• Published on 1966
• Author: Harrison
• Track 1 on “Revolver“

GEORGE 1980: “‘Taxman’ was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes. It was and still is typical.”

JOHN 1980: “I remember the day he (George) called to ask for help on ‘Taxman,’ one of his first songs. I threw in a few one-liners to help the song along because that’s what he asked for. He came to me because he couldn’t go to Paul. Paul wouldn’t have helped him at that period. I didn’t want to do it. I just sort of bit my tongue and said OK. It had been John and Paul for so long, he’d been left out because he hadn’t been a songwriter up until then.”

PAUL 1984: “George wrote that and I played guitar on it. He wrote it in anger at finding out what the taxman did. He had never known before then what could happen to your money.”

GEORGE 1987: “I was pleased to have Paul play that bit on ‘Taxman.’ If you notice, he did like a little Indian bit on it for me.”

About “Taxman”

The song was written by George Harrison, the group’s lead guitarist, helped by John Lennon for lyrics. It protests against the higher progressive taxes introduced in Britain by the Labour government of Harold Wilson, which resulted in the Beatles paying over 90 percent of their income to the Treasury. The song was chosen as the album’s opening track, and helped put Harrison on the map as a songwriter alongside the dominant Lennon-McCartney partnership. It was the group’s first actual song and the first political statement they made in their music.

The Beatles began recording “Taxman” in April 1966, a month after Wilson’s landslide victory in the 1966 general election. Coinciding with the song’s creation, Harrison learned that the band members’ tax obligations would likely lead to their bankruptcy, and he strongly opposed the government using their income to fund the manufacture of military weapons. In the song, which is influenced by 1960s soul/R&B music, the taxman is portrayed as relentless in his pursuit of tax revenue, and Wilson and Ted Heath, the chairman of the Conservative Party, are mentioned by name. The recording features an Indian-influenced guitar solo played by Paul McCartney.

“Taxman” has been seen as a forerunner of punk rock and had a significant impact on the growth of British psychedelia and mod-style music. The Jam significantly referenced the song in their 1980 top-charting single “Start!” Harrison modified the song’s lyrics to include reference to modern leaders while performing “Taxman” on tour in the early 1990s, emphasizing the song’s timeless nature beyond the 1960s. The song’s influence has spread to the tax sector and political discussions over taxes.

Meaning of “Taxman”

The song “Taxman” addresses the issue of taxation, particularly in the United Kingdom, where high tax rates were affecting high-income individuals, including the Beatles themselves. At the time, the top tax rate in the UK was over 90%, and this had a significant impact on the earnings of successful musicians like the Beatles.

In the lyrics, Harrison expresses frustration and resentment towards the tax system. He criticizes the high rates and even mentions specific percentages, such as 19 for the super-tax and 1 for the surtax. The song conveys a sense of discontent and serves as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek commentary on the tax situation in England during that era.

Here are the opening lines of the song:

“Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
‘Cause I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman“

Overall, “Taxman” is a clever and somewhat tongue-in-cheek commentary on the financial burdens faced by successful individuals, particularly musicians like the Beatles, who were among the highest-earning artists of their time.

Personnel

• George Harrison – lead vocals, lead guitar.
• John Lennon – backing vocals, rhythm guitar.
• Paul McCartney – backing vocals, bass guitar, lead guitar (solo)
• Ringo Starr – drums, cowbell, tambourine.

• Published on 1969
• Author: Harrison
• Track 7 on “Abbey Road“
• Track 22 on “The Beatles 1967-1970” (Blue Album)

GEORGE 1980: “…written at a time when Apple was getting like school, where we had to go and be businessmen– all this signing accounts, and ‘sign this’ and ‘sign that.’ Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever; by the time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided, ‘I’m going to sag-off Apple,’ and I went over to Eric Clapton’s house. I was walking in his garden. The relief of not having to go and see all those dopey accountants was wonderful. And I was walking around the garden with one of Eric’s acoustic guitars, and wrote ‘Here Comes The Sun.’”

