Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
Drove downtown in the rain
Nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,
Just to check out the late-night
Record shop.
Call it impulsive
Call it compulsive,
Call it insane;
But when I'm surrounded
I just can't
Stop.
It's a matter of instinct
It's a matter of conditioning
It's a matter of fact.
You can call me Pavlov's
Dog,
Ring a bell and I'll salivate -
How'd you like that?
Dr. Landy tell me
You're not just a pedagogue
'Cause right now I'm
[Chorus]
Lying in bed
Just like Brian Wilson did
Well I am
Lying in bed
Just like Brian Wilson did.
So I'm lying here
Just staring at the ceiling tiles,
And I'm thinking about
Oh what to think about.
Just listening and re-listening
To Smiley Smile,
And wondering if this is some kind of creative drought
Because I'm
[Chorus]
And if you want to find me
I'll be out in the sandbox,
Wondering where the hell all the
Love has gone,
Playing my guitar and
Building castles in the sun and
Singing "Fun, Fun, Fun"
[Chorus]
I had a dream
That I was three hundred pounds
And though I was very heavy
I floated 'til I couldn't see the ground
I floated 'til I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me,
I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me because I'm
[Chorus]
Drove downtown in the rain
Nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,
Just to check out the late-night
Record shop.
Call it impulsive
You can call it compulsive,
You can call it insane;
But when I'm surrounded
I just can't
Stop.
Nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,
Just to check out the late-night
Record shop.
Call it impulsive
Call it compulsive,
Call it insane;
But when I'm surrounded
I just can't
Stop.
It's a matter of instinct
It's a matter of conditioning
It's a matter of fact.
You can call me Pavlov's
Dog,
Ring a bell and I'll salivate -
How'd you like that?
Dr. Landy tell me
You're not just a pedagogue
'Cause right now I'm
[Chorus]
Lying in bed
Just like Brian Wilson did
Well I am
Lying in bed
Just like Brian Wilson did.
So I'm lying here
Just staring at the ceiling tiles,
And I'm thinking about
Oh what to think about.
Just listening and re-listening
To Smiley Smile,
And wondering if this is some kind of creative drought
Because I'm
[Chorus]
And if you want to find me
I'll be out in the sandbox,
Wondering where the hell all the
Love has gone,
Playing my guitar and
Building castles in the sun and
Singing "Fun, Fun, Fun"
[Chorus]
I had a dream
That I was three hundred pounds
And though I was very heavy
I floated 'til I couldn't see the ground
I floated 'til I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me,
I couldn't see the ground
Somebody help me because I'm
[Chorus]
Drove downtown in the rain
Nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,
Just to check out the late-night
Record shop.
Call it impulsive
You can call it compulsive,
You can call it insane;
But when I'm surrounded
I just can't
Stop.
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
Steve says he play this song for Brian one time, Brian says ""well Ill be gosh darned"" thought it was him self when he was young he cried all over his piano sadna d funny.
The part about SMILEY SMILE is the Beach Boys last album SMILE, FUN FUN FIN is a Beach Boys song thats on SMILE. Wilson Page now theres two real artistes!!!!!!!!!!!!
His drive downtown is probably to feed an addiction, I presume drugs, but I could be wrong. I think the reference to the record shop is sly, it makes you think that an album is his target.
"When I'm surrounded" is a key line IMO. I think he's trying to write music, and he's not getting very far. He's surrounded by voices in his head, caused by doubts, insecurity, pressure...and perhaps even his drug of choice.
As a budding artist, he sees the bright future for the band, and his mind keeps coming back to another talented singer/songwriter whose demons got the best of him: Brian Wilson.
So he feeds his addiction, and every time he does, he keeps thinking to himself, "Look at where it got Brian." And then he starts imagining himself in Brian's shoes. I'm not sure it's even so much that the references were accurate, but more that Steven developed paranoia that his fledgling career was going to spiral out of control.
While the song obviously is a tribute to Brian Wilson's history, I think Steven talks more about the cycle of dependency, perhaps stemming from a time of writer's block.
This is clearly all about him.
He was a very compulsive person, and his one true love in life has always been music. The person that saved his life numerous times was Gene Landy (the Dr. Landy reference).
His album, "Smile", was originally going to be titled "Smiley Smile".
Also, he tried a few methods he thought would inspire him to write music when he was going through a bit of a dry spell, including making his piano room a sandbox. Later, on a SNL performance, they filled the stage he played on with sand.
In his worse times, he was over 340 pounds, and spent about 4 years (if not more) lying in bed all day.
It's about a young musician offering a tribute to a legend, and likely one of his favourite musicians. It's written very sarcastically, like, "you may be a freak who records barking dogs, used mono over stereo, and eats jelly sandwiches in a bedroom converted into a sandbox, but you're Brian freeeeeaaaaking Wilson, dude, and I want to be you in the worst way".
Ever tried the one at some Canadian festival?
youtube.com/…
Keywords for youtube: Barenaked Ladies /Pinch Me Brian Wilson/
I always thought that the order of songs played then had a special meaning ^^
Imagine mixing it up with other titles: These Apples, Brian Wilson. You will be waiting, Brian Wilson.
Empathy / sympathy / reflection of similar feelings beardy went through. All in all, despite his genius, Brian Wilson is a sad man in my eyes...