Cat Stevens Covered The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ to Honor George Harrison
TL;DR:
- Cat Stevens released a cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” in 2023.
- Stevens saw a parallel between himself and “Here Comes the Sun” writer George Harrison.
- Stevens admired George as a musician and as a humanitarian.
Cat Stevens, a.k.a. Yusuf Islam, recorded his own version of The Beatles‘ “Here Comes the Sun.” Stevens revealed why he paid tribute to George Harrison. In addition, George’s son discussed Stevens’ influence.
The singer’s granddaughter made artwork for his cover of The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’
Stevens released a faithful cover of “Here Comes the Sun” in 2023. The official YouTube description of the song says the recording commemorated the 80th anniversary of George’s birth. The artwork for the cover is a cute image of a sun made by the singer’s granddaughter.
During a 2023 statement to Dark Horse Records, Stevens discussed his feelings about the “My Sweet Lord” singer. “While most of my generation were just into the music, I was a bit like George, where music became the key to something much higher,” Stevens said. “Following the rages of the ’60s, his consciousness was awakened, and George transcended to levels not many people ever get to experience. You can hear it in his lyrics, and see it in the way he lived and dealt with the material world — looking for a way out.”
Cat Stevens said The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ is a response to ‘a dark and broken world’
In addition to drawing musical inspiration from the quiet Beatle, Stevens admired George on a moral level. “George was one of the first to put on a charity concert for the poor, at the time millions of Bangladeshis were fleeing from conflict and becoming refugees,” he said. “It was a brave thing to do, and against all establishment rules. I’m happy to sing one of his songs, especially as it represents the returning of light and hope to a seriously dark and broken world.”
Steven was referring to The Concert for Bangladesh, a pair of charity concerts designed to raise money for those affected by the Bangladesh genocide. George also released the song “Bangla Desh,” the first charity single, to raise awareness for the nation’s refugees. “Bangla Desh” paved the way for other famous charity singles such as “We Are the World” by USA for Africa and Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” as well as the famous Live Aid charity concert. The latter featured a performance from Paul McCartney.
What George Harrison’s son, Dhani Harrison, thinks about Cat Stevens
Stevens signed to George’s label, Dark Horse Records. In 2023, George’s son, Dhani Harrison, was happy to welcome the “Peace Train” singer to Dark Horse Records. “Not only is Yusuf a great musical legend but his songs could not fit the Dark Horse mythos any better,” he said. In Dhani’s opinion, Stevens was one of the most impactful singer-songwriters of all time. Stevens plans to release a new album through Dark Horse Records.
George and Stevens had similar experiences — and Stevens went on to pay tribute to George.
