Our Prayer

"Our Prayer" is a wordless hymn composed by Brian Wilson for American rock band the Beach Boys. It was intended for the Smile album until the project was shelved. It was then released on their 1969 album 20/20 with additional production by the Beach Boys without involvement from Wilson. As a solo artist, Wilson rerecorded and released the piece on his 2004 version of Smile in medley with the 1953 doo-wop standard "Gee".

Professors John Covach and Graeme M. Boone have written: "An exquisite exercise of harmonic virtuousity, 'Our Prayer' allowed the Beach Boys once again to show off their vocal abilities and stylistic influences earlier demonstrated on such songs as 'Their Hearts Were Full of Spring'."

Composition

The wordless, a cappella piece was originally supposed to be the opening track to the Smile album. As Beach Boys historian Peter Reum explained, "Brian intended for 'Our Prayer' to be the opening track, a spiritual invocation, for 'Smile'." The title may be a reference to the 1939 traditional pop standard "My Prayer", written by Georges Boulanger and Jimmy Kennedy. As music journalist Paul Williams elaborates,