Wonderful
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never known as a non-believer
She laughs and stays in the
Won-won-wonderful
She knew how to gather the forest when
God reached softly and moved her body
One golden locket quite young
Farther down the path was a mystery
Through the recess the chalk and numbers
A boy bumped into her
Won-won-won-wonderful
Na na na na na na na
Hey bobba reba
Everybody should
Wa bobba lee
Just start collecting
Hey bobba reba
Oh yeah
Wa bobba lee
Kept a-comin on
Hey, bobba
Just to be a cool guy
Hey, bobba
He bobba reba
Don't think you're God
He bobba reba
Vibrations
Go for a ride
Wa bobba lee
Just go for a
He bobba reba
Just keep goin'
Wa bobba lee
Said it
Just keep goin'
He bobba
All you gotta do is
Hey bobba
Cool it vibrations
He bobba reba
Ah, just gotta do it, vibrate
La la
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
She'll return, in love with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She'll smile and thank God
For won-won-won-wonderful
Na na na na na na na
The Beach Boys’ song “Wonderful” is a beautiful and uplifting ballad with rich imagery and layered meanings. The song tells the story of a woman who is independent and free, confident in her beliefs and unafraid to explore new paths. She is depicted as someone who is in tune with nature, able to “gather the forest” and move with the soft reach of God.
As the song progresses, we learn that this woman has a past rooted in deep family love and connection. She is also confronted with a “mystery” that lies farther down her path, but she is undeterred, continuing to move forward with a sense of wonder and excitement. The song’s catchy refrain, “Won-won-wonderful” serves as a joyful celebration of life’s possibilities and the beauty of the world.
Overall, “Wonderful” seems to be a celebration of the human spirit, of the ability to face life’s challenges with joy and to find wonder in even the most difficult times. It’s a powerful reminder that, no matter what we may face, we have the strength to move forward with a sense of wonder and deep appreciation for the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
She belongs there, left with her liberty
She is meant to be there, free and independent. It is her rightful place.
Never known as a non-believer
She is a person of faith, unwavering and steadfast in her beliefs.
She laughs and stays in the
Won-won-wonderful
She finds joy in life's simple pleasures and cherishes the moments that make her happy.
She knew how to gather the forest when
God reached softly and moved her body
She is in tune with nature and the divine, and knows how to connect with both in a meaningful way.
One golden locket quite young
And loving her mother and father
She treasures the memory of her childhood and the love of her parents, holding onto it as a precious keepsake.
Farther down the path was a mystery
Through the recess the chalk and numbers
A boy bumped into her
Won-won-won-wonderful
As she journeys through life, she encounters unknown paths and unpredictable situations. She finds delight in new experiences and even chance encounters with strangers.
Na na na na na na na
This is a nonsensical phrase that represents the exuberance and good cheer experienced by the singer. It is a celebration of life and what it has to offer.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smshah232
+Salfordio "In My Room" is a great song. I remember a few years back I was driving around with my friends and one of us started singing the first line and each of us joined in perfectly until we were harmonizing in unison.
"There's a world where
"I can go and
"Tell my secrets to
"In my roooooom"
@alexsaitta4041
I love the Beatles and surely recognize them for their song writing genus, but when it comes to production, vocal arrangements, musical arrangements of songs, Wilson had the Beatles beat in 1965 and 1966. Really not close.
Wilson was smart to farm out the least important part of a song -- the words, and that allowed him to focus on the vocal/ musical arrangements and melodies AND he brought in top notch musicians to play it all right. It shows in the Beach Boys 1965 and 1966 work. While John and Paul were better writers, Wilson was leaving the Beatles (George Martin) behind in terms of vocal/ musical arrangements and musical compositions.
For example, We Can Work It Out was a #1 hit in 1966. This wasn't, not close, but far superior in terms of production, musical and vocal arrangements.
This is only one of his production, vocal and musical masterpieces in that 1965-66 era that is unmatched. The introduction to California Girls for musical arrangement. God only Knows' vocal arrangements, the melody and mood on this song or Kiss Me Baby. The list is quite long.
Gosh, Smile, you can hear the genius in that album listening to this song. Surf's Up too, one of the many unfinished songs on that record. It would have been nice if Wilson had more support from the band during this transition period.
I love Sgt. Pepper's, but honestly I haven't put that record on in 20 years, but I'm listening to this (rather admiring it, for the genius behind it.)
@JeniferLohan
She belongs there, left with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She laughs and stays in the
Won- won- wonderful
She knew how to gather the forest when
God reached softly and moved her body
One golden locket quite young
And loving her mother and father
Farther down the path was a mystery
Through the recess the chalk and numbers
A boy bumped into her
Won- won- won- wonderful
Na na na na na na na
Hey bobba reba
----everybody should
Wa bobba lee
Just start collecting
Hey bobba reba
Oh yeah
Wa bobba lee
Kept a-comin on
Hey bobba
Just to be a cool guy
Hey bobba
He bobba reba
Don't think you're god
He bobba reba
Vibrations
Go for a ride
Wa bobba lee
Just go for a
He bobba reba
Just keep goin'
Wa bobba lee
Said it
Just keep goin'
Hey bobba
All you gotta do is
Hey bobba
Cool it vibrations
He bobba reba
Ah just gotta do it vibrate
La la
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
She'll return in love with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She'll smile and thank god
For one won- won- wonderful
Na na na na na na na
@unknown6390
LYRICS:
She belongs there left with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She laughs and stays in the one, one, wonderful
She knew how to gather the forest when
God reached softly and moved her body
One golden locket, quite young and
Loving her mother and father
Farther down the path was a mystery
Through the recess, the chalk and numbers
A boy bumped into her one, one, one, wonderful
All fall down and lost in the mystery
Lost it all to a non-believer
And all that's left is a girl
Who's loved by her mother and father
She'll return in love with her liberty
Never known as a non-believer
She'll smile and thank God for one, one, one, wonderful
@nevercomestheday
This version is so much better than the one on Smiley Smile. No contest. This is my favorite Beach Boys song.
@musclebro144
I really appreciate what smiley smile was able to accomplish with a sound never heard before or after by The Beach Boys, but this rendition is my favorite of the two and is also my personal favorite Beach Boys song as well!
@TanMann23
i agree! especially that part at 0:53! so warm and chilling at the same time, i love it.
@chrisleyba6996
This is the original 1966 version. Agreed no comparison 🖤
@modelleg
It's the harpsichord.
@Harjawaldar
No doubt! this song is so beautiful. But the one on smiley smile fits the album as a whole, and it has a very unique atmosphere
@jamesrodriguez3593
No way a human can write such a beauty of a song.
Thought I knew all Beach Boys songs and now I cant stop listening this masterpiece.
Brian is up there with Mozart, Beethoven and the few others real musical geniuses of humanity
@christopherthomas7253
This song (and this version of it) was the first thing we played when we brought our newborn daughter home. I cried my eyes out with the sheer emotional overwhelmingness of it all, and the way the song seemed to reflect - or reinforce - those feelings.
@liquidzuel2321
Even though I'm a metalhead I still consider this one of my favourite songs of all time thanks to my Dad.
@DJWaffleston
The melody in this is heavenly. Like, so heavenly, so pitch perfect, the mood is perfect in terms of how softly the lyrics is portrayed.
This is one of the best songs I have ever heard in my entire life, that THAT'S an extremely rare thing for me to say. It just hits everything right in what a song should be.
This is one of those tracks that you can never hear as good today as you've heard back then. It's a marvel.