About “Here Comes The Sun”

“Here Comes The Sun” was written by George Harrison and is one of his best-known compositions. Harrison wrote the song in early 1969 at the country house of his friend Eric Clapton, where Harrison had chosen to play truant for the day to avoid attending a meeting at the Beatles’ Apple Corps organisation. The lyrics reflect his relief at the arrival of spring and the temporary respite he was experiencing from the band’s business affairs.

The Beatles recorded “Here Comes the Sun” at London’s EMI Studios in the summer of 1969. Led by Harrison’s acoustic guitar, the track features a Moog synthesizer, which he had introduced to the band’s sound after acquiring an early model of the instrument in California. Reflecting the continued influence of Indian classical music on Harrison’s writing, the composition includes several time signature changes.

“Here Comes the Sun” has received acclaim from music critics. Combined with his other contribution to Abbey Road, “Something“, it gained for Harrison the level of recognition as a songwriter previously reserved for his bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney. “Here Comes the Sun” was the track used to promote the 50th anniversary reissue of Abbey Road in 2019. It peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart at that time and has since been certified double platinum for UK sales since 2010. As of 2021, it was the most streamed Beatles song on Spotify globally.

Harrison played the song during many of his relatively rare live performances as a solo artist, including at the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 and, with Paul Simon, during his appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1976. Richie Havens and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel each had hit singles with “Here Comes the Sun” in the 1970s. Nina Simone, George Benson, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Peter Tosh and Joe Brown are among the many other artists who have covered the song.

Meaning of “Here Comes The Sun”

“Here Comes the Sun” is known for its optimistic and uplifting tone, and its meaning is often interpreted as a celebration of new beginnings, hope, and the arrival of better times.

The lyrics convey a sense of relief and joy, with Harrison expressing his happiness at the arrival of a new day after a long and cold winter. The phrase “Here comes the sun” is a metaphor for the emergence of positivity and warmth after a period of darkness and difficulty.

At the time of writing the song, George Harrison was experiencing a period of personal and creative growth. The composition of “Here Comes the Sun” coincided with a time when Harrison was feeling inspired and rejuvenated, which is reflected in the song’s cheerful and hopeful lyrics.

Overall, “Here Comes the Sun” is often seen as a song about embracing change, finding light in dark times, and looking forward to a brighter future. It has become one of the most beloved and enduring songs in the Beatles’ catalog, celebrated for its timeless message of optimism and renewal.

Personnel

The Beatles

• George Harrison – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, harmonium, moog synthesizer, handclaps
• Paul McCartney – backing vocal, bass, handclaps
• Ringo Starr – drums, handclaps

Additional musicians

• Uncredited – four violas, four cellos, double bass, two piccolos, two flutes, two alto flutes, two clarinets
• George Martin – orchestral arrangement and conducting

• Published on 1965
• Author: Harrison
• Track 4 on “Help!“

About “I Need You”

“I Need You” was written by George Harrison and was the second composition of his to be released by the Beatles. The track appears in their film “Help!”, in a scene filmed on Salisbury Plain where the group were under military protection from a murderous cult.

Harrison wrote “I Need You” about Pattie Boyd, the English model whom he married in January 1966. Recorded in February 1965 at the start of the sessions for “Help!“, it features the Beatles’ first use of a guitar volume pedal. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played the song in tribute to Harrison at the Concert for George in November 2002.

George Harrison presented “I Need You”, along with “You Like Me Too Much”, for consideration for the Beatles’ second feature film, Help!, in early 1965. Before this, he had struggled to complete a song since the band recorded his first composition, “Don’t Bother Me“, for their 1963 album With the Beatles. In a September 1964 press conference, Harrison said he had written three “bits” of songs, but nothing “whole”. George Martin, the band’s producer, attributed his lack of productivity to the fact that “none of us had liked something he had written”, and Harrison had felt disheartened.

He subsequently resolved to ensure that his occasional vocal spots on the group’s albums were his own compositions rather than Lennon–McCartney songs or cover versions. According to biographer Gary Tillery, Harrison’s creativity was most likely inspired by his habitual marijuana use, a legacy of the Beatles’ first meeting with Bob Dylan in August 1964.

