In the vast ocean of musical history, certain compositions stand as emblematic milestones, transcending genres and leaving an indelible mark on the listener’s soul. Among these treasures is “Surf’s Up” by The Beach Boys. Originating from the unrealized 1967 album “Smile,” the song found its way onto the 1971 album “Surf’s Up,” serving as a beacon of the band’s evolution.  Join us as we delve into the depths of this musical masterpiece, exploring its intricate layers of composition, profound lyrics, and the enduring legacy that has secured its place in the pantheon of timeless classics.

Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet

About the song

Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks has composed, The Beach Boys’ song “Surf’s Up,” which was initially slated for the unreleased 1967 album Smile. Eventually completed by Brian and Carl Wilson for the 1971 album Surf’s Up, the title, despite its lack of surfing-related content, cleverly alludes to the band’s departure from their established image.

The lyrics narrate the story of a man in a concert hall undergoing a spiritual awakening, embracing God and the bliss of divine enlightenment depicted in a children’s song style. The musical composition features two movements with multiple key modulations, avoiding traditional harmonic resolutions. A coda, based on another Smile track, “Child Is Father of the Man,” enhances the piece.

The sole surviving full-band recording from the 1960s is the basic backing track of the first movement. Three recordings exist of Wilson performing the complete song solo, two of which were captured for the 1967 documentary Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution. Described as “too complex” for immediate comprehension, the band revisited the song years later, adding new vocals and synthesizer overdubs to Wilson’s original piano performance and backing track. A 1967 recording resurfaced decades later and was included in the 2011 compilation The Smile Sessions.

Despite being released as a single in November 1971 with “Don’t Go Near the Water” as the B-side, “Surf’s Up” did not chart. In 2004, Wilson re-recorded the song for his solo version of Smile, incorporating new string orchestrations. The song received acclaim, earning a place in Pitchfork’s rankings of the top songs of the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, Mojo staff members voted it the greatest Beach Boys song in 2011.

Song Lyrics

A diamond necklace played the pawn
Hand in hand, some drummed along, oh
To a handsome mannered baton
(Bygone, bygone)

A blind class aristocracy
Back through the op’ra glass you see
The pit and the pendulum drawn
(Bygone, bygone)

Columnated ruins domino
Canvas the town and brush the back-drop
Are you sleeping?

Hung velvet overtaken me
Dim chandelier awaken me
To a song dissolved in the dawn
(Bygone, bygone)

The music hall, a costly bow
The music, all is lost for now
To a muted trumpeter swan
(Bygone, bygone)

Columnated ruins domino
Canvas the town and brush the back-drop
Are you sleeping, Brother John?

Dove nested towers, the hour was strike
The street, quicksilver moon
Carriage across the fog
Two-step to lamplight cellar tune

The laughs come hard in Auld Lang Syne
The glass was raised, the fired-rose
The fullness of the wine, the dim last toasting

While at Port, adieu or die
A choke of grief, heart-hardened I
Beyond belief, a broken man too tough to cry

Surf’s Up, mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm
Aboard a tidal wave
Come about hard and join
The young and often spring you gave

I heard the word
Wonderful thing
A children’s song

Child, child, child, the child
Father of the man (father of the man)
Child, child, child, the child
Father of the man (father of the man)

A children’s song
Have you listened as they play?
Their song is love
And the children know the way

That’s why the child, child, the child, child
Father of the man (father of the man)
Child, child, the child
Father of the man (father of the man)
That’s why the child, child, the child, child
Father of the man (father of the man)
Child, child, the child
Father of the man (father of the man)

Meaning

The Beach Boys’ track “Surf’s Up” delves into triumphing over life’s challenges and enduring difficulties, employing the metaphor of an aged ship navigating turbulent waters. Additionally, some interpretations suggest that the song also explores the allure of simplicity and innocence.

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