Vegetables

Album: Smiley Smile (1966)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Paul McCartney was in the studio when Brian Wilson was mixing this song - you can hear him in the background munching on celery. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jim - St Louis, MO
  • Wilson wrote this when he was struggling with the hallucinogenic drug LSD, which can cause a childlike regression over time. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Andrew - Covington, OH
  • In 1847 the Bible Christian organization took the lead in establishing the first national vegetarian Society which was formed at Ramsgate, England. At its inaugural meeting the word "vegetarian" was coined. The word should not be confused with the word "vegetable," it was derived from the Latin "vegetus," meaning whole, vigorous, active. Around the same time in America the teenage Louisa Alcott's father was exchanging vegetarian recipes with his friends the essayists Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau. (From the book Food for Thought: Extraordinary Little Chronicles of the World by Ed Pearce)

Comments: 4

  • Anonymous from AnonymousActually, Paul only appeared on the SMiLE version. The Smiley Smile version was rerecorded completely and as such doesn't have Paul on it. Also, Sean, what information did you use?
  • Claire from Colorado Springs, Coactually, paul wasn't munching celery, he was snapping carrots in half. I like the beatles much more than the beach boys, so i know this kind of stuff.
  • Darrell from EugeneI like vegetables, but to write a whole song about them? LSD was obviously a factor. I should know.
  • Sean from Chicago, IlIt has since been DEBUNKED that McCartney had any participation in the recording of "Vegetables" other than sitting in the control room.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.