You Still Believe in Me

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"You Still Believe in Me"
Song by the Beach Boys
from the album Pet Sounds
ReleasedMay 16, 1966
RecordedOctober 14, 1965 – February 1966
StudioWestern, Hollywood
GenreChamber pop[1]
Length2:36
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Brian Wilson, Tony Asher
Producer(s)Brian Wilson
Music video
"You Still Believe in Me" on YouTube
Audio sample
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"You Still Believe in Me" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. It was the first song that Brian Wilson and Tony Asher wrote together. The lyric discusses a narrator who, while acknowledging their irresponsible behavior and unfaithfulness, is impressed by the unwavering loyalty of their lover.

One of the first songs produced for Pet Sounds, Wilson recorded the track from October 1965 to February 1966 with the aid of his bandmates, Asher, and 13 session musicians who variously played harpsichord, clarinets, 12-string electric guitars, timpani, finger cymbals, pianos, basses, and bicycle horn. Wilson and Asher created the song's ethereal intro by plucking a piano's strings with a bobby pin.

Background[]

Originally conceived by Brian Wilson as "In My Childhood", "You Still Believe in Me" was the first song he wrote Tony Asher.[2] In a 1996 interview, Wilson explained that it was "A little 'Boys Choir'-type song with me doing the soprano. Very, very spiritual."[citation needed]

Lyrics[]

The lyric discusses a narrator who, while acknowledging their irresponsible behavior and unfaithfulness, is impressed by the unwavering loyalty of their lover.[3] In Wilson's words, the song was about a man who feels free to express his love for people from the perspective of a girl.[4] He said,

"You Still Believe In Me" was more of what I would call a man who would not be afraid to take all of his clothes off and sing like a girl because he had feelings for people from that perspective. I was able to close my eyes and go into a world and sing a little more effeminately and more sweet—which allows a lot more love to come down through me, you know what I mean?... It's like Kenny Rogers. There's an example of a guy who has a fairly masculine sounding voice. "You Still Believe In Me" was quite the opposite.[5]

"You Still Believe in Me" contains the first expression of introspective themes that pervade the rest of the album.[6] Jim Esch of AllMusic said the song had a "classical sensibility", elaborating of its lyrics: "[they develop] a theme inaugurated and suggested by 'Wouldn't It Be Nice': fragile lovers buckling under the pressure of external forces they can't control, self-imposed romantic expectations and personal limitations, while simultaneously trying to maintain faith in one other. It is a theme that keeps reverberating sweetly, and hauntingly, throughout Pet Sounds."[7]

Composition[]

The song is in the key of B major, and features frequent use of the ii-V-I turnaround (six uninterrupted repeats of B-C♯m-F♯7). The chorus is composed of slash chords, such as G♯m/C♯, C♯m/B, and G♯m/F♯, resolving unusually to the vi, G major, before beginning again on B.[8][better source needed] Like "Wouldn't It Be Nice", there are tempo changes throughout the song.[9]

Recording[]

The first session for the instrumental track, logged as "Untitled", was recorded on October 14, 1965 at Western Studio.[10] The ending of the backing track featured the sounds of a bicycle bell and horn, a remnant of the song's original childhood theme.[11] The intro was recorded on January 24, 1966 at Western.[10] Wilson and Asher created the song's intro by plucking a piano's strings with a bobby pin.[12] Asher explained: "We were trying to do something that would sound sort of, I guess, like a harpsichord but a little more ethereal than that. I am plucking the strings by leaning inside the piano and Brian is holding down the notes on the keyboard so they will ring when I pluck them. I plucked the strings with paper clips, hairpins, bobby pins and several other things until Brian got the sound he wanted."[2]

Group vocals were overdubbed on or before February 16 at Western. Lead vocals were partially redone at a later date; the double-tracking for Wilson's lead was recorded live-to-tape during the mono mixdown.[10]

Recognition[]

In a David Leaf interview intended for the liner notes that would accompany Pet Sounds' first CD release in 1990, Paul McCartney discussed the impact the album had on him both personally and artistically. Of "You Still Believe in Me", McCartney stated:

""I love that melody. That kills me, that melody. [ hums the first verse, bursts into song at 'I wanna cry.' ] That's my favorite, I think. The way that's arranged, where it goes away very quietly. I was in the car the other night, and I was telling the kids, saying, 'wait, wait, here it comes.' And then it comes back, and it's so beautiful right at the end, comes surging back in these multi-colored harmonies. Sends shivers up my spine. That's one of my favorite tracks."[13]

Due to production issues, the McCartney interview was not included in the liner notes of Pet Sounds' 1990 CD release and did not see official publication until 1997's The Pet Sounds Sessions box set.[14]

Personnel[]

Per band archivist Craig Slowinski.[10]

The Beach Boys

Guest

  • Tony Asher – plucked piano strings
  • Marilyn Wilson – additional vocals in intro (uncertain credit)

Session musicians

Technical staff

  • Chuck Britz – engineer (instrumental)
  • unknown – additional engineers (possibly Ralph Valentin, Jerry Hochman, H. Bowen David, Jim Lockert or Phil Kaye)

Cover versions[]

See also: List of cover versions of Beach Boys songs

References[]

Citations

  1. ^ Miers, Jeff (September 29, 2016). "Sound plan". The Buffalo News.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Elliott, Brad (August 31, 1999). "Pet Sounds Track Notes". beachboysfanclub.com. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
  3. ^ Granata 2003, p. 92.
  4. ^ Lambert 2016, p. 156.
  5. ^ The Pet Sounds Sessions: "The Making Of Pet Sounds" booklet (1996)
  6. ^ Perone 2012, pp. 28, 30.
  7. ^ Esch, Jim. "You Still Believe in Me". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012.
  8. ^ The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, Warner Bros. Publications, 15800 N.W. 48th Ave. Miami, Florida 33014, ISBN 978-0-7692-6449-3
  9. ^ Granata 2003, p. 142.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Doe & Tobler 2009, p. 22.
  12. ^ Granata 2003, p. 150.
  13. ^ "Paul McCartney Comments". albumlinernotes. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  14. ^ "David Leaf's PS Intro". albumlinernotes. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  15. ^ "For the Stars review". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-06-09.

Bibliography

External links[]

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