In 1969, I was 17 years old. I had never been to America, and I had no desire to be a surfer. But I was a teenager, at a time of great change all over the world, and I was definitely thinking about breaking away from the life that seemed to be planned out for me. Then I heard a new song from The Beach Boys, and it seemed to sum it all up.
Here are the lyrics to that song.
Break break shake away, break breakaway
Now I’m free to do what I want to do
Time will not wait for me, time is my destiny
Why change the part of me that has to be free
The love that passed me by, I found no reason why
But now each day is filled with the love, that very same love
That passed me by and that is why
I can breakaway from that lonely life
And I can do what I want to do
And breakaway from that empty life and my world is new
When I laid down on my bed I heard voices in my head
Telling me now hey it’s only a dream
The more I thought of it I had been out of it
And here’s the answer I found instead
(Baby baby) found out it was in my head (baby baby)
(Baby baby) found out it was my head (baby baby)
(Baby baby) found out it was in my head (baby baby)
And I can breakaway to the better life
Where the shackles never hold me down
I’m gonna make a way for each happy day
As my life turns around
Come on we’re free to breakaway (oh boy you jump for joy)
Now won’t you come on (when you breakaway)
You’re free to breakaways (breakaway)
Come on you’re free to breakaway (breakaway)
Now won’t you come on (breakaway)
You’re free to breakaways (breakaway)
Feel the vibrations in all the sensations, breakaway
Feel the vibrations in all the sensations, breakaway
Songwriters: Donald Dennis / Phillip Burrell / Sheldon Campbell / Sly Dunbar
Break Away lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
And here is the group, singing it.
beetleypete 
Great post 🙂 The Beach Boys were a fantastic band. Speaking of which, did you know the late Dennis Wilson was in Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)? I am pretty sure you knew that, I just felt like mentioning it because it is a true cult classic. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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Thanks, John. I have seen two-lane blacktop. I saw it in the cinema, when it was released in the UK.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, a great song. I posted about The Beach Boys – they released what will probably be their last album a few years ago, and here is a video for the last song on the album “Summer’s Gone”, plus beautiful lyrics:
“Summer’s gone
It’s finally sinking in
One day begins
Another ends
I live them all and back again
Summer’s gone
I’m gonna sit and watch the waves
We laugh, we cry
We live then die
And dream about our yesterday…”
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Thanks for the link, John. I will check it out.
Best wishes, Pete.
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My best friend and I used to argue whether the Beach Boys(her choice) or the Beatles were the best. Never heard this song though. Did you see the Brian Wilson biopic “Love and Mercy.” Fascinating film.
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I have it taped on a PVR, Elizabeth. For me, I always enjoyed The Beach Boys more than The Beatles, who I often found to be quite depressing. 🙂 Strange how nobody from America knows this song. It did get into the top 100 there, but 1969 was not really their year.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I encountered the Beatles at 16 and they really connected with me in their early happy songs like “She Loves You.”
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I also liked them a lot at the start. Then they got all long-haired, and ‘serious’. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Faux serious I think. It was hard for me to take them too seriously.
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I really like some of The Beach Boys’ songs. I’m not familiar with this one.
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From the comments, it would seem that this song is little-known in America. It only got to number 63 on the Billboard chart that year, and was a bigger hit in the UK.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I really, really love the Beach Boys.Their harmonies are the most beautiful in Pop music, I think–even better than The Beatles; even better that The Stylistics. Brian Wilson is such a visionary genius. I don’t know this song though. I gave it a listen and it’s beautiful and uplifting. Thanks for turning me on to it.
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You are the second American to comment about not knowing this song, which has surprised me a great deal, Pam. But it was only a single, and never on an album. It also only got to number 63 on the Billboard Top 100 that year. I think nobody else ever got close to The Beach Boys vocal harmonies. Along with ‘Heroes and Villains’, this remains one of my favourite songs of theirs.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Great choice and post btw!😊🎆🌌
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I love The Beach Boys!
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Glad to hear it honey. 🙂 x
Best wishes, Pete. xx
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Have you ever been to America or are you still dead set against visiting? We won’t eat you…
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I never have been to America, Cindy. I would like to visit the Civil War battlefields, but unless I get an inheritance or lottery win, that seems unlikely. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh wow… also a fan, saw them in concert twice. Have never heard this one! Till today.
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Glad to introduce you to one of their songs that I thought everyone had heard. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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The Beach Boys were the sound of summer.
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I always loved that sound, and still do. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Not too familiar with this song by the Beach Boys. I am more familiar with Surfin USA, Good Vibrations, California Girls.
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This was a later one, Arlene, from 1969.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The Beach Boys were the first group I ever saw live in concert. I can still see that event in my mind’s eye. Was lucky enough to see them again in Australia in the 1990s.
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That’s a great double memory, Peggy. I always liked them, but never got the chance to see them perform.
Best wishes, Pete.
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