Growing up in the 60’s, we knew every word to hit songs of The Beach Boys and played them nonstop whether it was summer or winter. Songs like “Barbara Ann”, “Little Surfer Girl” and “Help Me, Rhonda” flowed off our lips and out of our radios like Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” does for teens today.
Over time though, I’d lost track of the band and the cute blonde boys that used to hang on life sized posters in my room. Until a few weeks ago.
The Hubby and I were searching for a Saturday night movie and ran across: Love and Mercy, which is the biography of Brian Wilson, songwriter and lead singer for The Beach Boys. It’s a great movie (though hard to watch) about this incredibly gifted musician who struggled with drugs, an abusive father, mental issues and a therapist who manipulated his personal life and career.
The highlight of the movie is at the close, with Brian writing and singing the theme song “Love and Mercy”.
Fast forward a few weeks to last night, when we were given tickets to attend the Brian Wilson concert at the newly renovated Gaillard auditorium. There we were, with a thousand people, swaying and singing to those same tunes from our teens. We all looked a little different, and so did Brian and the band. But if I closed my eyes, I was back in my ’65 Mustang with the windows down, blonde hair blowing, frayed jeans and peasant top bouncing as I was singing ‘Help me Rhonda, Help Help me Rhonda’.
Once again though, the highlight for me was as they closed down a 4 song oldies encore with the newer “Love and Mercy”. The innocence of our youth (and Brian’s) had been replaced with the reality of our world and singing about a much deeper subject:
I was lying in my room
And the news came on TV
A lotta people (shooting) out there hurtin’
And it really scares meLove and mercy, that’s what you need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
Brian inserted some words that were very timely for the Charleston community (shooting) and his compassion came through loud and clear. And while it’s fun to swing and sway with old tunes, it’s also gratifying to sing a new tune that fits the times. A new song written by someone who has lived a painful story, moved forward with a new sound and settled on the things that really matter.
Love and mercy, that’s what you need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
the Ding of the coffee pot 