10 of the Most Obscure George Harrison Songs
There are many obscure George Harrison songs simply because the former Beatle made the music he wanted. He didn’t make music for the charts or the record companies. His career was haphazard. Here are 10 of the most obscure George Harrison songs.
10. ‘Be Here Now’
George liked living in the moment, so “Be Here Now” held a special place inside for him. It’s a very gentle song, almost spiritual. In his 1980 memoir, I Me Mine, George wrote that he almost fell asleep with his guitar in hand while writing the calming tune. The melody came fast, and a “funny” story called “The Transformation of Richard Alpert into Baba Ram Das” inspired the lyrics. The way George sings “be here now” sounds Indian.
9. ‘Deep Blue’
“Deep Blue” came to George while his mother was dying in 1970. Even George thinks it’s an obscure song since it was only the B-side of his “Bangla Desh” single and never appeared on any album. “Deep Blue” is one of the former Beatle’s saddest songs for obvious reasons.
8. ‘Far East Man’
“Far East Man” is a soulful song George wrote with The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood. In I Me Mine, George said he and Wood “stumbled” on the tune. It was originally for Wood’s album, I’ve Got My Own Album to Do, and George thought of the lyrics driving to the guitarist’s house. George liked the song a lot and brushed it up for his album Dark Horse.
7. ‘It Is ‘He’ (Jai Sri Krishna)’
“It Is ‘He’ (Jai Sri Krishna)” is a spiritual song that George based on his experiences in Vrindavan, India, the holy city where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. In I Me Mine, George wrote that visiting the place was his “most fantastic experience.” The song is a perfect example of a song with Western and Eastern influences. The melody is comforting, and the guitar is jiving.
6. ‘His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentleman)’
“His Name Is Legs ( Ladies and Gentleman)” is one of George’s weirdest songs. The lyrics are nonsensical, but the music is upbeat. For example, take the entire first verse: “Oooh, oooh/ Everything is Dinky Doo/ Everything you do/ You, the king of La-Di-Da/ Pretty very out far/ Never oversits, he understands/ Like the back of the hand/ He should sing in a band, oh yeah.”
5. ‘Dear One’
In I Me Mine, George wrote that “Dear One” is the only song he’d ever written with an A tuning. He wrote the lyrics in 1976 during a vacation in the Virgin Islands. He directed them to Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of Autobiography of a Yogi and founder of the Self-Realisation Fellowship. The guru was a great influence on George. “Dear One” has great acoustic work and calming lyrics.
4. ‘Soft-Hearted Hana’
George wrote “Soft-Hearted Hana” around the melody of “Deep Blue.” The chords changes are in the mood of “Deep Blue” although “Soft-Hearted Hana” is more “up.” The lyrics didn’t come easily. George said the words were a “bit crazy.” They are about Hana from Maui, Hawaii, where George had some “magic mushrooms.”
3. ‘Teardrops’
“Teardrops” doesn’t sound like the average George Harrison song. He said the tune could’ve had a good dance routine. “That’s quite a nice song,” George told Timothy White (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters). “That could be done by some black group, because you could make a good dance routine to that one.”
2. ‘Unknown Delight’
According to George’s wife, Olivia, the former Beatle wrote “Unknown Delight” for their son Dhani, who they welcomed in 1978. Olivia explained that George didn’t know what to write a song about one night. So, she suggested he write a song about Dhani. The tune has some of George’s greatest slide guitar work.
1. ‘Fish on the Sand’
“Fish on the Sand” is a driving, good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll tune. George wanted his 1987 album, Cloud Nine, to be authentic rock, like how it used to sound when The Beatles were popular. In I Me Mine, George said “Fish on the Sand” is just an “out-and-out” rock tune. However, there’s a deeper meaning behind it. George is really saying that without God in your life, you’re like a fish on the sand. There was always a spiritual message written between George’s lyrics.
There are tons of obscure George Harrison songs, especially if you’re not an avid fan. Whether his songs were popular or not, George was making music for himself and to connect to God.
