Artist: The Beach Boys Song: God Only Knows (listen)
Album: Pet Sounds (buy)
Alright now don’t get ideas from this song review, for the most part I do think The Beach Boys are rubbish but this song caught me off guard. Maybe the fact that we finally have a hint of sunshine in England has somehow over romanticised this song for me or maybe it has made the idea of a band calling themselves ‘Beach Boys” not entirely ridiculous. No I take that back. It’s still a terrible name. NEVERTHELESS, this blog is about championing all amazing musical things, no matter how much of a guilty pleasure they may be.
I even have things that I plain just don’t like about this song. I massively dislike the fact that every time I hear the intro I expect to see the rolling hills of English countryside at the beginning of some Emmerdale-esque soap opera. Then there’s the fact that the opening verse seems to just contradict itself by first saying ‘I may not always love you’, but then later saying ‘You’ll never need to doubt it’. C’mon Carl (or whoever’s singing the version you’re listening to), if you really are as devoted to this girl as you’re claiming to be, you better stop giving her those kind of bizarre mixed signals.
Anyway...I do actually like this song I swear. I think the summer air has helped because it has dispelled enough of the misanthrope in me that would brush this off a mushy crap and instead made me appreciate the beautiful simplicity of it. In this song the harmonies of the 4 guys compliment perfectly to truly project the emotions being felt in a way that is sometimes lost when others attempt to romanticise their music. It’s something that everyone can identify with as well, the feeling that you are at a complete loss without a certain person in your life. I think it’s when you can relate this song to a particular person that you can develop a whole new appreciation.
It’s also a perfect relaxation song. Put it on when you’re restless or hungover and it’ll sooth your cares away. Close your eyes and let the gentleness of song really get to you and it momentarily makes you forget your head is spinning and your mouth tastes of sick. See? Well probably not since I imagine you’re not reading this hungover.
Listen to it, try to ignore the fact it’s the Beach Boys, try to ignore how overly soppy it is and just appreciate it as one of the truly great romantic melodies.
Yours blissfully,
JoewMo
p.s. What’s with the title? “God Only Knows”, if God does exist I doubt he’s wasting his omniscience purely contemplating how important some girl is to you. Shouldn’t it be “Only God Knows”, but then from a non-grammar nazi perspective that does sound a bit God-y. Always bugged me.
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