Maybe Weezer’s recent classic-album tour stirred something up, or maybe the man currently churning out eye-rollers like “Where’s My Sex?” and “Can’t Stop Partying” (or, for that matter, “Unbreak My Heart”) still needs emotional release after all. Whatever the reason, frontman Rivers Cuomo put aside the lolz this past weekend for a seemingly impromptu YouTube cover of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” It’s a pretty by-the-books piano rendition, but provides evidence that Cuomo can still deliver heartfelt honesty when he wants to.
Really, the song wouldn’t be that out of place closing out Pinkerton. Perhaps the narrator from “Tired of Sex” finally found the one and this is him a few months later. “I may not always love you” certainly seems the sort of self-defeating way Cuomo might start a love song. So while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel – or make you forget Brian Wilson’s brilliantly-arranged original – Cuomo’s “God Only Knows” is worth a listen.
Bonus: This isn’t the first time Cuomo has covered the Beach Boys. Check out a much louder “Don’t Worry Baby,” off his Alone II album, below.
Rivers Cuomo – God Only Knows (Beach Boys cover)
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Rivers Cuomo – Don’t Worry Baby (Beach Boys cover)
Check out more Rivers Cuomo at his YouTube.
