Paul McCartney wrote on his own and with the help of John Lennon some of the most successful and influential songs of all time, released by The Beatles. They are certainly the most famous songwriting partnership of the history of music and really changed the course of music forever with the work released by the Fab Four.
Although he is among the best songwriters in history, McCartney still feels there are songs written by other artists that he wanted to have written. He once revealed which is one of those songs that he even said he wished he had written.
The song Paul McCartney said he wanted to have written
It’s well known that The Beach Boys is one of Paul McCartney’s favorite bands of all time. He really loves their classic album “Pet Sounds” (1966), which served as an inspiration for The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967). McCartney already said that he used that album from the American band to educate his kids musically. He believes that nobody is educated musically until they have the chance to hear that record. In an interview with James Daunt back in 2021, McCartney said that the track “God Only Knows” is one he wished he had written.
“Beach Boys, ‘God Only Knows,’ I think that’s a great classic. In a way, I could say I wish I’d written them, but I’ve written enough. I’ve got enough to go on with. But yeah, there are some great writers and artists out there. I love to feel that when I’m writing something here, they’re writing something there. You get a little bit of rivalry going.”
He continued:
“We had a big rivalry with The Beach Boys. I suppose I had a little one with Paul Simon, that is good. I had one a rivalry with John. If he’d write a good one, I’d go, ‘Oh god, I better write something better!’ So that’s good, a little bit of competition’s a good thing. But yeah, I would think there are lots of classic songs. You need to give me three hours and I’d write you a very long list,” Paul McCartney told B&N CEO James Daunt.
It was not the first time the Beatle praised “God Only Knows”. In the past he even said it was the best song ever written. McCartney said in an interview with David Leaf in 1990, that it’s a very deep and emotional track, that is a bit of a “choker” to him.
McCartney loves “God Only Knows” and during the interview with David Leaf back in 1990, the musician said that “God Only Knows” was the best song ever written “It’s a really, really great song, it’s a big favorite of mine. I was asked recently to give my top ten favorite songs for a Japanese radio station. I didn’t think long and hard on it.”
Paul McCartney continued:
“But I popped that (“God Only Knows”) on the top of my list. (Thinks for a moment) It’s very deep. (Quotes the lyrics to ‘God Only Knows’). Very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. There are certain songs that just hit home with me, and they’re the strangest collection of songs. But that is high on the list, I must say,” Paul McCartney said.
He had the chance to perform that track alongside The Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson in the early 00s. Wilson is also a huge fan of The Beatles and Paul. He even said that it was the album “Rubber Soul” released in 1965 that inspired The Beach Boys to make “Pet Sounds”.