# The Beatles released 213 songs. But one “mysterious” lyric stood out to Brian Wilson as their greatest

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-beatles-released-213-songs-but-one-mysterious-lyric-stood-out-to-brian-wilson-as-their-greatest/
- Published: 2026-11-07T14:40:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T15:36:46+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/beatles-released-213-songs-but-one-mysterious-lyric-stood-out-to-brian-wilson-as-their-greatest/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Brian Wilson called “Norwegian Wood” his favourite Beatles song.
- The opening lyric’s ambiguity captivated him.
- He said he still did not know what the ending meant.

## Summary

Brian Wilson said a lyric in the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” was the most striking part of his first encounter with *Rubber Soul*. His reaction reflects the creative exchange between the Beatles and the Beach Boys, whose musical innovations pushed each other to new heights in the 1960s.

Wilson recalled hearing the album at a Hollywood Hills gathering in November 1965 and being captivated by its lyrics. He singled out the opening line, “I once had a girl / Or should I say, she once had me”, for its ambiguity, and wondered whether the song’s narrator sets fire to the room after waking to find the woman gone.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.