11. God Only Knows The Beach Boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMyS78o5YI This has one of the most cleverly deceptive opening lines of all time, starting with the slightly resigned "I may not always love you..." but just hold on a second, line two actually shows that that the writer is merely playing us "...But long as there are stars above you, you never need to doubt it." Arguably the stand out song from their masterwork 'Pet Sounds', 'God only knows' is completely removed from their original surfer vibe and shows what a masterful storyteller Brian Wilson is. This is simply a wonderful story of love, devotion and humility and belongs to the ranks of songs that have been so overplayed that people forget how special and spiritual it is. But this is a masterclass in telling a story of an amazing love, so give it another try and marvel at its wonder. The refrain at the end of the song shows the singer lost for words in love, a song that could be song by teenage lovers as well as those in their hundreds. Simply wonderful, breathtaking, insert your own superlative. But most importantly, never forget how good this song is.
Ed Nash
Contributor
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash
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