I cried when she said
“I don’t feel the same way”.
The Beach Boys’ “The Warmth of the Sun” is actually really sad. It is about losing the love of your life and being able to take comfort in the fact that at least you will be able to feel good about dreaming about holding her while you dream at night.
At least at night—while you are dreaming—you’ll be able to feel the warmth of the sun. This is tragic. Sometimes the beauty of The Beach Boys vocals hides the seriousness of their lyrics. And their vocals are the best in rock—specifically their harmonies. There are so many layers. No band does it better. Period.
The Beach Boys sometimes don’t get put into the same category as The Beatles and The Stones and that is wrong. I think there are two reasons. One, is that their surf and car-song days were slightly longer than the love-song days of The Beatles and The Stones.
Perhaps some people are not able to think of them as more than a surf band, when really, their best work came later. Also, their Full House appearances didn’t do much to help their reputation. It made a generation think of them as shtick rather than the legends they are.
Lyrics The Warmth of the Sun
What good is the dawn
That grows into day
The sunset at night
Or living this way
For I have the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
Within me at night
(Within me at night)
The love of my life
She left me one day
I cried when she said
“I don’t feel the same way”
Still I have the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
Within me tonight
(Within me tonight)
I’ll dreams of her arms
And though they’re not real
Just like she’s still there
The way that I feel
My love’s like the warmth of the sun
(Warmth of the sun)
It won’t ever die
(It won’t ever die)
Songwriters: Michael Love / Brian Wilson
The warmth of the sun is a Buddhist meditation. The only thing on earth that is definite is the sun. If you meditate on the warmth of the sun, it will relieve depression. You close your eyes and think about it and feel it on your face in your mind and let go and trust. That’s what that term means. It’s a security blanket of sorts. Brian Wilson wrote the melody the night after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.