"It’s Been Building Up In Brian Wilson For Oh I Don’t Know How Long...."

Dave Zahl has been writing these great posts about The Beach Boys and in particular about Brian Wilson for a couple of years now.   I have never really followed the band closely, although I did sort of know about Brian Wilson's mental breakdowns and attendant personal problems.

Dave writes something terrific today about the song "Don't Worry Baby" - something I'd never really picked up on:

Some of us consider “Don’t Worry Baby” to be the definition of a perfect song and recording, as beautiful as anything “America’s band”, or any other, ever released. ... What accounts for its greatness? First, and most obviously, “Don’t Worry Baby” boasts one of the most memorable opening couplets of all time, the immortal “Well it’s been building up inside of me for, oh, I don’t know how long/ I don’t know why but I keep thinking something’s bound to go wrong.” Given their Mad Men-like context, one would have presumed that the song was written from the perspective of a confident man reassuring a hysterical woman. But Brian and his lyricist Roger Christian flipped that convention on its head (I’m sure they didn’t give it a second thought), producing a tune about an insecure, anxious man recalling all the times his uncommonly demonstrative girlfriend has reassured him.

Well its been building up inside of me
For oh I don't know how long
I don't know why
But I keep thinking
Something's bound to go wrong

But she looks in my eyes
And makes me realize
And she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby

I guess I should've kept my mouth shut
When I started to brag about my car
But I can't back down now because
I pushed the other guys too far

She makes me come alive
And makes me wanna drive
When she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby

She told me "Baby, when you race today
Just take along my love with you
And if you knew how much I loved you
Baby nothing could go wrong with you"

Oh what she does to me
When she makes love to me
And she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby

More from Dave:

But look at the guys perform the tune in 1964 (above) and how can you not love them? Gangly and pudgy and balding and so clearly nervous, it’s one of the deep ironies of the early 60s that these guys came to represent fun-in-the-sun American athleticism, when, with the exception of Dennis, not only could they not surf, none of them even looked remotely beach-ready. Such sublime music coming from such strange vessels. The melody is pure prettiness and the arrangement watertight Californian perfection....

Strange vessels would become, in a few short years, broken ones. When Brian quit touring in 1964, his brother Carl took over lead vocal duties on “Don’t Worry Baby”. It wasn’t until Brian hesitantly rejoined the touring group fifteen years (and several nervous breakdowns) later, and Carl went on a solo tour, that he sang the tune in front of people again. Here he is in 1981, and you almost have to look away, it’s too much:



The juxtaposition of such an immaculate musical creation with Brian’s ravaged voice/soul–at the risk of proving Bagge right, I have a hard time thinking of another performance as moving. The gift is so out of proportion with its recipient/vessel, you can’t help but hear G-O-D written all over it.

And then there's this amazing song, too:



Dave has an "after" version of this one at the post, too....