A Day in the Life of a Tree
| "A Day in the Life of a Tree" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Beach Boys | |
| from the album Surf's Up | |
| Released | August 30, 1971 |
| Recorded | April–July 1971 Brian Wilson's home studio, Los Angeles |
| Genre | Progressive pop |
| Length | 3:07 |
| Label | Brother/Reprise |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | The Beach Boys |
| Audio sample | |
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"A Day in the Life of a Tree" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Jack Rieley for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1971 album Surf's Up. The lead vocals were performed by Rieley, who was also the Beach Boys' manager at the time.
The song's lyric was inspired by Brian's feelings toward environmental pollution. It was performed live only once by the Beach Boys, at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, CA on December 3, 1971. The bandmembers reportedly coaxed Brian out from the side of the stage to play organ while Rieley sang it.
According to Rieley,
Brian Wilson and I had been talking a lot about the sorry state of the planet back then. He was filled with questions and we went on for hours about it. Forests were dying, the air had turned brown, the earth's future was beginning to appear hazardous to health. When Brian first played the chords and sang the tentative melody for me, he asked what the song should be about and I suggested a single tree as metaphor for the earth; that single tree as metaphor for more than ecology. I fell in love with the chords at once and loved the swelling tension of that droned bass line; the song seemed to lend itself to the lyrical concept. He went nuts for the lyrics when I showed them to him. Loved 'em, memorized the first verse and was singing around the house. Carl and I were positive that Brian had to sing A Day in the Life of a Tree.
AllMusic interpreted the song's subject to be autobiographical, calling it "one of Brian's most deeply touching and bizarre compositions…lamenting his long life amid the pollution and grime of a city park while the somber tones of a pipe organ build atmosphere."
The instrumental track was made in a few days. Rieley has also recounted that on the day they were to record the lead vocal, Rieley was with the engineer in the control room, and Brian and Carl Wilson were in the studio. Brian did a few warm-up takes and then, dramatically animated as was his wont, tore the headphones from his ears and exclaimed that he needed Rieley to help him. Rieley went out into the studio and he pleaded that Brian just wasn't getting the feeling that he intended with the lyric. Brian insisted Rieley show him what to do, and handed Rieley the headphones.
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Wikipedia