▁hearing ▁the ▁subsequent ▁lyr ics . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Brian ▁said ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁one ▁particular ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁written ▁for . ▁ ▁F us illi ▁ext rap ol ated ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁" a ▁m ature ▁pro clam ation ▁of ▁love ▁and ▁a ▁des perate ▁ple a . ▁And ▁it ' s ▁a ▁dist ill ation ▁of ▁what ▁much ▁of ▁Pet ▁S ounds ▁is ▁about : ▁the ▁sense ▁that ▁if ▁we ▁surrender ▁to ▁an ▁all - consum ing ▁love , ▁we ▁will ▁never ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁live ▁without ▁it . ▁And , ▁though ▁we ' re ▁uncertain ▁that ▁the ▁reward ▁is ▁worth ▁the ▁risk , ▁we ▁year n ▁to ▁surrender ." ▁F us illi ▁also ▁noted ▁a ▁closing ▁phrase ▁Wilson ▁had ▁once ▁written ▁to ▁his ▁wife ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 : ▁" Y ours ▁' til ▁God ▁wants ▁us ▁apart ." ▁James ▁Per one ▁wrote : ▁" Wh ile ▁Wilson ' s ▁character ▁may ▁indeed ▁be ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁the ▁woman ▁to ▁whom ▁he ▁s ings , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁hint ▁that ▁part ▁of ▁this ▁' lo ve ' ▁may ▁be ▁self - ser ving ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁cycle ▁of ▁code p endency ." ▁Ash er ▁denied ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁all ud ed ▁to ▁suic ide . ▁He ▁describes ▁his ▁interpretation : ▁ ▁" G od ▁Only ▁Kn ows " ▁is ▁frequently ▁c ited ▁for ▁referencing ▁" G od " ▁in ▁its ▁title , ▁a ▁decision ▁that ▁Wilson ▁and ▁Ash er ▁ag on