Meaning of “I Need You”

The lyrics of “I Need You” convey a message of longing and dependency within a romantic relationship. The narrator expresses a deep emotional need for the person he loves.

Lines like “You don’t realize how much I need you / Love you all the time and never leave you” clearly articulate a profound emotional attachment. The repeated refrain of “Please, please, love me too” underscores the urgency and intensity of the narrator’s feelings.

The song captures the universal sentiment of needing someone in one’s life for emotional fulfillment and support. It’s a theme that resonates with many people who have experienced the depth of emotions that come with romantic love.

“I Need You” is a heartfelt expression of the vulnerability and dependency that can be inherent in romantic relationships. It showcases George Harrison’s ability to convey deep emotions through his songwriting, and it remains a beloved track in the Beatles’ repertoire.

Personnel

• George Harrison – double-tracked lead vocal, classical guitar, twelve-string lead guitar
• John Lennon – harmony vocal, snare drum
• Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, bass guitar
• Ringo Starr – acoustic guitar percussion, cowbell

• Published on 1968
• Author: Harrison
• Track 24 on “The Beatles – White Album“

GEORGE 1980: “The ‘you’ in ‘Long Long Long’ is God. I can’t recall much about it except the chords, which I think were coming from (Dylan’s) ‘Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands’– D to E minor, A, and D– those three chords and the way they moved.”

About “Long, Long, Long”

“Long, Long, Long” was written by George Harrison, the group’s lead guitarist, while he and his bandmates were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968. Although Harrison later stated that he was addressing God in the lyrics, it is the first of his compositions that invites interpretation as both a standard love song and a paean to his deity.

“Long, Long, Long” originated during a period in which Harrison emerged as a prolific songwriter, coinciding with his return to the guitar after two years of studying the Indian sitar. He based the chord pattern on “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” by Bob Dylan, while the song’s understated arrangement partly reflects the influence of the Band’s 1968 album Music from Big Pink. The Beatles recorded it in London towards the end of the White Album sessions, which were marked by acrimony among the band members in the fallout to their experiences in Rishikesh. An ambient and meditative ballad, it ends with a partly improvised segment that was inspired by the sound of a wine bottle vibrating on a speaker in the studio.

“Long, Long, Long” has received praise from several music critics. On release, William Mann of The Times rated it the equal of the album’s best Lennon–McCartney compositions; Ian MacDonald later described it as Harrison’s “touching token of exhausted, relieved reconciliation with God” and his “finest moment on The Beatles”. Elliott Smith and Jim James are among the other artists who have recorded or performed the song.

Meaning of “Long, Long, Long”

“Long, Long, Long” is often interpreted as a reflection on Harrison’s spiritual journey and his relationship with God. The lyrics suggest a sense of longing and yearning for a deeper connection or understanding. The repetitive nature of the phrase “long, long, long” in the song’s title and chorus reinforces this feeling of longing.

The song’s haunting and ethereal sound is created through a combination of Harrison’s vocals, acoustic guitar, and the use of a Leslie speaker on the organ, which creates a swirling, atmospheric effect.

Overall, “Long, Long, Long” is considered one of George Harrison’s more introspective and spiritually reflective compositions, reflecting his interest in Eastern philosophy and his personal journey toward a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.

Personnel

The Beatles

• George Harrison – double-tracked lead vocal, acoustic guitars
• Paul McCartney – harmony vocal, Hammond organ, bass guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums

Additional musician

• Chris Thomas – piano

• Published on 1970
• Author: Harrison
• Track 11 on “Let It Be“

GEORGE 1980: “‘For You Blue’ is a simple twelve-bar song following all the normal twelve-bar principles, except that it’s happy-go-lucky!”

About “For You Blue”

“For You Blue” is a song written by George Harrison as a love song to his wife, Pattie Boyd. It was included in their 1970 album Let It Be. It is a bluesy, acoustic track characterized by its simple yet catchy melody and straightforward lyrics. Recorded at the group’s Apple Studio in London in late January 1969, the song features George Harrison’s distinctive slide guitar playing, which gives the song its distinctive sound.

