ows " ▁include ▁bar o que ▁rock , ▁bar o que ▁pop , ▁art ▁pop , ▁psych ed el ic ▁rock , ▁avant - pop , ▁and ▁experimental ▁pop . ▁Brian ▁Wilson ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁wrote ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁standard ▁of ▁the ▁Beat les ' ▁Rub ber ▁Soul ▁album , ▁which ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁In ▁his ▁re collection , ▁he ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁mar iju ana ▁and ▁was ▁" so ▁blow n ▁away " ▁with ▁the ▁album ▁that ▁he ▁sat ▁at ▁his ▁piano ▁and ▁began ▁writing ▁the ▁song . ▁ ▁The ▁composition ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁harm onic ▁s oph istic ation ▁and ▁extensive ▁use ▁of ▁invert ed ▁ch ords , ▁including ▁third ▁in versions ▁such ▁as ▁B 7 / A . ▁The ▁first ▁ch ord ▁of ▁the ▁verse ▁( D ▁major / A ) ▁is ▁a ▁non - di at onic ▁ch ord . ▁The ▁t onic ▁ch ord ▁( E ▁major ) ▁usually ▁only ▁appears ▁with ▁the ▁major ▁ 3 rd ▁or ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁in ▁the ▁bass . ▁The ▁entire ▁verse ▁pro gression ▁sounds ▁rest less ▁and ▁ambigu ous , ▁until ▁the ▁line ▁" G od ▁only ▁knows ▁what ▁I ' d ▁be ▁without ▁you " ▁when ▁the ▁ch ord ▁pro gression ▁finally ▁reaches ▁a ▁clear ▁goal ▁( A – E / G – F m 7 – E ). ▁This ▁has ▁been ▁c ited ▁by ▁music olog ists ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁example ▁of