In addition to all of the other readings of this song, it is also slightly sinister. The narrator is obviously afraid of what will happen in the race, seen in the lyrics "I don't know why/But I keep thinking/Something's bound to go wrong." The girl, who is similar to Lady Macbeth, pushes him to race, despite his trepidation. He bragged about his car, which has brought him to a perilous situation. There is a feeling that he would like to get out of the race, and yet he seems resigned, because his girlfriend keeps repeating “Don’t worry, baby,” which simultaneously assures him and reminds him of his fears.
Possibly the most troubling sequence of this song is the verse, “She told me ‘Baby, when you race today/Just take along my love with you/And if you knew how much I loved you/Baby nothing could go wrong with you.’" In this, she has nothing to lose. If he races and manages to stay alive, it is because her love has carried him through. If he dies, it is because he did not trust enough in his love for her.
In this song, the narrator is very weak willed. He gets bullied into a race by people who were offended by his bragging about his car, and he stays in the race to please his girlfriend, and becomes the manifestation of her own social ambitions.
This song was possibly the first indication of the sophisticated storytelling that Brian Wilson was capable of, through a combination of lyrics, orchestration, and vocal harmonies. It is a far cry from early Beach Boys songs of just a few years earlier, which had to lift Chuck Berry riffs to get airplay.
Thank you Bad_teeth for your interpretation. It's refreshing to read someone who goes beyond the surface readings that make up 95% of the posts on here. I too have always felt a strong sense of uneasiness, foreboding, and something vaguely sinister in this beautiful song.
Thank you Bad_teeth for your interpretation. It's refreshing to read someone who goes beyond the surface readings that make up 95% of the posts on here. I too have always felt a strong sense of uneasiness, foreboding, and something vaguely sinister in this beautiful song.
@Bad_teeth I agree it isn't as "beautiful" as many people comment on. If it was a truly a beautiful song, she would comfort him and tell him that he doesn't need to drive to prove anything. That is her love is enough, so "don't worry baby" about what others think. But the narrator is worried about others, and his girl encourages him to race (thus putting his life in danger).
@Bad_teeth I agree it isn't as "beautiful" as many people comment on. If it was a truly a beautiful song, she would comfort him and tell him that he doesn't need to drive to prove anything. That is her love is enough, so "don't worry baby" about what others think. But the narrator is worried about others, and his girl encourages him to race (thus putting his life in danger).
In addition to all of the other readings of this song, it is also slightly sinister. The narrator is obviously afraid of what will happen in the race, seen in the lyrics "I don't know why/But I keep thinking/Something's bound to go wrong." The girl, who is similar to Lady Macbeth, pushes him to race, despite his trepidation. He bragged about his car, which has brought him to a perilous situation. There is a feeling that he would like to get out of the race, and yet he seems resigned, because his girlfriend keeps repeating “Don’t worry, baby,” which simultaneously assures him and reminds him of his fears.
Possibly the most troubling sequence of this song is the verse, “She told me ‘Baby, when you race today/Just take along my love with you/And if you knew how much I loved you/Baby nothing could go wrong with you.’" In this, she has nothing to lose. If he races and manages to stay alive, it is because her love has carried him through. If he dies, it is because he did not trust enough in his love for her.
In this song, the narrator is very weak willed. He gets bullied into a race by people who were offended by his bragging about his car, and he stays in the race to please his girlfriend, and becomes the manifestation of her own social ambitions.
This song was possibly the first indication of the sophisticated storytelling that Brian Wilson was capable of, through a combination of lyrics, orchestration, and vocal harmonies. It is a far cry from early Beach Boys songs of just a few years earlier, which had to lift Chuck Berry riffs to get airplay.
Thank you Bad_teeth for your interpretation. It's refreshing to read someone who goes beyond the surface readings that make up 95% of the posts on here. I too have always felt a strong sense of uneasiness, foreboding, and something vaguely sinister in this beautiful song.
Thank you Bad_teeth for your interpretation. It's refreshing to read someone who goes beyond the surface readings that make up 95% of the posts on here. I too have always felt a strong sense of uneasiness, foreboding, and something vaguely sinister in this beautiful song.
@Bad_teeth I agree it isn't as "beautiful" as many people comment on. If it was a truly a beautiful song, she would comfort him and tell him that he doesn't need to drive to prove anything. That is her love is enough, so "don't worry baby" about what others think. But the narrator is worried about others, and his girl encourages him to race (thus putting his life in danger).
@Bad_teeth I agree it isn't as "beautiful" as many people comment on. If it was a truly a beautiful song, she would comfort him and tell him that he doesn't need to drive to prove anything. That is her love is enough, so "don't worry baby" about what others think. But the narrator is worried about others, and his girl encourages him to race (thus putting his life in danger).