Love You, by The Beach Boys could very well be the strangest record in my collection. The sound is perplexing. The lyrics are perplexing. The cover is perplexing. In fact, my three-year-old daughter recoiled in horror at the sight of this album jacket and refused to let me play it, until she was in bed for the night.
The first three songs are straight up love songs, and then we are treated to a bizarre track called Johnny Carson.
"He sits behind his microphone
John-ny Car-son
He speaks in such a manly tone
John-ny Car-son
Ed McMahon comes on and says "Here's Johnny"
Every night at eleven thirty he's so funny
It's (nice) to (have) you (on) the (show) tonight
I've seen (your) act (in) Vegas out of sight
When guests are boring he fills up the slack
John-ny Car-son
The network makes him break his back
John-ny Car-son
Ed McMahon comes on and says "Here's Johnny"
Every night at eleven thirty he's so funny
Don't (you) think (he's) such (a) natural guy
The (way) he's (kept) it (up) could make you cry
Who's a man that we admire?
Johnny Carson is a real live wire.
Who's a man that we admire?
Johnny Carson is a real live wire.
Who's a man that we admire?
Johnny Carson is a real live wire.
Who's the man that we admire?
Johnny Carson is a real live wire."
Wow. I mean, I loved Johnny Carson as much as anyone else, but this song is just weird. The rest of the songs are weird too. Is it wrong to think about The Velvet Underground's Sister Ray when listening to Ding Dang?
I would rank the jacket as one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. And yet, there can be no question that this is probably the finest record The Beach Boys ever made.
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