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"When I Grow Up" features multiple ]s, a hook based on a dissonant, ] chord, ], and a long pause as a climax.<ref name="Scott/WIGU">{{cite web |last1=Interrante |first1=Scott |title=When I Grow Up: The Beach Boys - "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" |url=https://www.popmatters.com/181240-when-i-grow-up-the-beach-boys-when-i-grow-up-to-be-a-man-2495665284.html |website=] |date=April 28, 2014}}</ref> Music historian Charles Granata wrote that the song "best exemplifies the musical growth" through its "effective combination of odd sounds" and its "full and round" vocal harmonies.{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=63–64}} O'Regan brought special attention to the drum pattern for avoiding a traditional backbeat rhythm common to rock and roll songs of this era. Instead, it "effectively plays 'around' the vocals with interesting fills adding texture and drama to the passing of time in the lyrics. Each part of the drum kit works independently from each other, horizontally as four separate parts, rather than a whole set working together."{{sfn|O'Regan|2014|p=131}} A notable element of the song's composition is its use of ] harmony. It is one of many songs on ''The Beach Boys Today!'' to prominently feature jazz chords, with other examples including "]", and "]".{{sfn|Lambert|2016|p=68}} "When I Grow Up" features multiple ]s, a hook based on a dissonant, ] chord, ], and a long pause as a climax.<ref name="Scott/WIGU">{{cite web |last1=Interrante |first1=Scott |title=When I Grow Up: The Beach Boys - "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" |url=https://www.popmatters.com/181240-when-i-grow-up-the-beach-boys-when-i-grow-up-to-be-a-man-2495665284.html |website=] |date=April 28, 2014}}</ref> Music historian Charles Granata wrote that the song "best exemplifies the musical growth" through its "effective combination of odd sounds" and its "full and round" vocal harmonies.{{sfn|Granata|2003|pp=63–64}} O'Regan brought special attention to the drum pattern for avoiding a traditional backbeat rhythm common to rock and roll songs of this era. Instead, it "effectively plays 'around' the vocals with interesting fills adding texture and drama to the passing of time in the lyrics. Each part of the drum kit works independently from each other, horizontally as four separate parts, rather than a whole set working together."{{sfn|O'Regan|2014|p=131}} A notable element of the song's composition is its use of ] harmony. It is one of many songs on ''The Beach Boys Today!'' to prominently feature jazz chords, with other examples including "]", and "]".{{sfn|Lambert|2016|p=68}}


An element of "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" that has been subject to analysis from musicologists and authors is the chord that opens the song and repeats each chorus, traditionally notated as an A♭7#5 chord. In his book ''],'' Lambert writes that this unusual chord "grabs our attention immediately." and interprets that it represents the "swirl of complications arising from the growth into adulthood described in the song’s lyric". According to Lambert, As the song progresses, we realize that Brian is associating the dissonance of the initial chord, along with the vocal counterpoint at the end of the verse and the advanced chord progression of the wordless bridge, with a more “mature” attitude and life perspective.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lambert |first=Philip |title=Inside the Music of Brian Wilson |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-8264-1877-7 |pages=180}}</ref> An element of "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" that has been subject to analysis from musicologists and authors is the chord that opens the song and repeats each chorus, traditionally notated as an A♭7#5 chord. In his book ''],'' Lambert writes that this unusual chord "grabs our attention immediately." and interprets that it represents the "swirl of complications arising from the growth into adulthood described in the song’s lyric". According to Lambert, "As the song progresses, we realize that Brian is associating the dissonance of the initial chord, along with the vocal counterpoint at the end of the verse and the advanced chord progression of the wordless bridge, with a more “mature” attitude and life perspective."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lambert |first=Philip |title=Inside the Music of Brian Wilson |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-8264-1877-7 |pages=180}}</ref>


