Feel flows: Language use patterns in the lyrics of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys

Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys is considered one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century. At the same time, he is also known for his persisting struggles with mental health. Considering that most of his 60+-year career consists of published songs and lyrics, he makes an interesting case study to understand the dynamics of language use in relation to psychological experiences over the course of an individual’s life and career. We identified song lyrics for which he is credited as (co-)writer and analyzed their lyrics ( N = 250) using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) program. Considering features previously associated with mental health (I-talk, Emotional Tone, Analytic language and Cognitive Processes words) over time, we found that I-talk and Cognitive Processes showed an initial increase, followed by a plateau (in 1967), while Emotional Tone showed a cubic relationship with time, being sensitive to changes in Brian Wilson’s life. Analytic language was highly variable and did not show any patterns. Our data suggest that even carefully crafted language, such as song lyrics, can carry information about the writer’s mental health and that considering language use over the course of an individual’s lifespan can provide crucial insights into psychological processes.