"Never Learn Not to Love" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was issued as the B-side to their "Bluebirds over the Mountain" single on December 2, 1968.

The blues-inspired song was written specifically for the Beach Boys, with Manson's lyrics addressing personal tensions that he had witnessed between Dennis and his brothers Brian and Carl.

Manson attended but did not participate in the recording of "Never Learn Not to Love", held at the Beach Boys' private studio in September 1968.

The group reworked the song considerably and expanded the arrangement to include backing vocals, piano, guitar, bass, drums, organ, and sleigh bells.

A 1968 recording of Manson performing "Cease to Exist" appeared on his first album, Lie: The Love and Terror Cult, released in March 1970.

At the time, Manson was an ex-convict seeking a career as a singer-songwriter, and Wilson, convinced of his talents, was interested in signing him as an artist on the band's Brother Records label.

In exchange for the publishing rights to "Cease to Exist", he received a sum of cash and a BSA motorcycle which he later gave to Family member Paul Watkins.

Desper continued, "If Manson had been a decent person, the Beach Boy organization would have given him credit and treasure, as they did with other writers.

'"[15] Conversely, Desper credited "all the added vocal arrangement throughout the entire song" to Brian and Carl Wilson.

[19] In December 1968, Wilson recorded cymbal sounds, titled "The Gong", that were later reversed and added to the beginning of the 20/20 version of "Never Learn Not to Love".

In his review of the album, Arthur Schmidt of Rolling Stone, wrote that "'Never Learn Not to Love' is a fine vocal, though the material itself is an uncertain mixture of pop and soul influences.

[23] In his retrospective assessment of the song, Richie Unterberger commented "Never Learn Not to Love" is far more notorious for its relation to Manson, not the music itself which he describes as "average".

[24] Colin Larkin, in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, wrote the track "had the ironic distinction of putting Charles Manson in the charts".

[26] During Manson's trial for the murders of seven people, his debut album, Lie: The Love and Terror Cult, was released in March 1970.

[29] He also wrote that Manson's raw, stripped-down take "gives the song an impressive lo-fi immediacy that is a million miles away from the Beach Boys' treatment".