Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

About Surf's Up

"Surf's Up" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for American rock band the Beach Boys. Its title is an ironic nod to the group's earlier associations with surf music; nothing in the song is about surfing. Through its stream of consciousness lyric, the song details a man who experiences a spiritual awakening, resigns himself to God and the joy of enlightenment, and prophesies an optimistic hope for those who can capture the innocence of youth. From 1966 to 1967, "Surf's Up" was partially recorded for the group's unfinished studio album Smile before being shelved indefinitely. After Wilson was filmed performing the song for Inside Pop, a 1967 television documentary covering the 1960s rock revolution, the composition acquired relative mystique. In 1971, the original studio recording was completed and served as the title track for the group's 17th studio album. It was also released as a single, serving as the A-side to "Don't Go Near the Water", which did not chart. In 2016, "Surf's Up" was ranked number 122 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 best songs of the 1970s. In 2011, MOJO staff members voted it the greatest Beach Boys song. In 1967 it was acknowledged by clarinetist David Oppenheim, who called it "too complex to get the first time around...'Surf's Up' is one aspect of new things happening in pop music today. As such, it is a symbol of the change many of these young musicians see in our future." Musicologist Philip Lambert named the song "the soul of Smile" for being the "sum total of its creators' most profound artistic visions" with its "perfect marriage of an eloquent lyric with music of commensurate power and depth." 


Year:
1971
4:12
89 

 Struggling with Surf's Up? Become a better singer in 30 days with these videos!

A diamond necklace played the pawn
Hand in hand some drummed along, oh
To a handsome man and baton
A blind class aristocracy
Back through the opera glass you see
The pit and the pendulum drawn
Columinated ruins domino

Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping?

Hung velvet overtaken me
Dim chandelier awaken me
To a song dissolved in the dawn
The music hall a costly bow
The music all is lost for now
To a muted trumpeter swan
Columinated ruins domino

Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping, Brother John?

Dove nested towers the hour was
Strike the street quicksilver moon
Carriage across the fog
Two-Step to lamp lights 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
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, child, child
A child is the father of the man
Child, child, child, child, child
A child is the father of the man
A children's song
Have you listened as they played
Their song is love
And the children know the way
That's why the child is the father to the man
Child, child, child, child, child
Child, child, child, child, child
Na na na na na na na na
Child, child, child, child, child
That's why the child is the father to the man
Child, child, child, child, child

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, the Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962. The band's early music gained popularity across the United States for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance. By the mid 1960s, Brian Wilson's growing creative ambition and songwriting ability would dominate the group's musical direction. The primarily Wilson-composed Pet Sounds album and "Good Vibrations" single (both released in 1966) featured a complex, intricate and multi-layered sound that wa… more »

13 fans

Written by: Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Origin of the Song
"Surf's Up" isn't a typical Beach Boys song about surfing. Instead, it's a complex and introspective song that displays the growth and maturity in Brian Wilson's songwriting. The name was intended to be ironic, contrasting with the band's earlier, simple beach-themed music.
Creation
The song was first put together for the Beach Boys' abandoned "SMiLE" album, which was Brian Wilson's ambitious follow-up to Pet Sounds. It was later completed and released on the "Surf's Up" album in 1971.
Writer
Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks collaborated to write the song. Parks wrote the lyrics, which are highly symbolic and abstract.
Performances
Brian Wilson first performed a solo piano version of "Surf's Up" on a CBS television special entitled "Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution" in 1967. This solo version has been received as hauntingly beautiful and meticulously composed.
Lyrics
The lyrics to "Surf's Up" are considered some of the best in The Beach Boys' catalog, showcasing Van Dyke Parks' talent in creating poetic, vivid imagery.
Sound
"Surf's Up" is a prime example of Brian Wilson's symphonic approach to rock music, showcasing multi-part harmonies and lush orchestral arrangements.
Re-release
The song was finally released on an album bearing the same name in 1971, featuring vocals by Carl Wilson and additional contributions from the other Beach Boys.
Title Interpretation
The title "Surf's Up" is a metaphor for the end of the Beach Boys earlier, naive style of music. It serves as a landmark in their shift towards more mature, introspective music.
Historical Significance
The song, despite its delayed release, is regarded as a masterpiece and one of the greatest achievements of The Beach Boys, leading to its inclusion in numerous 'Best-of' compilations.
Live Rendition
In 2004, nearly four decades after writing "Surf's Up," Brian Wilson played it live regularly as part of his performances of SMiLE, finally giving the abandoned album the complete performance it deserved.
SMiLE Sessions
The original recording of the song, along with the rest of the SMiLE Sessions, was eventually released by Capitol Records in 2011, shedding fresh light on the song's creation.

Discuss the Surf's Up Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Surf's Up Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/4712392/The+Beach+Boys/Surf%27s+Up>.

    Missing lyrics by The Beach Boys?

    Know any other songs by The Beach Boys? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Surf's Up

    693.7K
    4,293     89

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    "Her walk is so mean" is from which song?
    A Drag Me Down
    B One Thing
    C Steal My Girl
    D Mystery Box

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss The Beach Boys's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    • Fri • Apr 26 • 8:00 PM
      Talking Stick Resort, Scottsdale , AZ
    • Sat • Apr 27 • 8:00 PM
      Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater at Harrah's Laughlin, Laughlin, NV
    • Fri • May 24 • 8:00 PM
      Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, CT
    • Sat • May 25 • 7:30 PM
      Broadview Stage at SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY
    • Sun • May 26 • 7:30 PM
      BankNH Pavilion, Gilford, NH
    The Beach Boys tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    Surf's Up

    »