I’ve played a couple of Beach Boys songs lately, and one that has been mentioned more than a couple of times is God Only Knows, so I figured it should be next in the lineup!
Brian Wilson wrote this song with Tony Asher, who was an advertising copyrighter and lyricist that Wilson worked with on songs for Pet Sounds. This song reflects Wilson’s interest in spirituality, and it was a big departure from previous Beach Boys songs that dealt with girls, cars and surfing. Says Wilson …
“I was scared they’d ban playing it on the radio because of the title but they didn’t.”
This song is considered a Beach Boys classic, but it only managed to scrape the Top 40 (#39) in the United States. That’s because it was released as a B-side, partly because of fear that radio stations would refuse to play a song with “God” in the title. In the liner notes to the reissued Pet Sounds album, Tony Asher explained, “I really thought it was going to be everything it was, and yet we were taking some real chances with it. First of all, the lyric opens by saying, ‘I may not always love you,’ which is a very unusual way to start a love song.”
Carl Wilson handled lead vocals on this track. Not long after the song was released, he said …
“At present our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work.”
The Beatles’ Here, There And Everywhere was inspired by this song. John Lennon and Paul McCartney heard Pet Sounds at a party and went back to Lennon’s house to write it. Paul McCartney once called God Only Knows “The greatest song ever written.”
The famous French horn on this song was played by Alan Robinson, who appeared on the scores for many films, including The Sound of Music and The Ten Commandments. He got the call for the session because he could play without music written out. Brian Wilson sang him the horn line he had in mind, and Robinson played it by ear using a glissando technique suggested by Wilson.
While the song only reached #39 in the U.S. and Finland, it made it to #2 in the UK, and #6 in Canada, Ireland and Norway.
God Only Knows
Beach Boys
I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows
God only knows what I’d be without you
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Brian Douglas Wilson / Tony Asher
God Only Knows lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Filosofa's Word 
This song is so unlike the BB’s signature surf sound. i’m so used to hearing ‘good vibrations’, ‘surfin’ usa’, ‘barbara ann’…. they’re evolving like the Beatles, but not 4 better. Surf songs 4ever 🙂
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I’m not really a Beach Boys fan, but I quite like this one. To be honest, I’d forgotten the song entirely and couldn’t recall anything of it until I played the video. As to reference to “God” in the song, I suspect it’s only in America that it might cause controversy as religion there is such a partisan issue in the public arena. Here in secular Aotearoa New Zealand, matters of religion seldom become topics of public interest unless its to ridicule the nonsense of a religious claim by a fundamentalist when the non-religious and the majority of the religious are seem to come together in agreement.
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I didn’t think I was that much of a Beach Boys fan either, until I started playing a few, remembering a few others, and now I have one more put back for tomorrow! You’re quite right … religion is aggressively controversial here in the U.S. … so much so that people are killed because of it (not to mention because of the gun culture here). In my mind, religion should be as you say it is in New Zealand — a matter of personal choice, not a public event. Here, however, one’s religion is sometimes the very thing that defines them, defines their values (or lack thereof). If one is, as I am, a non-believer, there are always many who are determined to convince you of the ‘error or your ways’ … and attempt to convert you to whatever their own beliefs are. But, back to the song … it is definitely a ‘keeper’ and I’m really glad you enjoyed it!
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Yay!! You have me smiling 😊💕
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Awesome!!! My work here is done, then!
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😊, well done! 😉
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Beautiful song. Thank you for reminding me of it. I listened while eating Blue Bunny ice cream and stimulated two senses at once. Do that sometime. It’s almost euphoric.
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I’m so glad you liked it … Blue Bunny ice cream, eh? I haven’t had that in ages!!! Hmmmm … might just be time for a bit of it, now that the weather is turning colder here! Enjoy your ice cream!
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Pingback: God Only Knows. |jilldennison.com | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal
Every once in a while there comes along a song perfect in content and delivery.
This is one of them.
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I’m so happy that you liked it! So … now you should go sing it to Sheila!!!
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Will do 🥰
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Xstraight pass.
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A beautiful song and a real pop classic. It seems we must be a bunch of heathens here, who had no qualms about buying it in our droves 😊
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Oh yes, a bunch of heathens indeed!!! I doubt anybody cared about the title, but I can understand why there might have been some trepidation. If it hadn’t been a ‘B-side’ here, it probably would have ranked much higher than #39! Glad you enjoyed it!
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It seems an odd choice, when the rest of the world opted for the other side. Great song, though!
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I think perhaps, given your response to today’s song, you should go back and listen to this one again, just to soothe your mind after Peabo Bryson!
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Jill, thanks for highlighting this one. Brian wanted Carl to sing it as his voice was “sweeter” than his. I don’t know why they thought no one would play this, as it is a common reference that many people used. It is not unlike someone saying “God love ‘em” when he or she are about to say something derogatory.
I do encourage folks to watch the biopic on Brian Wilson starring John Cusack as the older Brian and Paul Dano as the younger Brian. Carl and Brian’s second wife helped Brian regain guardianship of his own life from a manipulative psychologist. Keith
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, Keith! Sometimes people have a problem with the word ‘God’ being used outside of context, so I suppose that was the reason for the trepidation, but it certainly didn’t hold this song back!
I have that on my list to watch, but haven’t managed it yet. It definitely sounds interesting! Thanks!
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