One of the best songs on "Surf's Up" - and it's no coincidence that it's paired off with one of the worst ("Student Demonstration Time") - perhaps Bruce Johnston's lyric "Oh reality, it's not for me / And it makes me laugh" says it all. He weaves a complete fabrication, an America that never actually existed. Extending that, his descriptions of the "girl I found" in the later passages are layered with meta-messages; you're not inclined to believe any of it. Bruce is perhaps the most deceptive of all the Beach Boys. "Student Demonstration Time", meanwhile, instead of providing a sharp counterpoint, reaffirms (in much coarser form) the apprehensive nature of early 70s America.
One of the best songs on "Surf's Up" - and it's no coincidence that it's paired off with one of the worst ("Student Demonstration Time") - perhaps Bruce Johnston's lyric "Oh reality, it's not for me / And it makes me laugh" says it all. He weaves a complete fabrication, an America that never actually existed. Extending that, his descriptions of the "girl I found" in the later passages are layered with meta-messages; you're not inclined to believe any of it. Bruce is perhaps the most deceptive of all the Beach Boys. "Student Demonstration Time", meanwhile, instead of providing a sharp counterpoint, reaffirms (in much coarser form) the apprehensive nature of early 70s America.