"God Only Knows" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by For King & Country | ||||
from the album Burn the Ships | ||||
Released | 11 January 2019 | |||
Recorded | 2017–2018 | |||
Length | 3:49 [1] | |||
Label | Word Entertainment | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
For King & Country singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"God Only Knows" on YouTube | ||||
Remix cover | ||||
Dolly Parton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"God Only Knows" (with Dolly Parton) on YouTube |
"God Only Knows" is the second single by Christian alternative rock duo For King &Country for their third studio album, Burn the Ships (2018). [2] It was originally released as the third promotional single on 27 July 2018. [3] It impacted Christian radio on 11 January 2019. [4] The song peaked at No. 2 on the US Hot Christian Songs chart,becoming their tenth top-ten single. It also peaked at No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100,becoming the duo's first song to reach the chart. The song is played in a B minor key,and 144 beats per minute.
"God Only Knows" was released as the third promotional single from Burn the Ships on 27 July 2018;the duo also released the song's music video. [3] On 11 January 2019,"God Only Knows" was released to Christian radio as the second single from the album. [5] In an interview with Free CCM,the duo explained the message behind the song: [6]
"God Only Knows" is one of those songs that you know... there are inward songs that were written about specific circumstances and you hope someone else resonates with them. This was a song looking out. There seems to be a lot of you saying this,you did this,how dare you. The song is a question mark of well,first of all,do we understand each other fully? Our histories,our family heritages,the struggles in life,the things that have been done to us that no one knows about. The shame that we carry. Some of it we've done to ourselves,that's self-sabotage. Some of it other people have done to us. You're just seeing a brief moment in time of that person. What if we pulled the lens back? Even if we did,there are some things that God does only know. We've got our shame,we've got our troubles,we've got our prejudice,we've got our judgements. God knows your heart and in turn,the flip of that is,God also carries this love that is sort of the superman of all love. We kind of are image bearers and so we emulate it,but it's just this wonderful superhuman love that if we lean into it'd be a beautiful thing. But so often we don't understand because we're stuck in a human variation of it.
"God Only Knows" is originally in the key of B minor,with a tempo of 144 beats per minute. Written in common time,Smallbone's vocal range spans from A2 to G4 during the song. [4]
It debuted at No. 20 on the Hot Christian Songs chart,despite not being an official single. [7] The song left the chart after reaching twenty weeks. [8] After being released as a single,the song re-entered the chart at No. 19 on the issue week of 12 January 2019. [9] The song reached the Top 10 after twenty-three weeks. [10] It went on to peak at No. 2,where it stayed there for a record nineteen weeks. It became their longest charting single at 60 weeks. It debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart on the issue week of 19 January 2019. [11] It reached the top ten on its sixth week. [12] [13] It became their fifth leader,staying there for ten weeks. [14] [15]
The song debuted on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart,at No. 25. The song re-entered the chart at No. 6,after the Timbaland remix. The song finally debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 94,boosted by a Dolly Parton remix. [16]
"God Only Knows" was described as an "emotional track full of hope," [17] that tackles depression and suicide, [18] which could "easily be paired with Imagine Dragons or Fun[.] any day." [19]
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | We Love Christian Music Awards | Music Video of the Year | Won | [20] [21] |
2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song | Won | [22] |
Billboard Music Awards | Top Christian Song | Won | [23] | |
The music video of "God Only Knows" features a young woman (played by an actress Masey McLain) who is found in dark desperation and believes suicide is the answer. [24] "Circumstantially things are good,she's an attractive woman,she lives in a beautiful home and life is sort of looking good. Yet there are these things,these underlying insecurities that are shifting the way she perceives life and people perceive her," band member Joel Smallbone revealed in the behind the scenes video. [25] The music video shows the woman presumably committing suicide by jumping off a bridge. The video then explains what could have happened if a friend she confronted that day might have been there for her at her worst point. The friend's care results in a different ending to the day. [26] "The power of someone interacting,showing a small act of kindness,a hug,a smile,and how that just changes the trajectory of her life [on] this one particular day,which was a very crucial day in this young lady's life," Smallbone followed up his previous comment. It ends with the number for the National Suicide Prevention Line. [27]
CD release [28]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [44] | 2×Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"What Faith Can Do" is a song by American Christian rock band Kutless from their 2009 album It Is Well. It was released on September 18,2009,as the lead single. The song became the group's first Hot Christian Songs No. 1,staying there for eight weeks. It lasted 47 weeks on the overall chart. The song is played in a D major key at 138 beats per minute.
For King &Country,stylised as for KING &COUNTRY and formerly known as Joel &Luke as well as Austoville,is a Christian pop duo composed of Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. The brothers were born in Australia and immigrated to the United States as children,settling in the Nashville area.
"God,Your Mama,and Me" is a song recorded by American country music duo Florida Georgia Line and pop music group Backstreet Boys. It is the third single from the duo's third studio album,Dig Your Roots,which was released on August 26,2016. The song was written by Josh Kear,Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson.
"Joy" is the lead single by Christian alternative rock duo For King &Country for their third studio album,Burn the Ships (2018). It was released as a single on 18 May 2018. The song became the group's highest charting single,peaking at No. 2 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. It lasted 36 weeks on the overall chart,being in the top ten for its entire run. It also peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100,and is their second highest charting entry in their career. The song is played in a C minor key,and 120 beats per minute.
