I may not always love you.
That’s an odd opening for a love song. And not just any love song, but one of the most beautiful love songs out there. God Only Knows follows up that first shaky line with But as long as there are stars above you, you’ll never need to doubt it. I’ll make you so sure about it. God only knows what I’d be without you.
Now, that’s the making of a great love song.
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys had stopped touring with the group following a breakdown in 1964. This did not stop his songwriting. If anything, it increased his output while upping the quality of his music. He had listened to The Beatles Rubber Soul album in 1965 and was fired up with a competitive spirit to try and do them one better. Hence the concept behind the album Pet Sounds. Like Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds shook the music world, and changed things forever.
Whole books have been written on Pet Sounds, so I won’t go on about the album, but the mid 1960’s were an amazing time for music, with The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Frank Zappa . . .
Let’s look at God Only Knows again. (It was on the album Pet Sounds.) It was written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher in about 45 minutes. They debated the verse a lot in the course of that time. God was simply not mentioned in pop music. They were concerned that this would cause part of their audience to turn away from them. But, ultimately, they decided that the phrase God Only Knows was generic enough to allow them to use it in this fashion. (Among the odd instrumentation on this song: someone playing plastic orange juice cups!)
That first verse and very short chorus:
I may not always love you
But as long as there are stars above you
You’ll never need to doubt it,
I’ll make you so sure about it
(chorus)
God only knows what I’d be without you.
This is a song about a deep and enduring love. I’ve read theories about this being a co-dependent relationship, and I honestly don’t see where they are coming from. I have also read that this in a pro-suicide song. And if you squint really hard, I can see that one, based on the second verse. But, if that is true, then the greater majority of love songs are pro-suicide.
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?
(chorus)
God only knows what I’d be without you.
The third verse is pretty much a repeat of the second. The fact that the second line says that life would still go on, to me belies the suicide concept.
The brilliant and funny Tim Minchin wrote in this love song (If I Didn’t Have You) to his wife:
But with all my heart and all my mind
I know one thing is true.
I have just one life and just one love.
And my love, that love is you,
And if it wasn’t for you
Darling, you.
I really think that I would
Possibly
Have somebody else.
I guess this song kind of answers the question: God only knows what I’d be without you.
Do you have any stories about God Only Knows? The Beach Boys? Have you ever heard of Tim Minchin? Let me know in the comment below. I’ll be playing some of my favorite versions of this song on my Minnich Music FaceBook page this week, so be sure to check them out.
Until next time!
That’s an odd opening for a love song. And not just any love song, but one of the most beautiful love songs out there. God Only Knows follows up that first shaky line with But as long as there are stars above you, you’ll never need to doubt it. I’ll make you so sure about it. God only knows what I’d be without you.
Now, that’s the making of a great love song.
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys had stopped touring with the group following a breakdown in 1964. This did not stop his songwriting. If anything, it increased his output while upping the quality of his music. He had listened to The Beatles Rubber Soul album in 1965 and was fired up with a competitive spirit to try and do them one better. Hence the concept behind the album Pet Sounds. Like Rubber Soul, Pet Sounds shook the music world, and changed things forever.
Whole books have been written on Pet Sounds, so I won’t go on about the album, but the mid 1960’s were an amazing time for music, with The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Frank Zappa . . .
Let’s look at God Only Knows again. (It was on the album Pet Sounds.) It was written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher in about 45 minutes. They debated the verse a lot in the course of that time. God was simply not mentioned in pop music. They were concerned that this would cause part of their audience to turn away from them. But, ultimately, they decided that the phrase God Only Knows was generic enough to allow them to use it in this fashion. (Among the odd instrumentation on this song: someone playing plastic orange juice cups!)
That first verse and very short chorus:
I may not always love you
But as long as there are stars above you
You’ll never need to doubt it,
I’ll make you so sure about it
(chorus)
God only knows what I’d be without you.
This is a song about a deep and enduring love. I’ve read theories about this being a co-dependent relationship, and I honestly don’t see where they are coming from. I have also read that this in a pro-suicide song. And if you squint really hard, I can see that one, based on the second verse. But, if that is true, then the greater majority of love songs are pro-suicide.
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?
(chorus)
God only knows what I’d be without you.
The third verse is pretty much a repeat of the second. The fact that the second line says that life would still go on, to me belies the suicide concept.
The brilliant and funny Tim Minchin wrote in this love song (If I Didn’t Have You) to his wife:
But with all my heart and all my mind
I know one thing is true.
I have just one life and just one love.
And my love, that love is you,
And if it wasn’t for you
Darling, you.
I really think that I would
Possibly
Have somebody else.
I guess this song kind of answers the question: God only knows what I’d be without you.
Do you have any stories about God Only Knows? The Beach Boys? Have you ever heard of Tim Minchin? Let me know in the comment below. I’ll be playing some of my favorite versions of this song on my Minnich Music FaceBook page this week, so be sure to check them out.
Until next time!
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