How John Lennon Influenced the Beach Boys' 'Girl Don't Tell Me'

The Beach Boys and the Beatles were often inspired by one another — with Brian Wilson noting similarities between “Girl Don’t Tell Me” and John Lennon’s songwriting. Here’s what we learned from the memoir I Am Brian Wilson. 

He’s one of the masterminds behind “God Only Knows,” “I Get Around,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Aside from his role in the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson often shared his support for other bands. That includes the Beatles, who rose in popularity around the same time. 

In his memoir, Wilson noted that the Beach Boys weren’t creating music “in a vacuum.” As they became popular, the group noticed the rise of rock and roll. They also noted the bands that impacted the music scene. 

“One of the most important parts of the takeover was the Beatles,” Wilson wrote. The Beatles even impacted the Beach Boys’ original music — inspiring specific sounds and harmonies. 

“I wrote a song called ‘Girl Don’t Tell Me,’” Wilson said in I Am Brian Wilson. “It was one of the first songs that Carl sang lead on, and one of the only songs we did from that time where we didn’t sing in the back of him. It was almost like a different sound.” 

Source: Julia Dzurillay/cheatsheet.com

Read More<<<