Hello, and welcome to Hearing Double, where I compare and contrast two unrelated songs of the same title and decide which title does the most justice!
This week, we’re chasing our spring break dreams with “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow or The Beach Boys.
Sheryl Crow’s iconic ‘90s hit was actually based on a 1987 poem called “Fun” by Wyn Cooper. When Crow contacted Cooper to ask permission, she said he “was really pleased” with the idea. The verses are very faithful to the poem, while Crow adds the upbeat chorus to summarize the essence of the poem herself.
Both the poem and the song start out by being mean to a poor guy named William, making him sound like a bit of a loser despite the fact that Crow is right there next to him “drinking beer at noon on a Tuesday.”
Crow establishes herself as a laid-back Los Angeles people watcher, a fun “main character” of the song. She aligns herself with William, whom she takes the liberty of nicknaming “Billy,” and observes the folks at the car wash across the street. As she sees others moving through their day, she and Billy sit stagnantly at the bar and emphasize the chorus, in which Crow repeats, “all I wanna do is have some fun.”
The music evokes a lazy afternoon in Los Angeles with a beachy twang and easygoing instrumentation. The song earns a serious advantage with its specificity. Zooming into Los Angeles, then to Santa Monica Boulevard, then to the bar across from the car wash (which really does exist) helps Crow establish a real sense of place that transports the listener to her lazy day at the bar with Billy.
The Beach Boys released their dreamy love song as a track on their 1970 album “Sunflower.” It’s exactly what you might expect from a song by The Beach Boys, and that’s not a bad thing. Despite going through a number of evolutions, The Beach Boys could always be relied upon for an easygoing tune that borders on ethereal.
In this song, all the narrator wants is to “bring happiness to you.” He assures his lover that “sure as the sun comes around again,” he will always be devoted to her. The song is sweet and gently romantic, but it suffers in the exact category in which Crow’s song excels. It is written and sang as if it’s almost meant to be general. The overarching and idealistic perspective on romance is perhaps a little too sunny and optimistic. That said, it perfectly matches the dreamy tone The Beach Boys employ, as if they’re letting their mind wander off and consider their ideal love.
In their usual fashion, The Beach Boys bring beautiful harmonies and mellow musicality to the song, inviting the listener to forget their cares while they enjoy the placid tones. It’s a quintessential beach jam, but it tends to fade into the background among The Beach Boys’ many hits.
When it comes to comparing the songs, Sheryl Crow’s upbeat jam manages to pull ahead with more authenticity and some help from Wyn Cooper. That said, these are both ideal songs to listen to while you sit back, relax and do whatever it is you want to do, so go ahead and listen to both while the sun’s out. Happy spring break!
Winner: Sheryl Crow