ized ▁over , ▁fear ing ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁get ▁air play ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁As ▁Wilson ' s ▁then - w ife ▁Mar il yn ▁describes , ▁ ▁Ash er ▁explains ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁Wilson ▁had ▁" length y ▁convers ations " ▁about ▁it , ▁" because ▁unless ▁you ▁were ▁Kate ▁Smith ▁and ▁you ▁were ▁singing ▁' G od ▁B less ▁America ', ▁no ▁one ▁thought ▁you ▁could ▁say ▁" G od " ▁in ▁a ▁song . ▁No ▁one ▁had ▁done ▁it , ▁and ▁Brian ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁to ▁try ▁it . ▁He ▁said , ▁' We ' ll ▁just ▁never ▁get ▁any ▁air ▁play .' ▁Isn ' t ▁it ▁amaz ing ▁that ▁we ▁thought ▁that ?" ▁Wilson ▁stated ▁that ▁although ▁he ▁fe ared ▁putting ▁the ▁word ▁" G od " ▁in ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁the ▁song , ▁he ▁eventually ▁agreed ▁to ▁keep ▁it , ▁first ly , ▁" because ▁God ▁was ▁a ▁spiritual ▁word ", ▁and ▁second ly , ▁because ▁the ▁Beach ▁Boys ▁would ▁" be ▁breaking ▁ground ". ▁ ▁Spirit ual ▁sentiment ▁ ▁Music ▁journalist ▁Jim ▁De R og atis ▁states ▁that , ▁as ▁was ▁common ▁in ▁psych ed el ic ▁rock , ▁the ▁spiritual ▁inv oc ations ▁in ▁" G od ▁Only ▁Kn ows " ▁express ▁non - specific ▁sent iments ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁addressed ▁to ▁any ▁higher ▁force , ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" less ▁of ▁a ▁prayer ▁than ▁a ▁sensitive ▁med itation ▁about ▁moving ▁forward ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁loss ".