Rest in peace, Brian Wilson.
Here’s Ted Gioia describing Wilson in a post called “My 12 Favorite Existential Songs.”
Brian Wilson: “Caroline, No”
Here’s another angst-ridden “how did I get here” kind of song.
Brian Wilson lived in a persistent state of existential crisis when he composed “Caroline, No.” He was the young Kierkegaard of teen pop, suffering behind the superficial happiness of his surf lyrics.
All the chart-topping successes of his career couldn’t hide the fact that everything else in his life was falling apart.
His marriage was in tatters, and was probably the immediate inspiration for the song. But every other family connection in the Wilson universe was also fraying. He was increasingly cut off from his father, and even his sibling bandmates. His cousin was actually an open adversary and rival.
They now went on the road without him—Brian was too fragile and unpredictable. His panic attacks could occur at the worst possible times. His health was declining, even though he wasn’t even 25 years old.
And that’s when Wilson recorded “Caroline, No”—all on his own, without the help of the other Beach Boys. It was even released as a single under his own name, as a solo artist. You can hear the loneliness in every phrase.