Rock On with Joan Axelrod-Contrada: Happiest song in the world?: Hearing ‘Good Vibrations’ through fresh ears
I was scrolling through my Google feed (that algorithm really gets me in ways that are both spooky and oddly comforting) when, kaboom, a headline fired up my inner skeptic. “Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys (scientifically) makes people happier than any other song,” it said.
Really? You mean a man in Bora Bora and a woman in Brazil would choose the same song to make themselves happy? And here I thought musical taste was as personal and subjective as how we choose to spend a Saturday afternoon. How could anyone argue otherwise? To find out, I clicked on the headline.
Turns out a music psychologist in England by the name of Dr. Michael Bonsor had developed a formula for determining what makes a song happy. Among his criteria: a strong beat, verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, short intro, bright tone, and mix of predictability and surprise.
And the winner? “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys. Apparently, it checked off all his boxes. Well, that made sense — up to a point. I still had my doubts about the whole “scientific” nature of it all.
Certainly, everyone puts their own spin on what makes a song sound happy. Give me soaring harmonies, and I’m bound to feel ecstatic. So kudos to the Beach Boys in that regard. They came up with harmonies so sweet and tight, it was like honey dripping through a jukebox.
Still, over the years, I’d typecast the Beach Boys as those square guys in candy-striped shirts who sang odes to their cars and surfboards. Sadly, I’d forgotten that, come 1965, they started abandoning their beachgoing themes for more personal lyrics and ambitious orchestrations. Even the Beatles were impressed!
Just seeing the words “Good Vibrations” sent my brain racing back to being a miserable 11-year-old when the song came out in 1966. Let’s be real: every phase of life brings its own indignities. But, when it comes to feeling awkward, there’s nothing like those preteen years. Braces on my teeth. A body changing in all the wrong ways. And a belief that I must have been switched at birth. How else could I explain feeling like such a misfit?
Enter “Good Vibrations.” From the first note, I was lifted. Transported. Convinced that I, too, could find a better life for myself. “Good Vibrations” felt like a secret message of hope from the Beach Boys themselves.
So, after reading that “Good Vibrations” had been crowned The Happiest Song in the World, I did what any research geek would do. I Googled it. And get this: The entire idea for the song came from something Brian Wilson’s mom told him when he was a kid — that dogs could sense people’s energy and pick up on good or bad vibrations. I swear, that detail alone got my soul vibrating in agreement. Because don’t we all know that dogs possess a heightened form of ESP that puts humans to shame?
Still, I braced myself for disappointment. Ever notice how the things you once loved can lose their appeal over time? Take the movie “Annie Hall,” for instance. Recently, I re-watched it and found the character of Alvy Singer so annoying, I felt like throwing a shoe at him. But “Good Vibrations?”
As soon as the music kicked in, I got that old jolt again — but this time, with interest. Every layered harmony, every psychedelic swirl, every abrupt tempo change felt earned. Like the soundtrack to someone who’d been through the wringer and come out weirdly hopeful on the other side. My soundtrack.
As a dreamy 11-year-old, I just knew the song made me feel understood in a way the world around me rarely did. Now, with more than a few decades under my belt, I’d gotten to hear “Good Vibrations” through fresh ears. Sometimes the song’s rhythm and mood changed in weird ways. A simple boy-meets-girl story became cosmic in scope. But the best thing of all? Somehow, despite all of its technical complexity, the song maintained its radio-sing-along vibe. Pure genius!
“Good Vibrations” confirmed what I’d learned from The School of Hard Knocks. Joy can be complex and unexpected. And it’s okay — no, make that essential — for us to embrace our own, personal vibe.
So go ahead. Dust off that old Beach Boys vinyl, crank up your smart speaker, or sing into a hairbrush for a mic. Let “Good Vibrations” swirl through your space and light up your spirit. Celebrate your own vibe — quirky, bold, mellow, or wild. It’s yours, it’s magic, and no scientist can chart it.
This column is dedicated to the late Brian Wilson, who died on June 11 at the age of 82.
Joan Axelrod-Contrada is a writer who is passionate about music. Sign up for her new email blast by emailing [email protected].
Daily Hampshire Gazette
