This Star Helped George Harrison Write The Beatles’ ‘Something’

The Beatles‘ “Something” is one of George Harrison’s masterpieces. He probably couldn’t have made it alone. Another 1960s rock star taught George a musical trick that helped him write “Something.” John Lennon would later say that “Something” differed from all of George’s previous compositions.

The Beatles’ ‘Something’ was inspired by someone who was there with them in India

Donovan is a folk/psychedelic rock singer who became famous for 1960s tunes such as “Atlantis,” “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” “Sunshine Superman,” “Mellow Yellow,” and “Season of the Witch.” He famously went on The Beatles’ trip to India to study meditation. Donovan’s personal website says that he taught George a descending chord pattern that the Beatle would later use on the ballad “Something.”

Gold reports that, during a 2024 interview with Record Collector Magazine, Donovan discussed his influence on the “My Sweet Lord” singer. “I became George’s mentor for songwriting,” the Hurdy Gurdy Man recalled. “He was in the shadow of John and Paul for so many years and I said, ‘Look, I’ll show you a few tricks, how to encourage the songs.’

“There’s a way to encourage the song to come,” he added. “You can tease it, like fishing. I told him how to play a chord then put your ear on the guitar, listen to the open chord and try a tempo. You can hear melodies, believe it or not. Melodies appear, but you’ve got to be quick to catch them.”

Donovan had scary experiences similar to The Beatles’

While Donovan wasn’t as successful as The Beatles (because nobody was), he found his own share of fame. He didn’t like all of the experiences that came with his notoriety. The “Catch the Wind” star had to run away from his fans, comparing that to a scene from A Hard Day’s Night. He felt that his notoriety was dangerous at times.

“It was horrible,” Donovian opined. “During the big shows in America, the DJs would come on halfway through — in puce lemon green and bright red costumes — and ask if people were enjoying themselves. Then as soon as the last song was over, they’d turn the lights on, say goodnight, and get in their cars. And what would happen? The whole audience would swarm towards the stage. That became a big problem.”

What John Lennon said about ‘Something’

The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, the “Imagine” singer said “Something” was an important milestone in George’s evolution as a songwriter. He felt that it was the first tune George wrote that was good enough to qualify as an A-side rather than a B-side. Proper to “Something,” George had written some of The Beatles’ most beloved album tracks, such as “Within You Without You,” “Taxman,” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

While John praised “Something,” he criticized the public reaction to it. He felt that the Fab Four had an incredible catalog, but radio programmers only played “Something,” “Let It Be,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!,” “Yesterday,” and a few other songs. He was pleasantly surprised to hear a DJ play “Glass Onion,” a deep cut from The White Album.

“Something” is a great song and it wouldn’t be the same without Donovan.