http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuJppKpM_3M At first glance, this may seem like a strange musical choice for our Boys: a cover of a sea-faring folk tune based on a Carl Sandburg poem. The choice may seem even more odd when one considers that this song choice was made at the pinnacle of the band's career; the song appears as the seventh track on the Boys' greatest album: Pet Sounds. The choice becomes weirder still when one considers the fact that the song was considered stale at the time the Beach Boys covered it; since being originally recorded by Alan Lomax in 1935, the song had been covered, under several titles, by The Weavers, The Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rodgers, and Dick Dale and The Del-Tones, among others. In fact, at first, Brian Wilson didn't even want to do the song; when Al Jardine first played the song for Brian, suggesting that the Boys cover the song, Brian was dismissive, stating, "I'm not a big fan of the Kingston Trio" (or, as Jardine states, of folk music in general). Jardine, however, was persistent; he arranged a less folksy and more complex version of the song and played it for Brian. Upon hearing this re-vamped version, Brian was enthusiastic about recording the tune. However, one can't help but feel that the song held more appeal for Brian than just technical challenges. This writer feels that Brian felt a parallel to his own life in the story of the ill-fated and somewhat strange boat trip. This is exhibited by the changes Brian made to the song's original lyrics; one such change, "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "This is the worst trip I've ever been on," is especially poignant (remember, Brian was heavy into drugs at the time that this song was recorded). It's well-known that, during this period, Brian felt lost in his life; a lot of this feeling was due to the fact that Brian was constantly trying to win the approval of his domineering father, Murry, and failing. The song's lyrics describe an equally troubled journey (granted, a more light-hearted one, but troubled nonetheless), one that surely spoke to Brian on a personal level. Even as the song moves through its somewhat silly lyrics (stealing grits, eating tons of ears of corn, getting riotous while on shore leave), one detects a current of desperation and depression, most prevalent in its chorus: "I want to go home...Why won't they let me go home?" One can hear in Brian's voice a tone of searching, hoping that something better lies ahead for him, or, if not better, at least answers of some kind.
Alan Howell is a native of Southern California. He loves movies of any and all kinds, Hollywood, indie, and everywhere in between. He loves pizza, sitcoms, rock and pop music, surfing, baseball, reading, and girls (not necessarily in that order).