Fri, 28 Jul 2000 17:21:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: I'm in great shape

Article: "Zen" is questionable, even though that's how it used to read on this site.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to Original Article:

Article: That is "Fresh Zen air around my head". Makes better sense now.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to Original Article:

I'd like to post this assertion to the board. I've seen many interpretations of what the "I'm in Great Shape" verse is deciphered as being. I believe it is as follows:

Freshened air around my head,
Mornings tumble out of bed,
Eggs and grits and lickety-split,
Look at me jump!
I'm in the great shape of the open country,

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: I'm In Great Shape

The version on "Endless Harmony" is the ONLY version available - it's unknown whether any other version was finished. There was a vocal session logged in October '66 but when the backing track was recorded - and what it's title was - is unknown. It's also unknown what ELSE the song contained when it was separated from "Heroes and Villains" between the demo, in early November '66, and Brian's track listing for Capitol, ion late November '66. Presumably it would have included other "fragments" recorded around the same time, a la "Do You Like Worms?", but who knows?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The title's familiar. It's on the Smile sleeve etc. But I've never heard any version of this song until The bit in the H&V demo on Endless Harmony when Brian launches it. It sounds great: in the dumb poppy mould of Vegetables etc. Is there a more fully realized version of this song? I've never come across it on the various Smile boots I've heard. (Incidentally, how ironic is that album title in the context of the Beach Boys. Maybe it should have been called Endless Discord.) It's the first time any lyrics sun by Brian for this song have been released anywhere, including bootlegs.