Child Is Father of the Man

Brian Wilson

About Child Is Father of the Man

"Child Is Father of the Man" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. Originally recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys, it was to be included on their projected album Smile. Due to the project's abandonment, the intended nature of the piece is mostly unknown. The result left is a nearly instrumental piece with the words "child" and "father of the man" sung over the chorus. Biographer Jon Stebbins describes the track: "a brooding and expansive aura, with a plaintive harmonica line not dissimilar to those heard on Ennio Morricone spaghetti western soundtracks. "In 2004, Wilson completed the track for his album Brian Wilson Presents Smile. This rerecorded version incorporated an additional set of lyrics penned by Parks. In 2011, the Beach Boys' version was released for the first time as part of The Smile Sessions box set. more »

Year:: 2004
: 2:17
: 118 Views
Playlists:: #1

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Child, the child, Father of the man. 

Easy my child, it's just enough to believe. 
Out of the wild, into what you can conceive. 
You'll achieve. 
Child, the child, Father of the man.

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Brian Wilson

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. On stage, Wilson provided many of the lead vocals, and often harmonized with the group in falsetto. Early during his on-stage career, Wilson primarily played bass guitar on stage, but gradually transitioned to primarily playing piano/keyboards. Besides being the primary composer in The Beach Boys, he also functioned as the band's main producer and arranger. After signing with Capitol Records in mid-1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen Top 40 hits including "Surfin' Safari", "Surfin' USA", "Shut Down", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Be True to Your School", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "Dance Danc… more »

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Sheet Music PDF Playlist

Written by: Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

11 facts about this song

Belonging to Album SMiLE" - The song "Child Is Father of the Man" is one of the experimental pieces from the Beach Boys' unfinished album "SMiLE", which was later completed and released by Brian Wilson as a solo album in 2004.
Authorship Brian Wilson, along with lyricist Van Dyke Parks, wrote this composition. Wilson is known for his ingenious songwriting and unconventional music production.
Inspiration The title "Child Is Father of the Man" comes from a famous poem composed by William Wordsworth called "My Heart Leaps Up" indicating that our personality and essence are basically formed and fixed from childhood.
Musical Structure The song has a cyclic structure, derived from a rich variety of harmonic and rhythmic patterns. The tune is short, possessing no traditional verse or chorus, but consists of three instrumental sections.
Horn Section Brian Wilson used a horn section to mimic the sound of a circus band in the SMiLE version of the song, adding a surrealistic tone to it.
Recorded versions When Brian Wilson released his own version of SMiLE in 2004, he included two distinct versions of "Child Is Father of the Man." One is a short instrumental, and the other is a track with the same instrumental theme but different lyrics sung by Brian.
Psychoanalysis influence The song was heavily influenced by themes of psychoanalysis and introspective reflection, very common during the 1960s and 70s, reflecting Wilson's own mental health struggles.
Unreleased Original The original Beach Boys version of the song remains officially unreleased, though various bootleg recordings have surfaced online.
Brief Appearance in Bootleg Albums Despite not getting an official release, "Child Is Father of the Man" has appeared on some unofficial bootleg albums like "Unsurpassed Masters Vol. 16 (1966–1967)" and "Sea of Tunes" from the '90s.
Puzzle Piece in SMiLE album The song, though short and without traditional structure, holds a vital place in the SMiLE album. It is perceived to be a part of Wilson's 'teenage symphony to God' musical project.
Combination in 'Surf's Up' A brief fragment of this song was later incorporated into the track "Surf's Up," another Beach Boys song that was released on the album of the same name in 1971.

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