The Beach Boys

Released: March 24, 1980

Songwriter: Brian Wilson Al Jardine

Producer: Bruce Johnston

[Intro]
Here in Southern California there is a weather condition known as the Santa Ana Winds

[Verse 1]
Fire wind
Oh desert wind
She was born in a desert breeze
And wind her way
Through Canyon Way
From the desert to the silvery sea

In every direction
See the perfection
And see the San Gabriel Mountain scene

[Chorus]
Santa Ana winds keep blowing across my eyes
Santa Ana winds keep blowing across my eyes

[Verse 2]
Fill my sails
Oh desert wind
And hold the waves high for me
Then I will come
And test my skill
Where the Santa Ana winds blow free
In waves of elation
My part of creation
Becoming one with the boundless sea

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
I am the wind
Oh desert wind
On my pilgrimage to the sea
I will prevail
I will not fail
To bring life into humanity
My song is creation
I've been through the nation
Whispering the wisdom and its purity

[Chorus][x2]

The Beach Boys are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time and the first American pop band to reach the 50-year milestone. Their vocal harmonies are among the most unmistakable and enduring of the rock and roll era.

Formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California, by Brian Wilson, his two brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and classmate Al Jardine, the group’s first single “Surfin'” got them signed to Capitol Records and they quickly became one of the most popular and successful artists of the surf music craze of the 1960s. From 1962 to 1966, The Beach Boys scored over twenty top 40 hits in the US including the chart-toppers “I Get Around”, “Help Me Rhonda” & “Good Vibrations” along with the top 5’s “Surfin USA”, “Fun, Fun, Fun”, “California Girls”, “Barbara Ann” & “Sloop John B”. Several of the band’s singles also found top 40 success in Canada, Australia, Sweden and the UK. In 1965, de facto leader Brian Wilson suffered a mental breakdown due to the stress of writing, producing & touring combined with substance abuse issues, causing him to step down and stop traveling with the band on tour.

Inspired by producer Phil Spector and The Beatles' Rubber Soul, Brian focused on studio work, determined to keep the group relevant as the surf music scene was fading with their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Despite tension between members in the studio about this new direction, lack of faith from the record label, mixed reviews, and comparatively lukewarm reception initially in the US, the album still found massive success in the UK and earned accolades from fellow artists including The Beatles, who acknowledged that the album was their inspiration to further push the boundaries of pop music with their landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Eventually Pet Sounds would be acknowledged as one of the greatest albums ever recorded by several media outlets like The Times, Mojo Magazine, The Guardian, VH1, BBC and Rolling Stone.

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