"God Only Knows" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and complexity, unusual instrumentation, and subversion of typical popular music conventions, both lyrically and musically. It is often praised as one of the greatest songs of all time and as the Beach Boys' finest record.
Wilson produced the record between March and April 1966, enlisting about 20 session musicians who variously played drums, sleigh bells, paper orange juice cups, clarinets, flutes, strings, French horn, accordion, guitars, upright bass, harpsichord, and a tack piano with its strings taped. His brother Carl Wilson sang lead, a vocal performance that became regarded as Carl's best ever, with Brian himself and Bruce Johnston providing additional harmonies. The song ends with a series of repeating vocal rounds, another device that was uncommon for popular music of the era.
The song was issued as the B-side of ‘Wouldn't It Be Nice’ in July 1966 and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. In other countries, it was the single's A-side, reaching the top 10 in the UK, Canada, Norway, and the Netherlands.
Some commentators interpret "God Only Knows" as promoting suicidal ideations, although such an interpretation was not intended by the songwriters. Others have compared the song's advanced harmonic structure to the work of classical composers such as Delibes, Bach, and Stravinsky.
In later interviews, Wilson said that he wrote "God Only Knows" as an attempt to match the standard of the Beatles' album Rubber Soul (released in December 1965). In his recollection, he was under the influence of marijuana and was "so blown away" with the album that he sat at his piano and began writing the song. "It came from God through me," Wilson told Steve Baltin in the book Anthems We Love. "I was 24 when I wrote 'God Only Knows' and the rest of Pet Sounds. All I know is I wrote what was in my heart. And the lyrics and the music just connect with people."
At the time the song was written, referencing "God" in a title or lyric was generally considered a taboo for pop music, and there had been at least one recent instance of a record being banned from radio for having words such as "hell" or "damn". Asher said that he and Wilson had "lengthy conversations" about the lyric, "because unless you were Kate Smith and you were singing 'God Bless America', no one thought you could say 'God' in a song. ... He said, 'We'll just never get any air play.'" He believed that Wilson agreed to the title after being told by other people that it was "an opportunity to be really far out because it would cause some controversy, which he didn't mind."
Brian Wilson produced the song, but the only Beach Boy to play an instrument on the track is Carl Wilson, who added guitar. The group used session musicians at this time, and lots of them. Fortunately, the Los Angeles area where they recorded was home to some of the best. Brian Wilson planned to sing the lead vocal himself, but decided that his brother Carl was better suited for the track. "I was looking for a tenderness and a sweetness which I knew Carl had in himself as well as in his voice," said Brian.
Many songwriters, including Paul McCartney and Jimmy Webb, have cited "God Only Knows" as their personal favorite song. In 2004, it was ranked number 25 in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The song is featured at the end of the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually plus numerous other movies and TV shows. A star-packed rendition of "God Only Knows" was broadcast simultaneously across BBC television and radio channels on October 7, 2014 to launch BBC Music.
Label - Capitol
Songwriters – Brian Wilson, Tony Asher
Producer – Brian Wilson
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1: Carl Wilson]
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
[Refrain: Carl Wilson]
God only knows what I'd be without you
[Verse 2: Carl Wilson]
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?
[Refrain: Carl Wilson]
God only knows what I'd be without you
[Interlude: Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson, and Bruce Johnston]
Ooh, ooh
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Bow, buh-bow, buh-bow, buh-bow (Do, do, do, do)
Buh-bow, buh-bow, buh-bow (Do, do, do, do, do, do)
Buh-bow, buh-bow, buh-bow, buh-bow (Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do)
[Refrain: Carl Wilson]
God only knows what I'd be without you
[Verse 3: Carl Wilson]
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?
[Chorus: Carl Wilson]
God only knows what I'd be without you
[Outro: Carl Wilson with Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston]
God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows what I'd be without you
God only knows what I'd be without you (What I'd be)
God only knows what I'd be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I'd be without you (What I'd be)
God only knows what I'd be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I'd be without you (What I'd be)
God only knows what I'd be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I'd be without you (What I'd be)
God only knows what I'd be without you (God only knows)
God only knows what I'd be without you (What I'd be)
God only knows what I'd be without you (God only knows)