"Grace Got You" is a song by American contemporary Christian music band MercyMe from their 2017 album Lifer. The song features guest vocals from American hip hop artist John Reuben. It was released on March 2,2018,as the second single. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. It also reached at No. 1 on the Christian Airplay chart,becoming their record extending 15th chart topper. It lasted 37 weeks on the overall chart. The song is played in a B minor key,and 87 beats per minute.
Burn the Ships is the third studio album by For King &Country,an Australian Christian pop duo comprising brothers Luke Smallbone and Joel Smallbone,released via Word Entertainment on 5 October 2018. It features appearances from Moriah Peters and Courtney,the respective wives of Joel and Luke Smallbone. For King &Country collaborated with Matt Hales,Blake Kanicka,Seth Mosley and Tedd Tjornhom in the production of the album.
This is the discography of contemporary Christian band For King &Country.
"Living Hope" is a song by American contemporary Christian musician Phil Wickham. The song was released as the lead single from the album of the same name on March 30,2018. It impacted Christian radio on May 11,2018. The song peaked at No. 10 on the US Hot Christian Songs chart,becoming his third Top 10 single. Wickham co-wrote the song with Brian Johnson,and collaborated with Ed Cash,and Jonathan Smith in the production of the song. The song is played in an E-flat major key,and 143 beats per minute.
"Red Letters" is a song performed by American contemporary Christian music singer Crowder. It was released as one of the first singles from his third studio album,I Know a Ghost (2018),alongside "Wildfire" on September 19,2018. The song peaked at No. 9 on the US Hot Christian Songs chart,becoming his fifth top ten single. "Red Letters" was nominated for the GMA Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Short Form Video of the Year at the 2019 GMA Dove Awards.
"Burn the Ships" is a song performed by an Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country. The song impacted Christian radio in the United States on 30 August 2018,becoming the third single from Burn the Ships (2018). The song was written by Matt Hales,Seth Mosley,Joel Smallbone and Luke Smallbone.
"Together" is a song performed by an Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country with American singer Tori Kelly and American gospel musician Kirk Franklin. It was released as a standalone single on 1 May 2020. It was later included on the deluxe edition of the duo's third studio album Burn the Ships (2018),as well as their fifth studio album,What Are We Waiting For? (2022). The song was written by duo members Joel and Luke Smallbone,alongside Ran Jackson,Ricky Jackson. and Franklin.
"God So Loved" is a song by We the Kingdom that was released as the fourth single from their debut studio album,Holy Water (2020),on May 29,2020. The song was written by Ed Cash,Scott Cash,Franni Cash,Martin Cash,and Andrew Bergthold.
"Amen" is a song performed by an Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country. The song impacted Christian radio in the United States on 5 February 2021,becoming the fourth single from Burn the Ships (2018). The song was written by Matt Hales,Seth Mosley,Joel Smallbone and Luke Smallbone.
"Here Comes Heaven" is a song performed by American contemporary worship band Elevation Worship. On November 30,2018,the song was released as the fifth single from their eleventh live album,Hallelujah Here Below (2018),to Christian radio stations in the United States. The song was written by Aaron Robertson,Chris Brown,and Steven Furtick. Chris Brown and Aaron Robertson handled the production of the single.
"Relate" is a song performed by an Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country. The song was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album,What Are We Waiting For? (2022),on 6 August 2021. The song was written by Josh Kerr,Joel Smallbone,Luke Smallbone and Tayla Parx.
"For God Is with Us" is a song performed by an Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country. The song was released as the second single from their fifth studio album,What Are We Waiting For? (2022),on 24 September 2021. The song was written by Joel Smallbone,Jordan Reynolds,Josh Kerr,and Luke Smallbone.
What Are We Waiting For? is the fifth studio album by For King &Country,an Australian Christian pop duo comprising brothers Luke Smallbone and Joel Smallbone,released via Word Entertainment on 11 March 2022. The album contains guest appearances by Dante Bowe,Sleeping at Last,Tori Kelly,and Kirk Franklin. The duo collaborated with Tedd T.,Josh Kerr,Jeff Sojka,Federico Vindver,Benjamin Backus,and Seth Mosley in the production of the album.
Kingdom Come is the tenth studio album by Rebecca St. James,released on March 25,2022. Kingdom Come was St. James' first full-length studio album in eleven years and her first with Heritage Music Group. The album was preceded by two singles:"Kingdom Come",which was released on October 22,2021 and features her brothers' Christian pop duo,for KING &COUNTRY,and "Praise",which was released on February 18,2022.
"Kingdom Come" is a song performed by Australian Christian pop singer Rebecca St. James featuring Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country. The song was released on 22 October 2021,as the lead single to her tenth studio album,also titled Kingdom Come (2022). St. James co-wrote the song with Joel Smallbone,Luke Smallbone,and Seth Mosley. Tedd Tjornhom and Seth Mosley handled the production of the single.
"Love Me Like I Am" is a song by an Australian Christian pop duo For King &Country and Jordin Sparks. The original version of the song was initially released as the second promotional single from For King &Country's fifth studio album,What Are We Waiting For? (2022),on 18 February 2022. A new version of the song featuring Sparks impacted Christian radio on 31 August 2022,before finally releasing on 7 October 2022. The song was written by Joel Smallbone,Josh Kerr,Luke Smallbone,and Michael Pollack.