About the Song

Track: Love and Mercy

Length: 2:56

Album: Brian Wilson (1988)

Artist: Brian Wilson

Songwriters: Brian Wilson

Favorite part:

“I was standing in a bar

And watching all the people there

Oh, the loneliness in this world

Well it’s just not fair”

Here’s Why I Love It

I can’t write a music column (in any capacity) without featuring Brian Wilson. Sure, he’s not the most lyrically gifted, but I have such a soft spot for him. The Beach Boys were my first concert (as a kid) and I grew up listening to their music around the house. (Thanks, Dad.) He was the creative engine behind that Beach Boys sound—Mike Love would hate that notion, but he strikes me as kind of a dick, anyway and it’s true, so whatever. Wilson was also an enormous influence on McCartney, Dylan, and pretty much anyone else you know and love. Dylan once said, “That ear—I mean, Jesus. He’s got to will that to the Smithsonian.” Basically, Wilson helped shape music as you know it. So yeah, I had to include him here. Right, but why this song?

Aside from “Imagine”, “Love and Mercy” might be the most idealistic song of all time. But it doesn’t give in to any magical thinking. It’s just full of compassion and yearns for a more empathetic world. It embodies the spirit of the creator, and for me, that’s why it lands so well. Perhaps the song is better suited to be explained by someone who understands composing, mixing, and engineering a little better than I do. After all, that is what makes Wilson Wilson. But that giant sound on this track only aids to the grand promise of what it’s about—love and mercy. It doesn’t hide from what it is, and that alone is a quality that I Love (capital L intentional) in songs. Or any art, for that matter.

Lastly, Wilson has long struggled with mental health issues and his artistic journey is not only an inspiration, but should also be applauded as an admirable lifetime achievement. There is a biopic of the same name (Love & Mercy) that depicts this with relative accuracy, as it was signed off on by Wilson. For readers, his memoir I Am Brian Wilson was also excellent. All in all, this is a great song from a legend, which all but means you must listen to it.

read the lyrics

Listen to the Song

*This article is part of the ongoing Lyrics I Love series: short interpretations of the meaning and story behind one song with lyrics that move me.