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Discuss :)

This song makes me happy. Any information or history on it is greatly appreciated.

Well it's a great song that is overlooked even by fans of the album. Brian and Carl are in steller vocal form and I think it's the first time you can hear Carl's voice really getting lower and more adult.

I've always loved it too, and in case you don't know, I hesitate to mention it but there is an instrumental track with some backing vocals on some (ahem) "unofficial" releases which features a lovely bit at the end which was cut (or buried completely in the mix) from the released version, with the lyric "love you baby, and I can tell you that-a our sweet love is, just like a-honey, our sweet looove". I love to sing that part every time when I listen to the song now, it's really "sweet". :)

Incredible song.love it. production is stunning

never seems to get much of a mention from anyone

One of my favourite from Sunflower, also one of the great love songs of all time IMO.

Carl's vocal and the production  :grouphug.

I'm glad it was included on summer love songs, great choice there.

Everything's perfect about this song, in fact I might even prefer it over "Forever". Love that little tambourine hit at the end, by the way.

Do we know who mainly handled production duties on this one? Carl?

everyone always gives this crap for being a 're-write of God Only Knows'

"Our Sweet Love" is really good. Beautiful arrangement, tasteful lyrics, and a most gorgeous lead by Carl.

There are quite a few obvious similarities between the two, wouldn't you agree? (Mind you, for me that doesn't detract from OSL's overall greatness.) It is, however, far more relaxed than "God Only Knows" and that's part of what makes it so special. "Our Sweet Love" would have been out of place on Pet Sounds as it definitely lacks that album's deep melancholy.

Such a happy song. That 'doo-doo' harmony is just priceless. I'm not sure about the rewrite of God Only Knows bit, the only thing they really have in common is tempo. Or did Brian actually rejig GOK for it?

Tempo is the same, but the chords and the melody are not even close.

It's a timeless Love song that always brings back so many fond memories. And Carl is simply Stellar in his delivery of "Our Sweet Love". But it also sets the stage for one of THE most Brilliant songs on "Sunflower".....the immortal masterpiece "At My Window".

Bri

Maybe the strings, & the towering round section...?  Also lyrics: "I may not always love you" & "Our sweet love won't last forever" ??

I believe the correct lyric is "Could last forever."

Regardless, I don't hear the GOK connection. I think this song stands amazingly well on its own.

I think every now and then in BW's song writing career a song surfaces that is clearly from the same guy that wrote God Only Knows and Our Sweet Love is definitely one of those songs. In terms of its chord progression it definitely could belong on Pet Sounds imo. Stevie from MIU sessions (?) is another that is clearly related to GOK, imho of course!

 ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQea4WsON64
 ;D

Do I detect sarcasm there? (assume so). One of the early BB bios says of that
timeless classic "Jardine talks to the birds in a bizarre patois no doubt equally offensive to
both man and beast." :lol

Somewhat cloying but at times oddly compelling, and I do like the tag.

Very cute and uplifting! :)

Thanks for sharing.

It's time for an official "At My Window" appreciation thread!

Really, what's not to like about this song? Gotta love the beautiful accordion, let alone the beautiful intro and georgeous tag, of course. Some people might find Brian's attempt at speaking French downright embarrassing. To my ears it sounds quite charming, however, and it's nice to have what almost is a rare lead vocal moment here, even though it's spoken word only.

It should be noted that the bizarre patois parts of the song are spoken by Brian Wilson not Jardine

Maybe Al wrote them?

And here's a cover band seamlessly going from God Only Knows to Our Sweet Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuK-s0KdVEs

Love that tune, beautiful. So much good stuff on Sunflower

It's a nice, solid tune.  Maybe a tad on the sugary side but still a great lead vocal by Carl and a great melody. 

You're one of the few to hold 'At my window' in such high regard. Good man  ;D

Yeah, I love what Brian was doing around Sunflower, including "Our Sweet Love" and "At My Window".  Sunflower would be perfect for me if they took out Bruce's songs (they're not bad but they're unnecessary IMO, not really a BBs vibe) and replaced them with "Good Time" and "When Girls Get Together", another oft-maligned track I love. Take off Dennis's "Got To Know the Woman" and replace it with "Lady". Maybe throw in "Take A Load Off Your Feet". Imagine how goofy a Brian and Al collaboration album would've been. They would had to have packaged the album with Ritz crackers to help listeners deal with all of the cheese.

  Sunflower = The Sonic LP.

  Desper = GOD!!!!!