==Recording== ==Recording==

Revision as of 21:33, 17 May 2023

1964 single by the Beach Boys
"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album The Beach Boys Today!
B-side"She Knows Me Too Well"
ReleasedAugust 24, 1964
RecordedAugust 5–10, 1964
StudioWestern, Hollywood
Genre
Length2:01
LabelCapitol
Composer(s)Brian Wilson
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"I Get Around"
(1964) 		"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"
(1964) 		"Dance, Dance, Dance"
(1964)
Music video
"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" on YouTube
Audio sample
File:When I Grow Up (To Be a Man).ogg

"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (titled simply "When I Grow Up" on The Beach Boys Today! album cover) is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, The song was first issued as the follow-up single to the Beach Boys' first number-one single "I Get Around" on August 24, 1964, paired with the B-side "She Knows Me Too Well". The following year, it was issued as a track on the band's 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!.

"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" marked a significant departure from previous Beach Boys hits, as it's lyrics describe a boy who is anxious of when he stops being a teenager, pondering such questions as "Will I love my wife for the rest of my life?" It is one of the first rock songs that discussed impending adulthood.

Upon it's release as a single, "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" peaked at number 9 in the US, number 27 in the UK, number 39 in Australia, and number 1 in Canada. Retrospectively, the song has been acclaimed for it's musical sophistication, jazz influence, and unique arrangement and musical structure. Additionally, it has been characterized as a transitionary song for the group.

Background

The Beach Boys' previous single "I Get Around" became the first number-one single by the group in the United States. Additionally, it was America's first number-one hit by a homeland group since November 1963, following the chart dominance of British acts such as the Beatles.

According to author James Perone, "I Get Around" represented both a successful response by Wilson to the British Invasion, and the beginning of an unofficial rivalry between him and the Beatles, principally Paul McCartney. Authout and Musicologist Philip Lambert concurred with that sentiment, writing "As 'I Get Around' rose to the top of the charts...the Beatles surely recognized that they had a formidable rival." In the UK, the single was released in June 1964 and became the band's first UK hit to breach the top ten, reaching number 7 on the Record Retailer chart

From June to August, the group toured in support of their newest LP, All Summer Long, which had marked the most complex arrangements on a Beach Boys record to date, as well as being the first that was not focused on themes of cars or surfing. They also readied a Christmas album for release in November.

"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by both him and his cousin and frequent writing partner Mike Love. Around this time in the band's history, both Wilson and Love, the co-writers of "When I Grow Up" expressed dissatisfaction with the band's direction, and reliance on themes of surfing. In an interview with Melody Maker, Mike Love said that he and the band wished to move on from surf music and avoid resting on the band's laurels. Similarly, Wilson replied angrily when asked how he felt about originating the surfing sound: "We don't play surfing music. We're tired of being labelled as the originators of the surfing sound. We just produce a sound that teens dig, and that can be applied to any theme. The surfing theme has run its course. Cars are finished now, too. And even Hondas are over. We're just gonna stay on the life of a social teenager."

Lyrics

There appear to be several sources of inspiration for the lyrics of "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)". At the time, Brian told the Birmingham Post, "When I was younger, I used to worry about turning into an old square over the years. I don't think I will now, and that is what inspired 'When I Grow Up'." In a 2011 interview, he commented that when he wrote the song, he had a dismal view of his future, saying "'When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)’ was inspired about what it was gonna be like to grow up. Will I like the things then as I did now? I wrote that in my early twenties. As I look back on that I am happy with my life now and I didn’t think I would be.” In his 2016 memoir, Love wrote that the song was "probably influenced" by Murry Wilson, who constantly challenged Brian's manhood. Wilson later revisited the topic of manhood in 1966, for the Smile song "Child Is Father of the Man".

It is one of the first rock songs to discuss impending adulthood The lyrics of "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" describe a boy who is anxious of when he stops being a teenager. To this effect, the narrator poses such question as "Will I love my wife for the rest of my life?" That line in particular marked the first instance of a Beach Boys song discussing falling out of love with someone, as opposed to just being in or out of a relationship. Academic Jody O'Regan interpreted the line as Wilson admitting that he had doubts about his marriage. Critic Richard Meltzer later cited "When I Grow Up" as the moment when the Beach Boys "abruptly ceased to be boys". In the book Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop, Bob Stanley remarked of the lyrics that Brian wrote for the Today! album, "Brian was aiming for Johnny Mercer but coming up proto-indie." In an article for PopMatters, Journalist Alice Bolin commented on the song's unique lyrical approach, saying “When I Grow Up to Be a Man” is about envisioning the past. It was written by a 23-year-old who imagined a 13-year-old imagining what it was like to be 23."