George Harrison was known to be fond of blues music, and “For You Blue” reflects his appreciation for this genre. The song is a twelve-bar blues in the country blues style. When writing “For You Blue”, Harrison was partly influenced by his stay with Bob Dylan and the Band in Woodstock over November–December 1968. Whereas that visit had been a musically rewarding experience for Harrison, the Beatles first worked on the song amid an atmosphere of discord, during the filmed rehearsals that made up part of the Let It Be documentary film.

Among music critics, some have admired the track for its lighthearted qualities and as a good band performance. Other commentators identify it as an inconsequential song, particularly in relation to some of the Harrison compositions that his bandmates rejected over the Let It Be period.

“For You Blue” was released as the B-side to the single “The Long and Winding Road,” which was the final single released by the Beatles before their breakup. The song received positive reviews from critics, who appreciated its bluesy sound and George Harrison’s guitar work. While not as commercially successful as some of the Beatles’ other hits, it became a fan favorite. George Harrison occasionally performed “For You Blue” during his solo career concerts, showcasing his continued fondness for the song.

In 1976, Capitol Records included “For You Blue” on the compilation album The Best of George Harrison. An alternative take of the track appeared on the Beatles’ 1996 compilation Anthology 3. A live version recorded during Harrison’s 1974 North American tour received a limited release on the Songs by George Harrison EP in 1988. Paul McCartney performed the song at the Concert for George in November 2002, a year after Harrison’s death.

Meaning of “For You Blue”

“For You Blue” is a straightforward and affectionate declaration of love to a significant other. In the lyrics, Harrison expresses his deep affection for the person he loves, assuring them that he’ll do whatever he can to make them happy.

The song radiates warmth and tenderness, capturing the simplicity and sincerity of a heartfelt love message. The “blue” in the title could be a nod to the bluesy musical style of the song, a genre Harrison admired and incorporated into his own musical style.

Overall, “For You Blue” is a sweet and intimate expression of love.

Personnel

• George Harrison – lead vocal, acoustic guitar
• John Lennon – lap steel guitar
• Paul McCartney – piano, bass
• Ringo Starr – drums

• Published on 1963
• Author: Harrison
• Track 4 on “With The Beatles“

GEORGE 1980: “The first song that I wrote… as an exercise to see if I could write a song. I wrote it in a hotel in Bounemouth, England, where we were playing a summer season in 1963. I was sick in bed… maybe that’s why it turned out to be ‘Don’t Bother Me.’ I don’t think it’s a particularly good song… It mightn’t even be a song at all, but at least it showed me that all I needed to do was keep on writing, and then maybe eventually I would write something good.”

PAUL 1988: “I think John and I were really concentrating on– ‘We’ll do the ‘real’ records,’ but because the other guys had a lot of fans we wrote for them too. George eventually came out with his own, ‘Don’t Bother Me,’ but until then he hadn’t written one.”

About “Don’t Bother Me”

It was the first song written by George Harrison, the group’s lead guitarist, to appear on one of their albums. An uptempo rock and roll song, it was originally released in the United States on the 1964 album Meet the Beatles! In 2018, the music staff of Time Out London ranked “Don’t Bother Me” at number 47 on their list of the best Beatles songs.

Between 19 and 24 August 1963 the Beatles held a residency in Bournemouth, England with Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas and Tommy Quickly. Feeling sick one day, George Harrison was prescribed tonic and bed rest by a doctor. With nothing to do in his room at the Palace Court Hotel, he began writing a song, recording himself on a portable tape recorder. The surviving recording includes him working on the bridge and whistling through the song’s melody, likely because the song did not yet have lyrics.

Besides the 1958 song “In Spite of All The Danger” – co-written with McCartney, and the 1961 instrumental “Cry for a Shadow” – co-written as Lennon–Harrison, “Don’t Bother Me” was Harrison’s first composition. Liverpool journalist Bill Harry claims that he encouraged Harrison to write a new song, and that Harrison’s response of “Don’t bother me” served as inspiration for the song’s title.

