Songfacts®:

• The Beach Boys subverted their California youth culture clichés with this early environmentalist anthem. Instead of celebrating surfing and other beach-based activities, they lament human pollution in "oceans, rivers, lakes and streams," and warn us to stay away from the water.
• Mike Love and Al Jardine wrote the song after newly recruited manager Jack Rieley suggested they pen political material to stay relevant. They wrote it in 10 minutes.
  
  "The melody's pretty simple and I remember Al came up with that bridge: 'Toothpaste and soap will make our oceans a bubble bath,'" Love recalled to Uncut magazine. "I remember writing quite a bit of the verses, so it was a collaboration. But it didn't take all that long. It wasn't a Beethoven Symphony, just a little pop tune."
• Al Jardine wasn't happy with the song they wrote, but had to let Mike Love have his way. "I could've done a much better job, but Mike insisted on putting these meditation lyrics in it, whereas I wanted it to be more dramatic," he told Uncut magazine. "But sometimes you just have to go with the flow, because you're a team. He sang the lead and the lead singer always gets the upper hand."
• Another Surf's Up track, "A Day in the Life of a Tree," continued the ecological theme of "Don't Go Near the Water" by imagining the feelings of a tree. Jack Rieley co-wrote that song and provided the lead vocals.