Rond 1970 was de muziek van de Beach Boys volledig uit de mode geraakt. Brian Wilson weet dat aan het imago van de band: “the clean American thing has hurt us. And we’re really not getting any kind of airplay today”. Waarschijnlijk niet ten onrechte, want de Beach Boys waren nou niet meteen de eerste band die je associeerde met hippies, Woodstock en protesten tegen de oorlog in Vietnam.
In 1970 maakte de band kennis met dj Jack Rieley. Rieley moedigde de band aan het imago te veranderen (weg met de apenpakkies tijdens optredens) en zich in hun teksten wat meer uit te spreken over sociale kwesties. Surf’s Up is daarvan het eerste – en succesvolle – resultaat: voor het eerst in jaren viel een album van de Beach Boys weer in de smaak bij zowel critici als fans. Hoogtepunt is de titeltrack, met muziek van Brian Wilson en tekst van Van Dyke Parks. Zoals wel vaker bij Parks is de tekst ondoorgrondelijk, maar dat is natuurlijk een deel van de pret. Veel plezier met decoderen.
[Section 1]
[Verse 1]
A diamond necklace played the pawn
Hand in hand some drummed along, oh
To a handsome mannered baton
(Bygone, bygone)
[Verse 2]
A blind class aristocracy
Back through the opera glass you see
The pit and the pendulum drawn
(Bygone, bygone)
[Bridge]
Columnated ruins domino
Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping?
[Verse 3]
Hung velvet overtaken me
Dim chandelier awaken me
To a song dissolved in the dawn
(Bygone, bygone)
[Verse 4]
The music hall a costly bow
The music all is lost for now
To a muted trumpeter swan
(Bygone, bygone)
[Bridge]
Columnated ruins domino
Canvass the town and brush the backdrop
Are you sleeping, Brother John?
[Section 2]
[Verse 1]
Dove nested towers the hour was
Strike the street quicksilver moon
Carriage across the fog
Two-Step to lamp lights cellar tune
[Verse 2]
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
[Verse 3]
A choke of grief heart hardened, I
Beyond belief, a broken man too tough to cry
[Verse 4]
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
[Section 3]
[Refrain]
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
Uitgelichte afbeelding: By Brother Records – eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40164609
