Day 152: My Imagination of California thanks to the Beach Boys

If you’ve read my previous entry, you’d know that I spent the night on a boat. I looked forward to waking up in the morning to the crisp, fresh air – it was going to be great! But, my fantasy quickly faded when I woke up feeling seasick from the swaying of the boat. Perhaps I’m too urban to be spending nights on boats…

Regardless, I spent a spontaneous day in Disneyland (random right?)! I figured I was already down in Orange County, so I might as well spend half a day at the Happiest Place on Earth. (And I wanted to make use of my annual pass before the blackout days start at the end of this month). It was a “magical” quick stop before heading over to the Beach Boys concert!

I’m a big fan!

It is true – I have an old soul. I love listening to oldies and hits from the wonder years – for some odd reason it makes me feel sentimental. I fell in love with The Beach Boys early in my life, probably much earlier than most of my fellow millennial. I could barely speak English when my mother introduced me to their Greatest Hits CD, and as much as I loved their harmony, it was also when I fell in love with California.

My 9-year old self in Belgium was blown away by this magical place that the Beach Boys kept referring to as “The Golden State”. Where could this land made out of gold be?

“You’d catch ‘em surfin’ at Del Mar. Ventura County line. Santa Cruz and Trestle. Australia’s Narrabeen. All over Manhattan. And down Doheny Way“. What a fantastic place this must be!

I didn’t know much about California other than what was referenced in Beach Boys songs (this is pre-internet days). I used dictionaries to look up certain words and memorized my favorite songs. The 9-year-old in Belgium had this imagination of what California could be:

• Everybody goes surfing and wears baggies (something I remember looking up in the dictionary)
• Everybody has bushy bushy blond hairdos
• Every popular girl is a cheerleader
• Everybody drives T-Birds and goes to hamburger stands
• Girls are tanned and wear colorful clothing
• Boys like to brag about their “wheels”
• A typical date consists of a big buttered popcorn and an extra large coke at the drive-in
• Californian girls give good vibes to boys that’s making him excitations

The Beach Boys had a big impact on my childhood. I played their songs as background music when I played with my dollhouse and made up scenes about living in California. It imagined it to be like an all-day, everyday vacation, surrounded by the ocean, palm trees and beautiful people. I was curious to live the life of a “little surfer girl” – and I made it my goal to live there one day.

And here I am.
Watching The Beach Boys perform their 50th Anniversary Tour on the Golden State.

Watching them perform was, in a way, emotional… (hm, not really a word you would describe the Beach Boys right?) I’ve been singing their songs as long as I could speak English, and I had a love for California before I even knew where it was. The Beach Boys represent an early Californian chapter in my life – a spark that started it all. And for all those reasons, it was surreal for me to hear them live.

Even though I’ve learned during my 5 years in Southern California that the state isn’t made out of gold and not everyone has “wheels” to brag about (although I wouldn’t exactly call their songs false advertising), I’m glad that I stuck to my goal to live here. Even though it’s not literally made out of gold, I still find it a fantastic place to live in But I have yet to attempt to be a “little surfer girl”….

 

What is your favorite Beach Boys song? Do you think their songs represent California accurately? Are there other bands/artists that touch you emotionally?

 

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Tagged as: Beach Boys, California, Photo a Day