"Our Prayer" is a wordless

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

by the American rock band

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

from their 1969 album ''

20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

'' and their never-finished ''

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

'' project. Composed by Brian Wilson, it was originally planned to be the introductory track on ''Smile''. He later rerecorded the piece for his 2004 version of ''Smile'' in medley with the 1953 doo-wop standard " Gee".

Background and recording

"Our Prayer" is a wordless, a cappella piece that Wilson originally composed for the band's ''

'' album. The title may be a reference to the 1939

traditional pop Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standard ...

standard "

My Prayer "My Prayer" is a 1939 popular song with music by salon violinist Georges Boulanger and lyrics by Carlos Gomez Barrera and Jimmy Kennedy. It was originally written by Boulanger with the title ''Avant de mourir'' (Before dying) 1926. The lyrics f ...

". It was originally simply titled "Prayer". "Prayer" was tracked during the ''Smile'' sessions on September 19 and October 4, 1966, at Columbia Studio. Wilson later wrote, "The boys were overtaken by the arrangement. I taught it to them in sections, the way I usually do." On the session tape, Wilson announces, "This is intro to the album, take one."

Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as " Help Me, Rh ...

is heard remarking to Wilson that the piece could be considered its own track, but Wilson rejects the suggestion. This information makes "Prayer" the only part of ''Smile'' that is known to have had a definitive placement on the album. At another point in the session, Wilson asks for a hash joint and remarks, "Do you guys feel any acid yet?" After ''Smile'' was scrapped, the track was revisited for inclusion on the 1969 album ''

'' and renamed "Our Prayer". Additional vocals were overdubbed onto the original recording by Carl Wilson,

Dennis Wilson Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...

, and

Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...

on November 17, 1968, at Capitol Studios.

Composition

Music journalist Paul Williams wrote, Musicologists John Covach and Graeme M. Boone wrote: "An exquisite exercise of harmonic virtuousity, 'Our Prayer' allowed the Beach Boys once again to show off their vocal abilities and stylistic influences earlier demonstrated on such songs as '

Their Hearts Were Full of Spring "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring" is a song written by Bobby Troup. It has been recorded by many artists including Jimmie Rodgers (pop singer), Jimmie Rodgers, the Four Freshmen, the Lettermen, the Beach Boys, Sue Raney, the Cyrkle, and Tatsuro Y ...

'."

Philip Lambert ''Inside the Music of Brian Wilson'' (subtitled ''The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius'') is a 2007 book that analyzes the music of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, authored by American musicologist Philip Lambert ...

described the piece as "every technique of chromatic harmony ilsonhad ever heard or imagined."

Personnel

Per band archivist Craig Slowinski. The Beach Boys *

Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bas ...

, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson,

– vocals

Cover versions

* 2001 – " An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson" * 2011 –

Salyu is a Japanese singer, produced by Takeshi Kobayashi. She debuted in 2000 as the fictional singer Lily Chou-Chou for the film ''All About Lily Chou-Chou'', and later debuted as a solo artist in 2004. She is best known for her charity single coll ...

, ''s(o)un(d)beams+'' (as "Our Prayer ~

Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album '' Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-the ...

Samples

* 2013 –

Odesza Odesza (; stylized as ODESZA) is an American electronic music duo originating from Bellingham, Washington. It consists of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, known individually as Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches. They formed in 2012, shortly bef ...

, "Keep Her Close", ''My Friends Never Die''

In popular culture

* The opening track "Mic Check" from Cornelius' 1997 album '' Fantasma'' is a reference to "Our Prayer". * The song plays over the credits of the third episode of

Our Flag Means Death ''Our Flag Means Death'' is an American period comedy television series created by David Jenkins. Set in the early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy, the series follows the misadventures of gentleman-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet ( Rh ...

References

Citations Bibliography * * * * * *

External links

* * * {{Brian Wilson 1969 songs The Beach Boys songs Brian Wilson songs Songs written by Brian Wilson Song recordings produced by Brian Wilson Musical compositions completed by others Hymn tunes A cappella songs