Todays song of the day is God Only Knows. God Only Knows is a 1966 song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the groups 11th studio album, Pet Sounds, and one of their most widely recognized songs. God Only Knows was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl Wilson. As writer, producer, and arranger, Brian Wilson used many unorthodox instruments, including the French horns and accordions that are heard in the songs famous introduction. Brian Wilson has explained that some of the melody in God Only Knows was inspired by the 1965 song You Didnt Have to Be So Nice by the Lovin Spoonful. The song is reputed for its complexity, and is in the form of ABCBCDECBC. The verses make extensive use of inverted chords. The first chord (D major/A) is a non-diatonic chord. Every time the tonic chord (E major) occurs, it’s in its most unstable inversion, with the 5th in the bass. The entire verse progression sounds restless, insecure, and looking for a direction, which is representative of the lyrical themes. With the line God only knows what Id be without you the chord progression finally displays confidence, moving to a clear harmonic goal (A—E/G#—F#m7—E). This has been cited by musicologists as a good example of how lyrical meaning can be supported and enhanced by a chord progression—along with the melody hook which also provides an example of a sense of increasing melodic energy that comes by way of the gradually ascending line. The song is told from the point of view of a man or woman contemplating life after death to his/her lover, as Tony Asher describes, Ill love you till the sun burns out, then Im gone, ergo Im gonna love you forever. Wilson has said that he initially hated the opening line of the song as it was too negative. He eventually gave in after hearing the subsequent lyrics.[4] Asher describes his interpretation: “ This is the one [song] that I thought would be a hit record because it was so incredibly beautiful. I was concerned that maybe the lyrics werent up to the same level as the music; how many love songs start off with the line, I may not always love you? I liked that twist, and fought to start the song that way. Working with Brian, I didnt have a whole lot of fighting to do, but I was certainly willing to fight to the end for that. [...] God Only Knows is, to me, one of the great songs of our time. I mean the great songs. Not because I wrote the lyrics, but because it is an amazing piece of music that we were able to write a very compelling lyric to. Its the simplicity—the inference that I am who I am because of you—that makes it very personal and tender. ” God Only Knows was one of the first pop songs to use the word God in its title, a decision that Wilson and Asher agonized over, fearing it would not get airplay as a result. As Brians former wife Marilyn describes, The first time I heard it, Brian played it for me at the piano. And I went, Oh my God, hes talking about God in a record. It was pretty daring to me. And it was another time I thought to myself, Oh, boy, hes really taking a chance. I thought it was almost too religious. Too square. At that time. Yes, it was so great that he would say it and not be intimidated by what anybody else would think of the words or what he meant. Tony Asher also explains that he and Brian had lengthy conversations during the writing of God Only Knows, because unless you were Kate Smith and you were singing God Bless America, no one thought you could say God in a song. No one had done it, and Brian didnt want to be the first person to try it. He said, Well just never get any air play. Isnt it amazing that we thought that? But it worked. Wilson explains that although he feared putting the word God in the title of the song, he eventually agreed to keep it. He explains[where?] that he agreed to keep the word God in the title firstly, because God was a spiritual word, and secondly, because Brian and The Beach Boys would be breaking ground. Cover versions of the song have been recorded by numerous artists, including Elvis Costello with the Brodsky Quartet, Jars of Clay, Glen Campbell, Jack Jones, Claudine Longet, Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, David Bowie, Olivia Newton-John, Captain & Tennille, Athlete, Jonatha Brooke, Natalie Maines, Rivers Cuomo, Judie Tzuke, among others. 1968 - P. P. Arnold recorded the song for her second LP Kafunta. 1975 - The Shadows did an instrumental version of the song on the album Specs Appeal. 1976 - A Spanish version of the song by Captain & Tennille entitled Lo Sabe Dios is included on their Por Amor Viviremos album. 1984 - David Bowie recorded a version for his album Tonight. 1991 - A Spanish version by Charly García and Pedro Aznar is included in their album 1994- Justin Hayward did a cover on his Classic Blue album Tango 4. 2002 - Brian Wilson also released a live CD version of Pet Sounds entitled Pet Sounds Live which featured God Only Knows. 2004 - The film Saved! features a version by the films star Mandy Moore over the opening credits, and a duet of the song by Moore and Michael Stipe (one of the films producers) over the end credits. 2005 - Joss Stone recorded a version for a CD produced by Gap, on which various artists sang their own favorite songs. 2009 - Helen Reddy released a version of the song as a single available on iTunes. Reddys version was originally supposed to be included on her 1971 debut album I Dont Know How to Love Him, but was not chosen for inclusion on the album. The main character from Skins series 1 (Tony) also covers this song. Natalie Mainess version of the song is produced by Rick Rubin and appears on the series finale of the HBO series Big Love. There is another live version of this song on Al Jardines solo album, Live in Las Vegas, which has lead vocals by Brian Wilsons daughter Carnie Wilson. Lyrics: I may not always love you But long as there are stars above you Thered be no need to doubt it Ill make you so sure about it God only knows what I feel about you If you should ever leave me My 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 feel about you
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 18:36:11 +0000
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