▁Brian ▁described ▁his ▁band mate ▁and ▁younger ▁brother ▁Carl ▁Wilson ▁as ▁" the ▁most ▁truly ▁religious ▁person ▁I ▁know ", ▁and ▁Carl ▁was ▁forth coming ▁about ▁the ▁group ' s ▁spiritual ▁belief s ▁stating : ▁" We ▁believe ▁in ▁God ▁as ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁universal ▁conscious ness . ▁God ▁is ▁love . ▁God ▁is ▁you . ▁God ▁is ▁me . ▁God ▁is ▁everything ▁right ▁here ▁in ▁this ▁room . ▁ ▁It ' s ▁a ▁spiritual ▁concept ▁which ▁insp ires ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁our ▁music ." ▁Gil ▁writes : ▁" It ’ s ▁a ▁love ▁song , ▁yes , ▁but ▁again , ▁echo ing ▁its ▁classical ▁for eb ears , ▁there ▁is ▁something ▁not ▁quite ▁sec ular ▁about ▁it . ▁Yes , ▁' G od ▁Only ▁Kn ows ' ▁is ▁a ▁common , ▁cas ual ▁phrase , ▁but ▁in ▁this ▁context ▁it ▁feels ▁much ▁more ▁literal ." ▁ ▁Rec ording ▁and ▁production ▁ ▁The ▁instrument al ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁recorded ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁at ▁United ▁Western ▁Record ers , ▁Hollywood , ▁California , ▁with ▁the ▁session ▁engine ered ▁by ▁Ch uck ▁Brit z ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁Brian ▁Wilson . ▁The ▁instrument al ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁took ▁ 2 0 ▁takes ▁to ▁achieve ▁what ▁is ▁the ▁master ▁take ▁of ▁the ▁song . ▁Pres ent ▁on ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁instrument al ▁recording ▁was ▁Carl ▁on ▁twelve - string ▁guitar ▁among ▁other ▁session ▁mus icians ▁collect ively ▁known ▁as ▁The ▁W reck ing