Meaning of “Don’t Bother Me”

The lyrics of “Don’t Bother Me” convey a sense of introspection and independence. George Harrison wrote the song during a period of illness, and the lyrics express a desire for solitude and personal space. The singer asks not to be bothered and emphasizes the need for some time alone. The song’s tone is somewhat melancholic, reflecting Harrison’s state of mind at the time.

Overall, “Don’t Bother Me” can be interpreted as a reflection of George Harrison’s personality and his desire for introspection and solitude during a challenging period in his life. It also showcases his early songwriting abilities, which would later become significant contributions to The Beatles’ body of work.

Personnel

The Beatles

• George Harrison – double-tracked vocal, lead guitar
• John Lennon – rhythm guitar, tambourine
• Paul McCartney – bass, claves
• Ringo Starr – drums, bongos

Production

• George Martin – producer
• Norman Smith – engineer
• Richard Langham – engineer

• Published in 1967
• Author: Harrison
• Track 8 on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band“

Beatles quotes about “Within You Without You”

GEORGE 1967: “I’m writing more songs now that we’re not touring. The words are always a bit of a hangup for me. I’m not very poetic. ‘Within You Without You’ was written after dinner one night at Klaus Voorman’s house. He had a harmonium, which I hadn’t played before. I was doodling on it when the tune started to come. The first sentence came out of what we’d been doing that evening… ‘We were talking.’ That’s as far as I got that night. I finished the rest of the words later at home.”

JOHN 1967: “George has done a great indian one. We came along one night and he had about 400 indian fellas playing, and it was a great swinging event, as they say.”

JOHN 1980: “One of George’s best songs. One of my favorites of his, too. He’s clear on that song. His mind and his music are clear. There is his innate talent. He brought that sound together.”

About “Within You Without You”

“Within You Without You“, written by George Harrison, was his second Indian classical composition after after “Love You To“. The song was inspired by his visit to India in late 1966 with his mentor and sitar teacher Ravi Shankar. It was recorded in London without the other Beatles and features Indian instruments such as sitar, tambura, dilruba, and tabla. Harrison and members of the Asian Music Circle performed it. Musically, it evokes Indian devotional traditions, while the overtly spiritual lyrics reflect Harrison’s studies of Hindu philosophy and Vedic teachings.

The song was Harrison’s only contribution to Sgt. Pepper, although yogis such as Paramahansa Yogananda were featured on the album’s cover as a sign of his endorsement of Indian culture. Due to the success of the album, Indian classical music was introduced to a new audience in the West, contributing to the genre’s international popularity peak. During the Summer of Love, many of Harrison’s peers expressed utopian idealism influenced by “Within You Without You“.

Some music critics find the song lacklustre and pretentious, while others admire its musical authenticity and consider its message to be the most meaningful on Sgt. Pepper. According to David Fricke writing for Rolling Stone, the track is at once beautiful and severe, a magnetic sermon about materialism and communal responsibility amid a gentle Technicolor anarchy record.

As part of the Beatles’ 2006 remix album Love, the song was mixed with the John Lennon-penned “Tomorrow Never Knows“, creating what some reviewers consider to be the project’s most successful mashup. “Within You Without You” has been covered by Sonic Youth, Rainer Ptacek, Oasis, Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, and the Flaming Lips.

Meaning of “Within You Without You”

The lyrics of “Within You Without You” are deeply philosophical and spiritual. The song reflects George Harrison’s interest in Eastern spirituality and his experiences with Indian philosophy and meditation. It explores themes of inner reflection, the interconnectedness of all living beings, and the transient nature of material possessions.

The title itself, “Within You Without You,” suggests a contemplation of the duality of existence: the inner world of consciousness and the outer world of tangible reality. The song encourages listeners to look beyond surface appearances and seek a deeper understanding of the self and the universe.

In summary, “Within You Without You” is a meditative and introspective song that encourages contemplation of the nature of reality, the self, and the interconnectedness of all things. It reflects George Harrison’s spiritual journey and his quest for deeper meaning and understanding in life.

