Song Lyric Sunday — My Room

Fandango

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams has yet again handed over the reins to Paula Light of Light Motifs II. Paula has suggested House, Room, Kitchen, Shower, and Attic as our theme words. A lot of songs came to mind, but I’ve decided to go with a classic from The Beach Boys, “In My Room.”

“In My Room” was written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1963 album Surfer Girl. It was also released as the B-side of the “Be True to Your School” single. The single peaked at number 23 in the U.S. (“Be True to Your School” peaked at number 6.) “In My Room,” was eventually inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

The song was written from the perspective of a teenager who feels safe and comfortable in his bedroom. Brian Wilson suffered from severe agoraphobia, and refused to leave his bedroom for a significant amount of time. He wrote this song to give people and idea of how he felt. In the 1998 documentary Endless Harmony, Brian Wilson described this song as about being “somewhere where you could lock out the world, go to a secret little place, think, be, do whatever you have to do.”

Gary Usher, who co-wrote the lyrics with Brian Wilson, said that “Brian was always saying that his room was his whole world.” Brian agreed, saying, “I had a room, and I thought of it as my kingdom. And I wrote that song, very definitely, that you’re not afraid when you’re in your room. It’s absolutely true.”

Here are the lyrics to “In My Room.”

There’s a world where I can go and tell my secrets to
In my room, in my room
In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears
In my room, in my room

Do my dreaming and my scheming
Lie awake and pray
Do my crying and my sighing
Laugh at yesterday

Now it’s dark and I’m alone
I won’t be afraid
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room

Sources: Wikipedia, Songfacts, and YouTube.

11 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday — My Room”

  1. pensitivity101 December 5, 2021 / 5:28 am

    You’ve solved a mystery for me Fandango……
    This was in Happy Feet and i could never place it!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. newepicauthor December 5, 2021 / 8:15 am

    I have always felt comfortable in my room, and I never saw any monsters hiding under my bed. Great choice Fandango.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Astrid December 5, 2021 / 12:31 pm

    The idea behind this song is quite comforting for me, as someone who is trying to learn to feel comfortable being by myself in my room. Of course, agorophobia is no fun, but the way these songwriters describe it, it makes it feel almost idyllic.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango December 5, 2021 / 3:56 pm

      If you want some alone and quiet time, it does sound good.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. bushboy December 5, 2021 / 2:25 pm

    Another favourite song Fandango 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  6. leigha66 December 29, 2021 / 7:40 pm

    Not a favorite Beach Boys song, but still good. I never thought of it in terms of agoraphobia.

    Liked by 1 person

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