In 1963, David Crosby was an aspiring musician. But one song made him want to quit music: “I can’t do that”

David Crosby said Brian Wilson’s 1963 Beach Boys song “In My Room” made him consider giving up music, because he felt he could never match its songwriting. The story shows how Wilson’s work could shape and unsettle fellow musicians, including Crosby just as he was beginning to record solo.

Crosby heard the song around the time his first solo session was booked; his initial recording was a folk version of a Ray Charles song. Wilson said “In My Room” drew on the comfort of a private place, while the song’s harmony grew from singing with his brothers Dennis and Carl as children. Charles Manson later claimed Wilson had taken the idea from his song “In My Cell”, but the article says that claim was false.