"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) is possibly the earliest US top 40 song to contain the expression "turn on" (from the lyric "will I still like the things that turned me on as a kid?"). This expression would later become emblematic of the late 1960s counterculture movement, particularly as part of the phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out", popularized by Timothy Leary.

Composition

"When I Grow Up" features multiple key changes, a hook based on a dissonant, functionally ambiguous chord, tempo stretches, and a long pause as a climax. Music historian Charles Granata wrote that the song "best exemplifies the musical growth" through its "effective combination of odd sounds" and its "full and round" vocal harmonies. O'Regan brought special attention to the drum pattern for avoiding a traditional backbeat rhythm common to rock and roll songs of this era. Instead, it "effectively plays 'around' the vocals with interesting fills adding texture and drama to the passing of time in the lyrics. Each part of the drum kit works independently from each other, horizontally as four separate parts, rather than a whole set working together." A notable element of the song's composition is its use of Jazz harmony. It is one of many songs on The Beach Boys Today! to prominently feature jazz chords, with other examples including "Kiss Me, Baby", and "Please Let Me Wonder".

An element of "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" that has been subject to analysis from musicologists and authors is the chord that opens the song and repeats each chorus, traditionally notated as an A♭7#5 chord. In his book Inside the Music of Brian Wilson, Lambert writes that this unusual chord "grabs our attention immediately." and interprets that it represents the "swirl of complications arising from the growth into adulthood described in the song’s lyric". According to Lambert, "As the song progresses, we realize that Brian is associating the dissonance of the initial chord, along with the vocal counterpoint at the end of the verse and the advanced chord progression of the wordless bridge, with a more “mature” attitude and life perspective."

Recording

The track was recorded over two sessions in 1964 at Western Studio. The instrumental track was recorded on August 5 with a basic line-up of Brian on piano, Carl on guitar, Al Jardine on bass, and Dennis on drums. On this same day, the band recorded the backing track for "She Knows Me Too Well", ultimately selected as the single's B-side. It took 37 takes to record, as the band members struggled with the complicated rhythm of the song, particularly Dennis, who frequently caused takes to end prematurely due to playing mistakes. Band archivist Craig Slowinski notes that Brian was very demanding during these sessions, prompting Carl to comment about how hard "Brian rides " in the studio. Following the successful master take of the basic backing track, overdubs were recorded, including fills on the harpsichord played by Brian, a guitar solo by Carl, and a double-reed harmonica part performed by Carroll Lewis, the only non-Beach Boy to appear on the record.

The vocals were overdubbed later on August 10, this time with lead singer Love joining the sessions for the first time. At this stage, "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" was not yet slated to be the Beach Boys' next single, rather it was only planned as an album track. Vocal overdubs took 14 takes to complete. Wilson later expressed disappointment with his vocal part, saying that the group were trying to sound like the Four Freshmen, but his voice was too "whiney" on the song.

Release

On August 24, 1964, "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" was issued as a single, backed with "She Knows Me Too Well", and peaked at number 9 in the US. It also spent two weeks at number one in Canada's national RPM chart, their second chart-topper following "I Get Around".

In the UK, the single was issued on October 23. During the band's first British tour in November 1964, they performed this song for their first television appearances in Britain, on Discs a Go Go, The Beat Room, Top Gear, and Ready Steady Go!. Ultimately, the single peaked at number 27 in the UK, the group would not return to the Top 10 in the UK until 1966.

In March 1965, "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" was issued on the album The Beach Boys Today!, sequenced as the fourth track on Side 1, appearing alongside it's B-side "She Knows Me Too Well", as well as fellow recent Beach Boys singles "Do You Wanna Dance?", "Please Let Me Wonder" and "Dance, Dance, Dance".

