In 1968, The Beach Boys released the single Bluebirds Over The Mountain. Hidden away on the B-side was a new recording, Never Learn Not to Love, an outwardly dreamy, psychedelic love song featuring uncharacteristically domineering lyrics.
That lyrics such as 'cease to resist, come on say you love me' and 'submission is a gift given to another' had undertones more in keeping with cult indoctrination ceremonies makes more sense when one learns that track was written by infamous cult leader Charles Manson. But exactly how the Beach Boys, once viewed as the poster boys for wholesome all-American values, ever established such an eyebrow-raising connection takes some explaining, and their ties with Manson were actually deeper than this one-off collaboration.
Beach Boys co-founder Dennis Wilson first came into contact with Manson earlier that same year, following a chain of events which began with the musician giving a ride to two hitch-hikers.
