# Beach Boys' God Only Knows - performed by today's biggest celebrities for Children In Need charity **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753 "2014-10-08T13:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/1 "2014-10-08T13:29:38Z")
It’s well intentioned and for a great cause. I’ve seen projects like this done much better. [USA for Africa - We are the World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9BNoNFKCBI) for example is the gold standard. They actually sing together in harmony. Beautiful song. I’m puzzled why they never actually sing the Beach Boy Song. They just sing the one line over and over again. It’s never sung in harmony either. Just individual voices with visual effects. > **[One Direction lead host of 27 artists for new Children In Need track](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2784444/One-Direction-join-Pharrell-Kylie-Minogue-Chris-Martin-Children-Need.html)** > > One Direction have joined forces with some of pop's biggest names for the new Children In Need track. I’m curious how others liked it. I admire the desire to help the Children in Need charity. I just wish a genuine music production had been done. Heres the original [God Only Knows.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPy18xW1j8) > [@](#): > > The chart-topping boy-band are accompanied by the likes of Pharrell Williams, Kylie Minogue and Queen’s Brian May on a charity reworking of the Beach Boys’ 1966 classic God Only Knows. > > Dubbed The Impossible Orchestra, the collaborative effort was premiered in a unique pan-broadcasting moment on Tuesday when all of the BBC’s TV, radio and online channels premiered the track at 8pm, to officially launch BBC Music. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/2 "2014-10-08T13:36:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Beautiful song. All personal taste. I think “We Are the World” is a schmaltzy pile of poo. The BBC did it a while back with “Perfect Day”. It was probably better than “God Only Knows”, but like “God Only Knows” it was actually a good song in the first place. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WJpQJWpVJds/hqdefault.jpg "Perfect Day - BBC promotion") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJpQJWpVJds) ---
**Author:** ![miffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@miffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miffy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/3 "2014-10-09T13:40:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m puzzled why they never actually sing the Beach Boy Song. They just sing the one line over and over again. It’s never sung in harmony either. Just individual voices with visual effects. > [One Direction join Pharrell, Kylie Minogue and Chris Martin for Children In Need | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2784444/One-Direction-lead-star-studded-Impossible-Orchestra-line-including-Pharrell-Williams-Elton-John-Kylie-Minogue-new-Children-In-Need-track.html) They don’t sing the whole Beach Boys song because this wasn’t recorded as a charity single, but as a promotion for the new BBC Music initiative. The song is available to buy, with money going to Children in Need, because the BBC anticipated that people would want to listen to the “song” again, and decided that they could raise some money at the same time. [Stars Unite for BBCMusic collaboration.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29519065) When the BBC recorded their promo video using Perfect Day a few years back, they didn’t originally release the track as a single, but subesquently did so, with the money going to Children in Need, due to public demand ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/4 "2014-10-09T13:53:51Z")
> [@miffy](#): > > When the BBC recorded their promo video using Perfect Day a few years back I though it was a few years ago,too. It was 1997. That’s 14 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/5 "2014-10-09T13:58:23Z")
I was thinking 1997 was 14 years ago, too. But that was a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/6 "2014-10-09T15:55:04Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > [USA for Africa - We are the World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9BNoNFKCBI) for example is the gold standard. Au contraire, mon frère: Band Aid’s “[Do They Know It’s Christmas?](http://youtu.be/bjQzJAKxTrE)” is both the original and the gold standard. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/7 "2014-10-09T16:29:09Z")
Why do you think they don’t actually sing the song? Apart from not doing the repeat of the second verse, it’s very close to the original arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/8 "2014-10-09T16:37:33Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Au contraire, mon frère: Band Aid’s “[Do They Know It’s Christmas?](http://youtu.be/bjQzJAKxTrE)” is both the original and the gold standard. You’re both wrong - those are terrible songs (“Thank God it’s them instead of you”?). The gold standard is [Sun City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMdYpnVOGQ). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/9 "2014-10-09T16:41:55Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Au contraire, mon frère: Band Aid’s “[Do They Know It’s Christmas?](http://youtu.be/bjQzJAKxTrE)” is both the original and the gold standard. Is that the one that was supposed to raise money for African Christians? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/10 "2014-10-09T17:36:54Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > You’re both wrong - those are terrible songs (“Thank God it’s them instead of you”?). Taking that lyric at face value? Really? :dubious: > [@](#): > > The gold standard is [Sun City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMdYpnVOGQ). Definitely a great song, but I maintain that “Do They Know…” is the gold standard because it was first (while also being a great song :p). > [@Alessan](#): > > Is that the one that was supposed to raise money for African Christians? I’m not sure what you’re referring to. [Band Aid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_Aid_(band)) was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in Ethiopia. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/11 "2014-10-09T17:39:35Z")
There’s a lot of snark on the Internet and a couple fo shows this has been featured about how old Brian Wilson looks. He really doesn’t. He’s 72 and looks 72 in ‘people’ years as opposed to celebrity years (the pulled back skydiver face and dyed hair we’re used to), and considering his life he looks pretty good. I liked the remake, but my favorite use of the song is the opening credits of BIG LOVE. (Would link but can’t access YouTube at the moment.) ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/12 "2014-10-09T17:51:17Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Taking that lyric at face value? Really? :dubious: No, I take it as a terrible lyric that is possibly the dumbest expression of what they were trying to say in a song full of terrible (and condescending) lyrics. > [@Misnomer](#): > > Definitely a great song, but I maintain that “Do They Know…” is the gold standard because it was first (while also being a great song :p). As always, it’s a matter of taste - it would have to be a lot better than it is for me to consider it the gold standard just because it was first. > [@Misnomer](#): > > I’m not sure what you’re referring to. [Band Aid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_Aid_(band)) was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in Ethiopia. It certainly made the Ethiopian warlords much wealthier. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beach-boys-god-only-knows-performed-by-todays-biggest-celebrities-for-children-in-need-charity/700753/13 "2014-10-09T22:19:11Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > No, I take it as a terrible lyric that is possibly the dumbest expression of what they were trying to say in a song full of terrible (and condescending) lyrics. 😕 It was saying that you should think yourself lucky that you aren’t in their position and that you should hand over some cash. Definitely a good song, certainly better that the “we are the world” barf-fest. But to be honest, the best song of that ilk should have been UB40’s “[food for thought](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXWBeWf185E)”. Made the point far more viciously than any of the others (and five years earlier) and the lyrics are anything but condescending. > [@](#): > > Skin and bones is creeping, doesn’t know he’s dead. > Ancient eyes are peeping, from his infant head. > Politician’s argue sharpening their knives. > Drawing up their Bargains, trading baby lives. As for “God only knows”…christ knows why. Pretty dreadful, they have to shove a fucking opera singer in there for some reason. That’ll help. When I listen to Puccini I always think to myself “you know what? there’s just not enough Mark E. Smith in this” Typical celebrity self-congratulatory ego-trip that will be polluting my airwaves ad-nauseum from now till christmas.