SongsTube Beach Boys

About "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times"

"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, the lyrics describe the disillusionment of someone who struggles to fit into society. Musically, it is distinguished for its melodic bass guitar, layered vocals, and Electro-Theremin solo, marking the first time the instrument was used in popular music and the first time theremin-like sounds were used on a rock record.

One of the last tracks completed for Pet Sounds, Wilson produced the recording with the aid of 14 studio musicians—including Electro-Theremin inventor Paul Tanner—who variously played percussion, basses, guitars, clarinets, piccolo, harpsichord, tack piano, and bass harmonica. All six Beach Boys sang on the track. In addition to multiple vocal counterpoints, the chorus features Spanish-sung backing vocals: "Oh, ¿cuándo seré? Un día seré" ("When will I be? One day I will be").

"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" remains one of the Beach Boys' most favored songs among fans, and a song closely identified with Wilson's personal life. In 1995, it provided the title of Don Was' documentary of Wilson's life, and in turn, the title of the film's soundtrack (also Wilson's second solo album). In 1996, to promote the upcoming release of The Pet Sounds Sessions, the first true stereo mix of the song was released as a single on the alternative rock label Sub Pop. Artists who have covered the song include Carmen McRae, Peggy Lipton, and Sixpence None the Richer.