Brian Wilson Wrote The Beach Boys’ ‘Do It Again’ at Mike Love’s House
Brian Wilson named “Do It Again” as one of his favorite Beach Boys original songs, offering insight into his creative process with Mike Love. The artist actually wrote the 20/20 original while at Love’s house and re-recording it for the documentary I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times.
What is ‘Do It Again’ by the Beach Boys about?
The Beach Boys are the surf rock group behind “God Only Knows,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and other hits. In conjunction with the 1969 release 20/20, the band included “Do It Again.”
This track features themes of surf, sun, and sand, intertwining summer feelings with nostalgia. The singer laments about conversations with old friends that turn into reminiscing about the California coastline.
“Well I’ve been thinking / ‘Bout all the places we’ve surfed and danced,” the lyrics state. “And all the faces we’ve missed So let’s get back together and do it again.”
Since its Spotify debut, this track has earned over 10 million plays. The music platform’s credits share Brian and Carl Wilson produced the song, with Brian Wilson and Mike Love listed as the “Do It Again” songwriters.
‘Do It Again’ is one of Brian Wilson’s favorite Beach Boys songs
As one of the Beach Boys songwriters, Wilson sometimes collaborates with other members and musicians. For “Heros and Villains,” that was Van Dyke Parks. For “Do It Again” that was Love. When Wilson listed some of his favorite originals, “Do It Again” appeared on the list.
“I remember writing ‘Do It Again’ with Mike Love at his house,” Wilson said during an interview with Esquire. “And we recorded it at my studio in Bel Air. I had a studio in my house, and we recorded it there. I did a version for the documentary I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times, but I don’t really remember it! I remember the ’60s better than the ’90s!”
Brian Wilson offered insight into his songwriting process for the Beach Boys
Wilson is the mastermind behind original songs “In My Room,” “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times,” and “God Only Knows.” Fitting with the Beach Boys theme, Wilson wrote “Surf’s Up” on a piano situated in a sandbox.
The artist also offered insight into his arranging and composing process. During an interview with Rolling Stone, Wilson said, “I’ll play chords, and play, play, play, and play forever, and all of sudden the melody comes.”
“One of the things about the Beach Boys’ music – and probably because Brian is a Gemini – is that everything is different from the last one,” Love noted in the same interview. “It’s not just a copy of a former single. That was the beauty of the Beach Boys catalog – the diversity: different lead singers, different tempos, different keys, different arrangements, and chord progressions.”
