Brian Wilson cited the song as his attempt to capture the essence of his all-time favorite record, Be My Baby
Two great songs. Paul McCartney once said one of his all time favorite songs was “God only knows.” Hard to argue with Sir Paul.
I once saw an interview with Carl Wilson and, if memory serves, Carl said that when Brian Wilson handed him the lyrics to “God Only Knows” it blew him away and he was amazed that he was the one that got to sing it. Great, great song.