Lyrics Page
God Only Knows
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Nov 2, 2026 updated
Burn the Ships album
Verified editorial review
Song Meaning
Secrecy drives the verses of "God Only Knows." The listener is "wide awake while the world is sound asleep," convinced that "nobody, nobody would believe you," and keeping "a cover over every single secret" for fear that being seen means being left.
The second verse flips the same pattern: "Somebody, somebody, somebody sees you, somebody will never leave you." Each chorus line keeps that pressure on, "God only knows what you've been through" and "God only knows the real you," ending on "a kind of love that God only knows." Psalm 139:1-4 describes the same thorough knowing, and Romans 5:8 gives the love its footing.
The bridge names who the song is for: "the lonely, the ashamed, the misunderstood, and the ones to blame," with "what if we could start over" repeated as an offer. The final lines, "God only knows where to find you, God only knows how to break through," lean toward Luke 19:10 and Romans 8:38-39.
Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team
[Verse 1]
Wide awake while the world is sound asleepin'
Too afraid of what might show up while you're dreamin'
Nobody, nobody, nobody sees you
Nobody, nobody would believe you
Every day you try to pick up all the pieces
All the memories, they somehow never leave you
Nobody, nobody, nobody sees you
Nobody, nobody would believe you
[Chorus]
God only knows what you've been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows how it's killing you
But there's a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you've been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There's a kind of love that God only knows
[Post-Chorus]
There's a kind of love that
There's a kind of love
[Verse 2]
You keep a cover over every single secret
So afraid if someone saw them they would leave
Somebody, somebody, somebody sees you
Somebody, somebody will never leave you
[Chorus]
God only knows what you've been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows how it's killing you
But there's a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you've been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There's a kind of love that God only knows
[Post-Chorus]
There's a kind of love that
There's a kind of love
There's a kind of love that
There's a kind of love
[Bridge]
For the lonely, for the ashamed
The misunderstood, and the ones to blame
What if we could start over
We could start over
We could start over
For the lonely, for the ashamed
The misunderstood, and the ones to blame
What if we could start over
We could start over
We could start over
‘Cause there's a kind of love that God only knows
[Chorus]
God only knows what you've been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There's a kind of love that God only knows
God only knows what you've been through
God only knows what they say about you
God only knows the real you
There's a kind of love that God only knows
[Post-Chorus]
There's a kind of love that
There's a kind of love
There's a kind of love that
There's a kind of love
[Outro]
God only knows where to find you
God only knows how to break through
God only knows the real you
There's a kind of love that God only knows