S$# 040 Beach Boys | Don't Back Down
All Summer Long, the Beach Boys' sixth album, came out in July 1964, and it produced two big hits: I Get Around and Wendy, as well as the motor fave Little Honda and the popular title song. One of the most interesting, but lesser known, tracks is the album closer, Don't Back Down.
Songs on the album explore the many popular themes that Brian Wilson et al had explored before: the beach, hotrods, women. Don't Look Back, written by Brian appears at first glance to be about the courage of surfers who don't back down from big waves.
Given that Brian would suffer his first nervous breakdown later that year - and face many demons in the following decades - some have speculated that the lyrics could contain an autobiographical prophecy, or call for help.
In the liner notes for the 1990 remastered twofer CD, archivist David Leaf writes:
Maybe that's 20/20 hindsight. But even so, DLB is a cleverly listenable song. The vocals that Brian and Mike trade are fluid and bouncy. The presentation of the song is catchy, and I find myself humming long after I've listened to the track. Leaf writes:
Don't Look Back is available on the Little Deuce Coupe / All Summer Long twofer CD. One of the bonus tracks is an interesting alt version of DLB.
Songs on the album explore the many popular themes that Brian Wilson et al had explored before: the beach, hotrods, women. Don't Look Back, written by Brian appears at first glance to be about the courage of surfers who don't back down from big waves.
Given that Brian would suffer his first nervous breakdown later that year - and face many demons in the following decades - some have speculated that the lyrics could contain an autobiographical prophecy, or call for help.
In the liner notes for the 1990 remastered twofer CD, archivist David Leaf writes:
... it seems lie Brian might be getting tired of focusing on teenage concerns.
And in Don't Back Down he seems to be writing and singing to himself ("You gotta be a little nuts / Show 'em now who's got guts / Don't back down..."). The lyric is almost a pep talk that he knew he was doomed to fail.
Maybe that's 20/20 hindsight. But even so, DLB is a cleverly listenable song. The vocals that Brian and Mike trade are fluid and bouncy. The presentation of the song is catchy, and I find myself humming long after I've listened to the track. Leaf writes:
Nobody else writes songs like this. Listen for how Brian modulates going into every chorus and then how cleverly he gest back into the original key by the end of the chorus. Don't Back Down, brief as it is, is extremely compelling.
Don't Look Back is available on the Little Deuce Coupe / All Summer Long twofer CD. One of the bonus tracks is an interesting alt version of DLB.
The girls dig the way the guys get all wiped out
With their feet in the air you can hear 'em shout
They're not afraid
(Don't back down, don't back down)
Not my boys
(Don't back down, don't back down)
They grit their teeth, ah oo, they don't back down
Oo, you gotta be a little nuts
But show 'em now who's got guts
Don't back down from that wave
posted by droppingpin at 8:43 PM
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