The Beach Boys - A Day in the Life of a Tree

"A Day in the Life of a Tree" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Jack Rieley for the American pop band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1971 album Surf's Up. The lead vocals were performed by co-writer Rieley, who was also the Beach Boys' manager at the time.

The song was covered in 1996 by Matthew Sweet for an album benefiting the Honor The Earth campaign.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The Beach Boys
• Surf's Up
• Brian Wilson
• Jack Rieley

[Misterhappynyc]

The "Oh Lord I Lay Me Down" high part is Al Jardine from what I understand. Regardless, i find that one of most moving moments in all of Brian Wilson/Beach Boys' music -- that's saying a lot.  A very misunderstood and unappreciated track -- brilliantly sad.

[itsstillfriday]

WoW!! I always thought it was a depressed Brian singing.... same idea as with the haunting demo "Still I Dream of It" ... 20 years later I learn that Riley sang this... hmmm wow... wild to learn new things about stuff you thought you already knew!!

[MrMetantropo]

Perfección, belleza, joya invaluable, obra maestra,etc etc...Que mas se puede decir de esta canción es magnifica y todo se lo debemos agradecer al genio de Brian Wilson y al maestro Jack Rieley; yo estoy seguro que esta es mas una canción de Rieley que de Wilson, sino escuchen el disco solista de Jack: Western Justice' de 1975 y después díganme, un muy recomendable disco, perdonen fanáticos de los Beach Boys solo trato de reivindicar a un genio pocas veces reconocido. Gracias Jack Rieley!!!

[MrMetantropo]

Para mi esta es la mejor canción de los Beach Boys en toda su historia y mis fundamentos son que esta demuestra como ninguna otra canción lo mal que estaba Brian, compone después de un tiempo y lo haca tanto con Rieley como con Van Dyke Park, los demás que nunca apoyaron a Brian en especial Mike Love no participan y si lo hace alguien que si siempre estuvo como lo fue Al Jardine y lo hace como nunca antes lo había escuchado, las melodias del organo y el melotron del intermedio son epicas, Genios

[soulmanice]

@itsstillfriday I also always assumed it was a depressed Brian...!

[IDLERACER]

The most poignant moment of this recording occurs at 2:40 when Brian chimes in with his "Oh Lord I Lay Me Down, My Branches To The Ground" tag. It marks the last time his voice would still sound more like Carl's than like Dennis's.

[oomingmak1966]

That's Jack Rieley singing lead, not Brian. And Van Dyke Parks can be heard on the tag, "Trees like me..."

[vampyros1]

I always thought this was one of Brian's transitional vocals between his angelic 60's efforts and his 70's cigarette and booze soaked era ... Rieley did a fine job with it, and it's a song I've always liked, including the calliope sounds. In fact, nearly all of 'Surfs Up' is wonderful ...

[johnsonbrereton]

So Amazing!

[posstockhoarder]

A gorgeous song. Wish Brian had written so much more back then.