John Sebastian "inspired" God Only Knows?!

[busy doin nothin]

Apologies because I'm sure this has been covered before, but --

In Brian's '91 autobio, he states (p.138) that God Only Knows was "inspired by the melody of a John Sebastian song I'd been listening to."

But he never identifies the song!

Has this song ever been identified?  I assume this detail isn't something Todd Gold would have made up, is it?

[Jon Stebbins]

Apologies because I'm sure this has been covered before, but --

In Brian's '91 autobio, he states (p.138) that God Only Knows was "inspired by the melody of a John Sebastian song I'd been listening to."

But he never identifies the song!

Has this song ever been identified?  I assume this detail isn't something Todd Gold would have made up, is it?

Brian just pulls stuff like that out of thin air all the time and you've gotta take it with a grain of salt. But if it is to be believed then consider this...God Only Knows was written near the time the first 2 Lovin' Spoonful LP's were a hit. There is a similarity melodically to Daydream and a small part of God Only Knows...but I wouldn't give this too much weight.

[busy doin nothin]

Thanks, Jon.  Typical Brian, I guess.  Most rock stars are loath to admit when they've ripped someone else off -- but here's Brian giving credit to someone else where it's not even due!

[Dancing Bear]

what a day for a daydream...
God only knows what...
I need to laugh and when the sun is out...

I think Brian and McCartney were inspired by Sebastian's style.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

It doesn't take much to inspire, you know.

[donald]

You didn't have to be so nice........

[endofposts]

Maybe the guitar riff that opens  and continues throughout "Daydream" inspired it?   The rhythm and tempo are similar to GOK, but maybe not the melody.