This 1966 Masterpiece From The Beach Boys Brings Paul McCartney To Tears Every Time He Hears It
Whether as a part of the Beatles or flying solo, Paul McCartney knows a thing or two about writing a moving number. However, even he gets hit in the feels whenever a certain song hits the airwaves. The special track in question is the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows."
Released as a single from the 1966 album "Pet Sounds," McCartney admitted, "'God Only Knows' is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it," McCartney told BBC Radio 1. "It's really just a love song, but it's brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian [Wilson]. I've actually performed it with him and I'm afraid to say that during the sound check, I broke down."
It's a massive show of respect from McCartney to the Beach Boys, though it shouldn't be all too surprising for anyone who followed the bands. The Beatles and Beach Boys had a friendly rivalry, since both groups surfaced in the early '60s and had a generation obsessed with their music. Despite competing for the same audience, they found musical influence from each other and channeled that into becoming better performers with their respective bands.
Paul McCartney opened up about performing with Brian Wilson
Speaking to the Rolling Stones' guitarist Ronnie Wood on "The Ronnie Wood Show," Paul McCartney reiterated how emotional he got singing "God Only Knows" with the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson during the sound check for the Adopt-a-Minefield charity in 2002. "[I]t's very emotional, this song," McCartney said. "And I was thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm singing it with Brian.' It just got me. I couldn't do it."
The former member of the Beatles showered further praise on "God Only Knows" as being an example of the power of music to connect on a deeper level. "All it is, it's little vibrations reaching your heart," he said. "Music, you know, it's only little vibrations, little words and little things, that has this powerful effect."
Despite McCartney declaring it his "favorite Beach Boys song," "God Only Knows" is actually a classic rock track that deserved to go to No. 1, but it never did. In fact, it only peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, while other singles off "Pet Sounds," such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B," charted much higher. Once again, it proves that chart performance isn't often the best indicator of a song's true staying power and influence.