God Only Knows by The Beach Boys is in my top 3 list of all-time favorite songs. I love everything about it. The harmonies. The lyrics. The sound.
But it wasn’t until after lead singer Brian Wilson’s death that I learned something that gave it even deeper meaning: it was written as a love song for Wilson’s brother, Carl. That revelation really struck me. It reframed the song I had always thought of as a romantic ballad into a profound expression of familial love and emotional vulnerability. Wow! I also learned something new when I texted the family chat that Brian Wilson had passed early this year. My dad’s response was so sweet, “If not for the Beach Boys influence on me, most of you would not be here! I would probably not have been surfing and never met your mother.”
Growing up, The Beach Boys and The Beatles produced the soundtrack of my childhood—thanks to our dad, a devoted fan of both. Dad especially admired the artistry of Brian Wilson. And now, I understand why. Brian Wilson’s genius inspired so many musicians. (Did you know The Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds was the inspiration for Sgt. Pepper?) After producing hit after hit that embodied the “California sound,” and spawned a whole new generation of surfers like my dad. Brian came off the road to create music that pushed the envelope into experimental territory. Others in the band originally rejected Brian’s new sound, wanting instead to stick with the surf music that had defined them. They felt Brian’s new music was far “too deep.” But Brian persisted. He wanted to grow musically and spread love, and that he did through the production of Pet Sounds and singles like God Only Knows.
What would the music world be like if Brian hadn’t pushed that envelope and given us songs and lyrics that still spread love, encouraged us to take up hobbies, AND still move us over 50 years later?
What music has become the soundtrack of your life? What evokes memories, stirs emotions, and reminds you of what really matters, like family?
Thank you, Brian, for the music. Your genius is deeply missed, but your legacy plays on.