Beach Boys Mike Love and Brian Wilson wrote this song celebrating the women of California. Along with surfing and cars, girls were a common topic in many of The Beach Boys songs, and part of the California mythos that was so enticing to young people in other parts of America. Wilson wrote the music, and Love came up with the lyrics. Regarding his way with words, Love told Songfacts: "Ever since I can remember I've always been intrigued by poetry and literature. So that's always been something that I've immersed myself in since childhood. I'd always get really good grades in English literature and American literature and all that kind of thing. Whereas my math skills weren't exactly upgraded."
Brian Wilson said of this song when he spoke to Goldmine in 2011: "I came up the introduction first. I'm still really proud of that introduction. It has a classical feel. I wrote the song 'California Girls' in the same key as the introduction. It took me some time. I wanted to write a song that had a traditional country and western left hand piano riff, like an old country song from the early '50s. I wanted to get something that had kind of a jumpy feeling to it in the verses."
A problem with writing a song like this is that it's hard to top. Speaking with Rolling Stone in 2015, Brian Wilson talked about trying to write songs: "I sit at the piano and try, but all I want to do is rewrite 'California Girls.' How am I gonna do something better than that?"
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