In 1966, Brian Wilson saw God in one of his songs. So he never bothered to release it

Brian Wilson saw ‘Surf’s Up’ as a deeply personal, spiritual work, describing it as “seeing God” and the “song of the universe”. The article says that reverence helps explain why he hesitated to release it, even as the song came to be regarded as one of his most ambitious compositions.

Written during the sessions for the Beach Boys’ planned album *Smile*, ‘Surf’s Up’ was initially set aside partly because Wilson thought it was too long to be a single. The track was eventually released on the band’s 1971 album of the same name after creative director Jack Rieley pressed for its inclusion; its full version later appeared on *The Smile Sessions*. The article also notes that Leonard Bernstein admired an early demo.