To me, OSL is one of those feel-good take-you-away kinda songs that doesn't try to spell out anything profound in the lyrics, much like "Time to Get Alone" or "All I Wanna Do".  You can completely ignore the lyrics if you want, and just kick back and enjoy the multi layered sounds.  Beautiful song, and I don't think technical comparisons to GOK is a bad thing at all.

Sorry, my mistake. And I do greatly admire the production on the song, just find it a little
syrupy (or am I jaded? Possibly, I hope not.) :'(

Mutedtrumpeterswan,

  I'm being very serious when I say that "At My Window" is one of the best songs on "Sunflower"!!
What more validation for the song do you need then from Brian Wilson himself who rates that little Masterpiece as one of HIS favorite BB songs!! 
  The Harmonies are impeccable, the child-like innocence draws you right back to your very own childhood(at least it does for me since I started listening to Sunflower when I was 10 years old in 1973).
  Simply appreciate it for the Beauty that lies within it.........................

Big Bri

"At My Window" totally blew my mind when I first really sat down and listened to it. It's bizarre and childish but that's what makes it amazing. At the exact halfway point is where the song starts getting really trippy...the "puff" part, "he came to my window" vocals, the discordant piano behind Al's last verse, and then the incredible tag. A really psychedelic song when you pay attention, much like the rest of the album.

"Our Sweet Love" is also a wonderful song. I see the comparison to GOK even though the two have obvious differences. They just move similarly somehow, although "Our Sweet Love" is something I can listen to any day because it's just so beautiful and uplifting. GOK is a bit of a downer at times. My favorite part is the guitar (or is it a horn and guitar playing the same line? I can't tell) that begins at 1:44, when Carl sings "I feel it down inside my soul". Such a beautiful little flourish that just helps push the song higher.

You know what, Big Bri? After pondering your post, I just had an epiphany that brings me around full circle again re: At My Window. I really liked it when I first started listening to Sunflower 25 years ago, and gradually lost enthusiasm for it after countless listenings through the years, not sure exactly why. It IS an incredible production, a very childlike song, beautiful and profound in its simplicity. I had always heard the song associated with Al, and didn't realize that Brian was saying the (nonsense or French?) words. I didn't used to think a lot about which band member was singing each part until fairly recently.

The "poof" voice still strikes me as cutesy and self-conscious, and the rise in volume and treble is a bit harsh and jarring on the last "he came to my window" before the tag, but other than those minor quibbles I am thinking about it with a fresh perspective and it does have a timeless quality of youthful wonderment and openness to nature.

I know this sounds extremely wishy-washy, but it is sincere. Thanks for your
perspective. :)

French - very poor French, but French nonetheless (not Portuguese as Steve Desper states in his book): a rough translation would be "a sparrow has arrived and is sitting on my windowsill"

Wait, besides Brian's French part, isn't Bruce the lead singer?

yeah, but it was written by al and bri.

I know.

Strictly speaking , adapted by Alan  from "Raspberries, Strawberries" by Will Holt, a Kingston trio classic.

Our Sweet Love is a terrific song, but when the box set came out in 1993, I was surprised to see that as thew fourth cut from Sunflower. I figured This Whole World, Add Some Music and Forever would be on there, but I was surprised OSL made the cut over Slip on Through. Not only do I think Slip on Through is a better song on its own merits, but it's an uptempo (or at least midtempo) Dennis song with one of Denny's best vocals. Our Sweet Love is a  great Brian melody with a fabulous Carl vocal, but those are much more plentiful.

It's just another case of Dennis being slighted.

Our Sweet Love is still a great song, though. The only ones from Sunflower that don't work for me are Tears in the Morning and At My Window.

I cant stand Tears i the Morning, everything else on the record I like....even Got To Know the Woman.

A previous poster said that both of Bruce's songs should have been replaced by others
for the album. I disagree about Dierdre, but agree with him (and you) about TITM. It IS a
masterfully written and produced song, with Bruce's unique sensibility in abundance (for better or worse, USUALLY better IMO), but is just too mawkish and maudlin for my taste.

It's that bit at the end that gets me..... 'tastefully' echoed piano, playing those annoying trills he loves so much, complete with sax, predicting the 80's ten years in advance. I'd possibly swap it out for 'Games'.

Also throwing my hat into the ring for the 'At my Window' love-in. Some of the best harmonies on Sunflower, and that's saying something

I would say the track is masterfully produced, but I don't know about written...IT's pretty much one line in two keys, repeated ad infinitum.