Sunday September 26, 2021 “God Only Knows” Beach Boys
One last dive into the RS 500 Best Songs for the number eleven song “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys.
“It’s very emotional, always a bit of a choker with me,” said Paul McCartney of this Pet Sounds ballad with music and production by Brian Wilson and the lyrics written by Tony Asher, a frequent Brian Wilson collaborator. The night McCartney and John Lennon first heard Pet Sounds, at a London party, they wrote “Here, There and Everywhere,” which was influenced by “God Only Knows.”
Carl Wilson’s understated lead vocal is note-perfect, but it’s the arrangement of horns, sleigh bells, strings, and accordion that gives “God” its heavenly feel. Brian Wilson was fascinated by spirituality and said this song came out of prayer sessions in the studio. “We made it a religious ceremony,” he said of recording Pet Sounds. The only problem was the use of the word “God” in the title which scared off some radio programmers.
Perhaps as a result it only just crept into the top 40 in the US but was otherwise a top ten hit internationally.
Stay safe and well...and just what is Mike Love doing in this video? Oh yeah, he seems to simply be wearing a hat, and that appears to be his sole contribution to the song