Chords
Brian Wilson

The song Brian Wilson was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson, members of the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. The song references Brian Wilson, the primary songwriter for the Beach Boys, known for his musical genius and struggle with mental health issues. The lyrics explore the songwriters empathy toward Wilson, with a narrator who finds himself lying in bed in a depressive state, similar to Wilsons condition at points in his life. The s ... ong also alludes to the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds, considered one of Wilsons masterpieces. See more [+]

Key: G

Introduction:

difficulty
intermediate |||||
 G      D                Am7                      G 
Drove downtown in the rain, 9:30 on a Tuesday night
         D                         Bm7     Am7 
Just to check out the late night record shop
 G          D                    Am7 
Call it impulsive, call it compulsive, call it insane
 G                D                     Bm7   Am7  G 
But when I' m surrounded I just can' t stah-op
                  D                              Am7                           G 
It' s a matter of instinct, it' s a matter of conditioning, a matter of fact
          D                Bm7   Am7   G 
You can call me Pavlov' s dog
         D                     Am7                          G 
Ring a bell and I' ll salivate, well how' d you like that
       D                    Bm7            Am7 
Dr. Landy tell me you' re not just a pedagogue, ' cause right now I' m

 G         D              Am7 
Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
          G          D                    Em          Em/C     Em/C#     Em/C   G 
Well I' m, lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did

            D        Am7                             G 
Well I' m lying here, just staring at the ceiling tiles
            D           Bm7                   Am7    G 
And I' m thinking about, whoa what to think about
       D              Am7                    G 
Just listening and relistening to smiley smile
            D                  Bm7              Am7 
And I' m wondering if this is some kind of creative drought, because I' m

 G         D              Am7 
Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
          G          D                    Em          Em/C  Em/C#  Em/C 
Well I' m, lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
 Em/C  Em/C#  Em/C 
Whoa

 Am7               D               F             Em 
And if you wanna find me I' ll be out in the sandbox
 Am7             D                       G         F       Am7 
Just wondering where the hell all the love has gah-ah-ahn
               D                 F               Em              Am7 
Playing my guitar and building castles in the sun, whoa-whoa-oh-oh
     D                  G 
And singing fun, fun, fun

 G         D              Am7 
Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
          G          D                    Em          Em/C     Em/C#     Em/C 
Well I' m, lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
 Em/C  Em/C#  Em/C    Am 
Whoa

   Em7    Am                Em7            Am 
I had a dream that I was three hundred pounds
     Em7                 Am       Em7                             Am 
And though I was very heavy I floated ' til I couldn' t see the ground
   Em7              Am                Em7 
I floated ' til I couldn' t see the ground
 Am                 Em7 
Somebody help me (I couldn' t see the ground)
 Am                 Em7 
Somebody help me (I couldn' t see the ground)
 Am                 E7 
Somebody help meeeeee, because I' m

 G         D              Am7 
Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
          G          D                    Em          Em/C     Em/C#     Em/C 
Well I' m, lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did

 G      D                       Am7                     G 
Drove downtown in the ray-ee-ain, 9:30 on a Tuesday night
         D                         Bm7     Am7                      G 
Just to check out the late night record shop (late night record shop)
           D                    Am7 
Call it impulsive, call it compulsive, or call it insane (whoa-oh)
 G                   D                     Bm7         C7M 
' Cause when I' m surrounded I just can' t stah-ah-ah-p