"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" has appeared on several greatest hits collections of the Beach Boys music, particularly those focusing on their earlier material, such as Best of the Beach Boys Vol. 2, Spirit of America, and Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys. An a cappella mix of the song was released in 2014 on the compilation album Keep an Eye on Summer - The Beach Boys Sessions 1964.

Reception

Upon its initial release, Cash Box described it as being in "jumpin' rhythmic manner that has made such big teen favorites."

Later critical reception of the song has been largely positive. Writing for AllMusic, Matthew Greenwald praised the song for it's harpsichord-based arrangement and for being one of the first of Wilson's compositions to speak to his psychological concerns, describing it as "Certainly one of the most important transitional-period Brian Wilson songs". In a list ranking the Beach Boys' 50 greatest songs, Mojo magazine placed it 39th, describing it as "an ode to youth's fleeting nature." Music journalist Bruce Pollock listed the song as one of the greatest of the decade in his book Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era: 1944-2000.

Personnel

Surviving sessions audio and AFM musician contracts sheets, documented by Craig Slowinski have enabled this personnel list to be compiled.

The Beach Boys

Session musician

Charts

Chart (1964) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 27
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 9
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 7

References

Citations

  1. ^ Slowinski, Craig (2007). "The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys Today!" (PDF). Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  2. Badman 2004, p. 59.
  3. Perone 2015, pp. 42, 47. sfn error: no target: CITEREFPerone2015 (help)
  4. Lambert 2007, p. 150.
  5. Badman 2004, pp. 55, 57.
  6. Dillon 2012, p. 38. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDillon2012 (help)
  7. Badman 2004, pp. 57–59.
  8. Badman 2004, pp. 57–59, 72.
  9. Welch, C (November 14, 1964). "Beach Boys Brought their own vegetables — so audiences beware!". Melody Maker. p. 10.
  10. Badman 2004, p. 71.
  11. ^ Badman 2004, p. 63.
  12. ^ Interrante, Scott (April 28, 2014). "When I Grow Up: The Beach Boys - "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"". PopMatters.
  13. Prince, Patrick (March 2, 2011). "Brian Wilson gives a brief summary of his hit songs". Goldmine Mag.
  14. Love 2016, p. 91.
  15. Priore, Domenic (2005). Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece. London: Sanctuary. ISBN 1860746276.
  16. O'Regan 2014, pp. 115, 215, 252.
  17. ^ O'Regan 2014, p. 252.
  18. O'Regan 2014, p. 253.
  19. Stanley 2013, pp. 219–220. sfn error: no target: CITEREFStanley2013 (help)
  20. Bolin, Alice (July 8, 2012). "The Beach Boys Are Still Looking at an Impossible Future". PopMatters.
  21. Lambert 2016, p. 128.
  22. "Transcript". American Experience documentary on the Summer of Love. PBS and WGBH. 2007-03-14.
  23. Granata 2003, pp. 63–64.
  24. O'Regan 2014, p. 131.
  25. Lambert 2016, p. 68.
  26. Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-8264-1877-7.
  27. Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector (185). UK.
  28. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  29. ^ Badman 2004, p. 67.
  30. Badman 2004, pp. 71–72.
  31. Badman 2004, pp. 63, 66.
  32. The Beach Boys - Today! Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-05-17
  33. The Beach Boys - The Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 2 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-05-17
  34. The Beach Boys - Spirit of America Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-05-17
  35. The Beach Boys - Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-05-17
  36. Boyd, Alan; Linette, Mark; Slowinski, Craig (2014). Keep an Eye on Summer 1964 (Digital Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. (Mirror)
  37. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 29, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  38. Greenwald, Matthew (May 17, 2023). "When I Grow up (To Be a Man)". AllMusic.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. "The Beach Boys' 50 Greatest Songs". Mojo. 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  40. "Acclaimed Music". www.acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  41. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 17, 1964

Bibliography

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