Personnel

• George Harrison – lead vocals, tambura, sitar, swarmandal, acoustic guitar
• Anna Joshi – dilruba
• Amrit Gajjar – dilruba
• Natwar Soni – tabla
• Buddhadev Kansara – tambura
• Neil Aspinall – tambura
• Erich Gruenberg, Alan Loveday, Julien Gaillard, Paul Scherman, Ralph Elman, David Wolfsthal, Jack Rothstein, Jack Greene – violins
• Reginald Kilbey, Allen Ford, Peter Beavan – cellos

• Published in 1968
• Author: Harrison
• Track 6 on “Past Masters Volume 2“

PAUL 1968: “Forget the Indian music and listen to the melody. Don’t you think it’s a beautiful melody? It’s really lovely.”

About “The Inner Light”

“The Beatles’ song “The Inner Light,” authored by George Harrison, made its debut on a non-album single in March 1968, serving as the B-side to the iconic “Lady Madonna“. Notably, it marked Harrison’s inaugural solo composition released on a Beatles single. The track bears testament to the band’s deepening engagement with Transcendental Meditation, a practice they were immersing themselves in while studying under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India at the time.

Among Harrison’s Beatles-era repertoire, “The Inner Light” stands as one of three compositions strongly influenced by Indian classical music, alongside “Love You To” and “Within You Without You.” Drawing inspiration from a passage in the Taoist Tao Te Ching, Harrison adeptly married these lyrics to music, guided by Sanskrit scholar Juan Mascaró, who had previously translated the passage in his 1957 work, ‘Lamps of Fire.’

During the January 1968 Wonderwall Music soundtrack sessions in Bombay, Harrison embarked on recording “The Inner Light.” This marked a significant milestone, being the band’s maiden studio session outside of Europe. The track boasts an array of traditional Indian instruments, including sarod, shehnai, and pakhavaj. Aashish Khan, Hanuman Jadev, and Hariprasad Chaurasia were among the accomplished musicians contributing to the piece. Apart from Harrison’s distinctive lead vocals, recorded in London, the Beatles’ sole involvement was in providing harmonious backing vocals.

In the ensuing decade, “The Inner Light” assumed a somewhat elusive status in the band’s discography, making sporadic appearances on compilation albums like Rarities, Past Masters, Volume 2, and Mono Masters. Its enchanting melodies and its ability to evoke a meditative ambiance have earned acclaim from numerous music critics and scholars.

A year following Harrison’s passing, Jeff Lynne and Anoushka Shankar paid tribute to the late musician by performing “The Inner Light” at the Concert for George, a poignant testament to the enduring impact of Harrison’s musical legacy.

Meaning of “The Inner Light”

“The Inner Light” is imbued with profound spiritual and philosophical themes. Its title and lyrics hint at a profound exploration of the inner self, a quest for inner serenity and wisdom. Although the song doesn’t deliver a clear narrative or explicit message, it is widely interpreted as an expression of Harrison’s deepening interest in Eastern spirituality, particularly his engagement with Hinduism and meditation.

This composition encapsulates several key elements of its meaning. Firstly, it suggests a yearning to uncover a deeper, inner understanding of life and the universe. The term “The Inner Light” encapsulates a desire to fathom one’s own consciousness and discover a sense of inner tranquility and enlightenment.

Harrison’s profound fascination with Indian philosophy and spirituality, notably the teachings of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, significantly influenced the song. Its lyrics incorporate elements of these teachings, conveying a spirit of introspection and self-discovery.

Released in 1968, “The Inner Light” coincided with The Beatles’ sojourn in India to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. As such, the song can be viewed as an artistic expression of the band’s experiences and the insights they gleaned during this transformative period.

While the song draws inspiration from Eastern spirituality, its themes are universal. It resonates with the universal human aspiration to find purpose, inner peace, and a deeper connection to the world and one’s own self.

In essence, “The Inner Light” mirrors George Harrison’s personal spiritual odyssey and his fascination with Eastern philosophy and meditation. Its lyrics encourage listeners to embark on their own journey of self-discovery and seek inner enlightenment and tranquility. The song encapsulates the broader cultural and spiritual exploration that characterized the 1960s, particularly among artists and musicians.

