"God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the group's 11th studio album, Pet Sounds (1966), and one of their most widely recognized songs. "God Only Knows" was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl Wilson. The song broke new ground in many ways. It was one of the first commercial songs to use the word 'God' in its title. As producer, Brian Wilson used many unorthodox instruments, including the French horns that are heard in the song's famous introduction.