ChordSongs
Pop, Rock

God Only Knows Chords

The Beach Boys Intermediate Key of A 5 Chords 2 min read
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Key
A Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Capo
None
Chords
A · E · F#m · D · Bm

The Beach Boys’ achingly beautiful love song, considered one of the greatest ever written. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.

Gentle Pop (4/4 Time)
↓↑↓↑
1234

Tip: Play with tender delicacy. This song requires subtlety — keep the dynamics gentle and let each chord transition breathe. Less is more.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

 
D Bm
I may not always love you
F#m B7
But long as there are stars above you
Em A7
You never need to doubt it
D Em
I’ll make you so sure about it
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 2

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Bridge

 
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 3

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Outro

 
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm AD
God only knows
 

Practice tip: The chord changes are more complex than typical pop — D, Bm, F#m, B7, Em, A7. Practice the F#m to B7 transition specifically, as it’s the most unusual change. Each chord should flow smoothly into the next.

Atap to play
Etap to play
F#mtap to play
Dtap to play
Bmtap to play
Key
A Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-C-E-A
Chords
A · E · F#m · D · Bm

The Beach Boys’ achingly beautiful love song, considered one of the greatest ever written. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.

Gentle Pop (4/4 Time)
↓↑↓↑
1234

Tip: Play with tender delicacy. This song requires subtlety — keep the dynamics gentle and let each chord transition breathe. Less is more.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

 
D Bm
I may not always love you
F#m B7
But long as there are stars above you
Em A7
You never need to doubt it
D Em
I’ll make you so sure about it
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 2

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Bridge

 
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 3

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Outro

 
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm AD
God only knows
 

Practice tip: The chord changes are more complex than typical pop — D, Bm, F#m, B7, Em, A7. Practice the F#m to B7 transition specifically, as it’s the most unusual change. Each chord should flow smoothly into the next.

Atap to play
Etap to play
F#mtap to play
Dtap to play
Bmtap to play
Key
A Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Left Hand
Root notes
Chords
A · E · F#m · D · Bm

The Beach Boys’ achingly beautiful love song, considered one of the greatest ever written. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.

Gentle Pop (4/4 Time)
↓↑↓↑
1234

Tip: Play with tender delicacy. This song requires subtlety — keep the dynamics gentle and let each chord transition breathe. Less is more.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

 
D Bm
I may not always love you
F#m B7
But long as there are stars above you
Em A7
You never need to doubt it
D Em
I’ll make you so sure about it
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 2

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Bridge

 
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 3

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Outro

 
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm AD
God only knows
 

Practice tip: The chord changes are more complex than typical pop — D, Bm, F#m, B7, Em, A7. Practice the F#m to B7 transition specifically, as it’s the most unusual change. Each chord should flow smoothly into the next.

Atap to play
Etap to play
F#mtap to play
Dtap to play
Bmtap to play
Key
A Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
gDGBD (Open G)
Chords
A · E · F#m · D · Bm

The Beach Boys’ achingly beautiful love song, considered one of the greatest ever written. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.

Gentle Pop (4/4 Time)
↓↑↓↑
1234

Tip: Play with tender delicacy. This song requires subtlety — keep the dynamics gentle and let each chord transition breathe. Less is more.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

 
D Bm
I may not always love you
F#m B7
But long as there are stars above you
Em A7
You never need to doubt it
D Em
I’ll make you so sure about it
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 2

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Bridge

 
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 3

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Outro

 
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm AD
God only knows
 

Practice tip: The chord changes are more complex than typical pop — D, Bm, F#m, B7, Em, A7. Practice the F#m to B7 transition specifically, as it’s the most unusual change. Each chord should flow smoothly into the next.

Atap to play
Etap to play
F#mtap to play
Dtap to play
Bmtap to play
Key
A Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Tuning
G-D-A-E
Chords
A · E · F#m · D · Bm

The Beach Boys’ achingly beautiful love song, considered one of the greatest ever written. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.

Gentle Pop (4/4 Time)
↓↑↓↑
1234

Tip: Play with tender delicacy. This song requires subtlety — keep the dynamics gentle and let each chord transition breathe. Less is more.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

 
D Bm
I may not always love you
F#m B7
But long as there are stars above you
Em A7
You never need to doubt it
D Em
I’ll make you so sure about it
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 2

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Bridge

 
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 3

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Outro

 
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm AD
God only knows
 

Practice tip: The chord changes are more complex than typical pop — D, Bm, F#m, B7, Em, A7. Practice the F#m to B7 transition specifically, as it’s the most unusual change. Each chord should flow smoothly into the next.

Atap to play
Etap to play
F#mtap to play
Dtap to play
Bmtap to play
Key
A Major
Difficulty
Intermediate
Harp Key
C Diatonic
Chords
A · E · F#m · D · Bm

The Beach Boys’ achingly beautiful love song, considered one of the greatest ever written. Intermediate difficulty in the key of D.

Gentle Pop (4/4 Time)
↓↑↓↑
1234

Tip: Play with tender delicacy. This song requires subtlety — keep the dynamics gentle and let each chord transition breathe. Less is more.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

 
D Bm
I may not always love you
F#m B7
But long as there are stars above you
Em A7
You never need to doubt it
D Em
I’ll make you so sure about it
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 2

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Bridge

 
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
Em A7 D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Verse 3

 
D Bm
If you should ever leave me
F#m B7
Though life would still go on, believe me
Em A7
The world could show nothing to me
D Em
So what good would living do me?
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
 

Outro

 
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm A D
God only knows what I’d be without you
D Bm AD
God only knows
 

Practice tip: The chord changes are more complex than typical pop — D, Bm, F#m, B7, Em, A7. Practice the F#m to B7 transition specifically, as it’s the most unusual change. Each chord should flow smoothly into the next.