Personnel

The Beatles

• George Harrison – lead vocals, direction
• John Lennon – harmony vocals
• Paul McCartney – harmony vocals

Additional musicians

• Aashish Khan – sarod
• Hanuman Jadev – shehnai
• Hariprasad Chaurasia – bansuri
• Mahapurush Misra – pakhavaj
• Rijram Desad – harmonium
• uncredited – tabla tarang

• Published on 1969
• Author: Harrison
• Track 2 on “Yellow Submarine“

GEORGE 1980: “‘Northern Song’ was a joke relating to Liverpool, the Holy City in the North of England. In addition, the song was copyrighted Northern Songs LTD, which I don’t own.”

GEORGE 1999: “It was at the point that I realized Dick James had conned me out of the copyrights for my own songs by offering to become my publisher. As an 18 or 19-year-old kid, I thought, ‘Great, somebody’s gonna publish my songs!’ But he never said, ‘And incidentally, when you sign this document here, you’re assigning me the ownership of the songs,’ which is what it is. It was just a blatant theft. By the time I realized what had happened, when they were going public and making all this money out of this catalog, I wrote ‘Only A Northern Song’ as what we call a ‘piss-take,’ just to have a joke about it.”

About “Only A Northern Song”

“Only a Northern Song” was written by George Harrison and was released in 1969 on the soundtrack album for the animated film “Yellow Submarine.” The song was recorded during the sessions for the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, but it was not included in the final tracklist.

The song features a distinctive psychedelic sound, which was characteristic of the experimental phase The Beatles were going through during this period.

The lyrics of “Only a Northern Song” reflect George Harrison’s feelings of detachment and disillusionment. He sings about feeling undervalued and unappreciated, as well as being stuck in a situation where his creativity is not fully recognized.

The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London during the sessions for the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. However, it was not included on the album and was instead held for the “Yellow Submarine” soundtrack.

“Only a Northern Song” was first released on the “Yellow Submarine” soundtrack album in January 1969. It was subsequently included in the remastered CD version of the album “Yellow Submarine” released in 1999.

While “Only a Northern Song” was not one of The Beatles’ biggest hits, it remains an interesting and notable piece in their discography due to its unique sound and George Harrison’s personal reflections in the lyrics.

It’s worth noting that George Harrison’s concerns about publishing rights and creative control were significant factors that contributed to the eventual dissolution of The Beatles.

Meaning of “Only A Northern Song”

“Only a Northern Song” by George Harrison is a song that encapsulates Harrison’s deep frustration with the business aspects of the music industry. The track serves as a poignant commentary on his relationship with the Beatles’ publishing company, Northern Songs.

In the lyrics, Harrison expresses a sense of disillusionment and resignation, emphasizing that it seemingly doesn’t matter what chords he plays, the words he sings, or even the time of day – because, in his view, it’s ‘only a Northern Song.’ This refrain serves as a biting reminder of his perceived lack of control over his own creative output, particularly in terms of publishing rights.

The term ‘Northern Song’ is significant. On one level, it’s a reference to the actual publishing company owned by the Beatles. Harrison believed that, despite his significant contributions to the band’s music, he had little influence over the rights to his own compositions. The major shareholders of Northern Songs, primarily John Lennon and Paul McCartney, were reaping greater financial benefits from his work.

Beyond its specific context, the song can be interpreted as a broader critique of the music industry itself, where artists often find themselves with limited control over their own creations. Harrison’s lyrics convey this sentiment with a touch of sarcasm and irony, reflecting his frustration and, perhaps, a certain resignation to the situation.

Furthermore, the term ‘Northern Song’ could carry a dual meaning. It may serve as a play on words, referring to Liverpool, the northern English city where the Beatles originated. This geographical reference adds another layer of meaning to the song.

“Only a Northern Song” can also be seen as a meta-song. Harrison uses unconventional chords and musical dissonance to highlight the futility of composing for Northern Songs. This unique approach amplifies the sense of dissatisfaction and discontent embedded in the lyrics.

