The Beach Boys were among the most influential bands of the 1960s. The group revolutionized popular music with their inventive sound and infectious lyrics. While other popular bands of the time, like their rival The Beatles, integrated fusions of rock, pop, and experimental styles from the United Kingdom, The Beach Boys alternately combined impeccable harmonies with California’s surf culture into the forefront of music with hits like “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice“. Although the group never formally broke up, the popular band slowly deteriorated after several departures and tragedies, leaving active members Mike Love and Bruce Johnston to carry on the legacy. Recently, the music world was left shocked following the passing of former Beach Boys lead vocalist Brian Wilson, who died following a lengthy battle with an illness. However, despite the tragic incident, The Beach Boys’ legacy continues to live on in the hearts and minds of fans and music lovers around the world. None more so than what is arguably their most beautiful song ever, “God Only Knows”.
One Of The Beach Boys’ Greatest Hits Was God Only Knows
In February 2024, Rolling Stone Magazine published a comprehensive list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. Coming in at #11 was The Beach Boys’ classic 1966 hit “God Only Knows.” The nearly two-minute and fifty-four-second-long single was off their critically acclaimed eleventh studio album, Pet Sounds. The single was written, produced, and composed by the group’s co-founder, the late Brian Wilson, and acclaimed songwriter Tony Asher. At the time of its release, it made waves in the music industry for mentioning God in a love song, which was uncommon in the era.
While there have been many interpretations of the song over the years, some note that the deeply profound lyrics “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? God only knows what I’d be without you”, as reflecting Wilson’s tortured mental state at the time. On the surface, at least, it tells the story of a complicated love between a man and a woman. Band member Carl Wilson also elaborated on part of the inspiration of the song, shortly after its release, stating, “At present, our influences are of a religious nature—not any specific religion, but an idea based upon that of universal consciousness.” Not only does the single remain one of the Beach Boys’ most beloved and masterful tracks (which The Beatles member Paul McCartney revealed reduced him to tears when he first heard it), but it also solidified them as one of the greatest bands ever when it was first released.
The Beach Boys Song No One Expected to Become Their Greatest — and Why It’s Now Their Most Covered Classic
It’s the love song of the century.
The Beach Boys’ “Sail On, Sailor” Was a Flop Before It Later Became Known as a Classic
Another great and interesting The Beach Boys’ tune is, “Sail On, Sailor”, which has been gaining more traction in recent years for being out of the norm for their typical laid-back, good-vibe sound. The nearly 3-minute, 22-second song was featured on The Beach Boys’ 1973 album Holland. The song, which was co-written by Brian Wilson, was quite an unusual one, in part due to Blondie Chaplin singing lead vocals instead of main lead vocalists, like Love and Wilson.
Although this single was also not a commercial success compared to some of the band’s other songs (it peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard singles chart at the time of its release), it has since gained more recognition for its somber lyrics and mellow tune, which consists of the following:
I sailed an ocean, unsettled ocean
Through restful waters and deep commotion
Often frightened, unenlightened
Sail on, sail on, sailor
I wrest the waters, fight Neptune’s waters
Sail through the sorrows of life’s marauders
Unrepenting, often empty
Sail on, sail on, sailor
Caught like a sewer rat, alone, but I sail
Bought like a crust of bread, but oh, do I wail
Seldom stumble, never crumble
Try to tumble, life’s a rumble
Feel the stinging I’ve been given
Never-ending, unrelenting
Heartbreak searing, always fearing
Never caring, persevering
Sail on, sail on, sailor
Although the track has become a recent topic of debate with fans, the late Brian Wilson stated years later, following the song’s release, “It’s the only song that we did that I absolutely do not like at all. I never liked ‘Sail On, Sailor’.”