Rainbows

Stephen Kalinich told Uncut the song was written in the early 1970s in Wilson's yard, before anyone had thought of the album and before it was clear whether it would be a Beach Boys song or a solo one. A peacock ran across the yard, Kalinich started speaking the words "Rainbow shining on my shoulder", and Wilson said that was the song. Kalinich said Wilson could sing a poem back as a melody instantly and could write songs from one hearing.

Kalinich said he turned down an offer to produce the album with Wilson, and that his part was limited to co-writing this song. He said Carl Wilson added some musical touches later, which is how Carl became a co-writer. Uncut called it one of the few unambiguously upbeat moments on the album, and Paphides described it as a love-drunk paean to life lived large.