How Songs Helped George Harrison Cope With Being A Beatle

George Harrison had no intention of ever having a career as one of the most successful music stars in history. The “shy” Beatle was always quiet about his status in the world, and he would frequently retire to the back of the stage and be engaged in his guitar rather than being pushed to the front. But, being a part of the Fab Four, he always was pushed to the front of the limelight. But, as the adage goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them;” so George began to use his songwriting talents to cope with this intense fame and unending responsibilities as a Beatle.

Harrison began writing songs about his colleagues’ infighting at the conclusion of their career, as he discussed the root evil of ego and how it may consume someone in Let It Be’s “I Me Mine.” Furthermore, Harrison often wrote songs about how great it was to not see his old buddies, despite not mentioning them, in “Here Comes the Sun.” The song was written by Harrison on a day when he was meant to be at the Apple headquarters but instead spent the day relaxing and enjoying the freedom from the responsibility it afforded him.

Harrison’s frustration with Paul McCartney’s treatment of his songs during the Let It Be sessions led to the composition of “Wah Wah,” which he dedicated to the feeling of being ignored. Harrison also vented his anger in a song called “Sue Me Sue You Blues,” in which he complains about having to meet with his attorneys once again when Allen Klein was brought into the situation and the litigation began.

In “Run of the Mill,” the members of the Fab Four meet a tragic end. Harrison claims that misunderstandings and a gradual thinning of their friendships were responsible for all of the public digs at one another. “The Light That Has Lighted the World” shed some light on certain people who would never accept change, and Harrison wrote it long after the fans’ unwillingness to accept the band’s death had begun to weigh on him.

Although Harrison had initially looked back on their Beatle years with contempt, he eventually realized that it was okay to embrace the good times that had also occurred. Following Lennon’s untimely death, Harrison composed “All Those Years Ago” to honor the many years of the band’s success.

Then, Harrison’s rebirth of Cloud Nine in the 1980s was the last song written specifically about The Beatles, following a hiatus that spanned most of the 1980s. Harrison’s view of his former band, entitled “When We Was Fab,” is a humorous one.