In sum, “Only a Northern Song” stands as George Harrison’s poignant commentary on the challenges and complexities of being a creative artist within a large commercial enterprise, specifically within the Beatles’ publishing company. It’s a song of reflection, frustration, and ultimately, resignation to the realities of the music industry.

Personnel

• George Harrison – vocals, Hammond organ, additional organ, dialogue, noises
• John Lennon – glockenspiel, piano, dialogue, noises
• Paul McCartney – bass guitar, trumpet, noises
• Ringo Starr – drums, noises
• uncredited (played by the Beatles) – timpani, Mellotron, additional percussion

• Published in 1967
• Author: Harrison
• Track 4 on “Magical Mystery Tour“

GEORGE 1968: “Derek Taylor got held up. He rang to say he’d be late. I told him on the phone that the house was in Blue Jay Way. And he said he could find it okay… he could always ask a cop. So I waited and waited. I felt really nackered with the flight, but I didn’t want to go to sleep until he came. There was a fog and it got later and later. To keep myself awake, just as a joke to pass the time while I waited, I wrote a song about waiting for him in Blue Jay Way. There was a little Hammond organ in the corner of this house which I hadn’t noticed until then… so I messed around on it and the song came.”

About “Blue Jay Way”

George Harrison wrote “Blue Jay Way” for the Beatles’s Magical Mystery Tour EP and album, which were released in 1967. Harrison named the song after an address in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, where he stayed in August 1967 before going to the Haight-Ashbury District of San Francisco. As Harrison struggled to stay awake after flying from London to Los Angeles, the lyrics describe his wait for music publicist Derek Taylor to find Blue Jay Way through fog-covered hills.

As with several of Harrison’s compositions from this period, “Blue Jay Way” incorporates elements of Indian classical music, despite the Beatles using only Western instruments, including a drone-like Hammond organ part played by Harrison. As part of the group’s psychedelic period, the track makes extensive use of studio techniques such as flanging, Leslie rotary effect, and reversed tape sounds. This song appears in the Beatles’ 1967 television film Magical Mystery Tour, in a sequence that visually re-creates the song’s haziness and dislocation.

Harrison’s situation on that first night in Los Angeles is entirely reflected in the lyrics to “Blue Jay Way“. During the conversation, he mentions that he has been battling sleep and advises Taylor to ask a policeman for directions to Blue Jay Way. The song’s author Jonathan Gould describes it as “darkly funny,” with the singer’s concern over his friends’ tardiness almost resembling a “metaphysical crisis.” Harrison’s refrain “Please don’t be long” is central to the composition’s “extraordinary sense of yearning and melancholy”.

Some reviewers have dismissed the song as monotonous, but others have praised its dark mood and yearning quality. “Blue Jay Way” was described as “a haunted house of a hit, adding an ethereal, creepy mythos to the City of Angels”. In addition to its continued connection to Los Angeles, the song was one of the first Beatles tracks used by cult leader Charles Manson as the basis of his Helter Skelter theory of a countercultural revolution based on race. Bud Shank, Colin Newman, Tracy Bonham, and Siouxsie and the Banshees have all covered the song.

Meaning of “Blue Jay Way”

The lyrics of “Blue Jay Way” reflect Harrison’s feelings of disorientation and frustration while waiting for some friends to arrive at his rented house on Blue Jay Way. The song has a dreamlike and somewhat eerie quality, with a haunting melody and trippy musical effects. “Blue Jay Way” is often interpreted as a reflection of Harrison’s experiences with Eastern spirituality and the psychedelic culture of the 1960s. The song is known for its distinctive sound and remains a notable track in The Beatles’ catalog.

Personnel

• George Harrison – lead vocals, Hammond organ, backing vocal
• John Lennon – backing vocal, Hammond organ
• Paul McCartney – backing vocal, bass guitar
• Ringo Starr – drums, tambourine
• Unnamed session musician – cello

“Blue Jay Way” karaoke

For those who want to try singing “Blue Jay Way”, here is a video with the karaoke version of the song: