| "You Still Believe in Me" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Beach Boys | |
| from the album Pet Sounds | |
| Released | May 16, 1966 |
| Recorded | October 14, 1965 – February 1966 |
| Studio | Western, Hollywood |
| Genre | Chamber pop[1] |
| Length | 2:36 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson |
| Licensed audio | |
| "You Still Believe in Me" on YouTube | |
| Audio sample | |
"You Still Believe in Me" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Initially conceived as "In My Childhood", it was the first songwriting collaboration between Brian Wilson, the group's de facto leader, and songwriter Tony Asher. Wilson sang the lead vocal.
The lyrics are about a man who, while acknowledging his irresponsible behavior and unfaithfulness, is impressed by the unwavering loyalty of his lover, who is left shouldering the stability of their relationship. Wilson's then-wife Marilyn surmised that this choice of subject matter was indebted to the couple's marital struggles at the time.
One of the first songs produced for Pet Sounds, Wilson recorded the track between October 1965 and February 1966 with the aid of his bandmates, Asher, and 13 session musicians who variously played harpsichord, clarinets, 12-string electric guitars, timpani, finger cymbals, pianos, basses, and bicycle horn. Wilson and Asher created the song's ethereal intro by plucking a piano's strings with a bobby pin.