🌙 A Moment Long Overdue
On October 6, 1969, The Beatles released the double A-side single “Something” / “Come Together.”
For the first time in the band’s history, the “A-side” wasn’t written by John Lennon or Paul McCartney — it was penned by George Harrison.
After years of being the “quiet Beatle,” George finally had his masterpiece.
And not just any song — “Something” would go on to be hailed by critics, musicians, and even his own bandmates as one of the greatest love songs ever written.
Frank Sinatra once called it “the greatest love song of the past 50 years,” and he wasn’t exaggerating. With “Something,” George Harrison didn’t just step out of Lennon and McCartney’s shadow — he redefined his place in the greatest band in the world.
🎸 The Song That Started as a Whisper
George began writing “Something” in early 1968, while The Beatles were working on The White Album. At the time, he was deeply immersed in Indian spirituality and close friendship with Ravi Shankar, but musically, he was still searching for his own identity within the group.
The song’s first line — “Something in the way she moves” — came to him effortlessly. Ironically, that opening was borrowed from a James Taylor song of the same name, which had been recorded for Apple Records, the Beatles’ own label.
But what George did next was pure poetry. He transformed that borrowed phrase into something deeply personal and universal at once — a meditation on love, devotion, and the mystery of attraction.
At first, he didn’t even know how to finish it. For months, he tried different verses, different bridges. He once joked that he was “waiting for the rest of the song to come through.”
When it finally did, it was magic.
💫 Pattie Boyd, Muse and Mystery
Many assumed “Something” was written for George’s then-wife, model Pattie Boyd.
She had already inspired “I Need You” and later “For You Blue.” Boyd herself confirmed years later that she believed it was about her — “It was such a beautiful song, I was proud to be the one he loved.”
But George, ever the mystic, often denied it was about anyone specific. To him, “Something” was more than romance; it was about the divine essence of love — something spiritual, beyond the human form.
He once said, “I just wrote it. I don’t know who it’s about. Probably Krishna.”
That duality — earthly and spiritual, sensual and sacred — is what makes “Something” timeless.
🎶 Recording the Masterpiece
When the sessions for Abbey Road began in April 1969, George brought “Something” to the table.
For once, Lennon and McCartney didn’t just tolerate his contribution — they embraced it. Paul’s melodic bassline intertwined perfectly with George’s delicate guitar phrasing, and Ringo’s drumming gave the song a heartbeat full of restraint and tenderness.
George also played a Fender Stratocaster for that unforgettable solo — a solo that doesn’t just decorate the song but speaks within it. Every note feels like an unspoken emotion.
Producer George Martin later called it “a song of extraordinary beauty,” and even John Lennon admitted, “It’s about the best track on Abbey Road.”
To show how far he’d come, The Beatles released “Something” as the lead single — a first in their history.
💍 A Love Song That Defined the End of an Era
It’s almost poetic that “Something” came near the end of The Beatles’ story.
The band was fracturing. The sessions for Let It Be had been tense, and their friendships strained under business pressures. Yet Abbey Road shone with moments of reconciliation — and “Something” was its beating heart.
As the song climbed the charts, The Beatles were quietly unraveling behind the scenes. By the end of 1969, John had told the others he was leaving. But George’s triumph stood tall amid the chaos.
It was as if, in that one song, he had found peace while everything else around him was falling apart.
🌹 “Something” Beyond The Beatles
When “Something” was released, it became an instant classic.
It reached No. 1 in the United States and No. 4 in the UK. More importantly, it became the second most-covered Beatles song after “Yesterday.”
Artists from Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, James Brown, to even Smokey Robinson all recorded their versions — each finding their own truth in its simplicity.
Elvis’s 1973 rendition at the Aloha from Hawaii concert was especially powerful — he turned it into a gospel-tinged anthem of devotion, proving how universal the song had become.
Even decades later, “Something” remains a touchstone of songwriting — a reminder that honesty doesn’t need noise.
🌌 The Quiet Beatle Speaks Loudest
For years, George Harrison had struggled for space in a band dominated by Lennon and McCartney’s genius. His songs were often limited to one or two per album. But “Something” changed that forever.
It showed the world that George wasn’t just the “third Beatle.” He was a songwriter with his own voice — gentle yet profound.
After The Beatles broke up, he would go on to prove it again with “My Sweet Lord,” “What Is Life,” and the triple album All Things Must Pass. But “Something” was the turning point — the moment the world finally heard his heart.
💫 A Song That Still Feels New
Over fifty years later, “Something” still feels as fresh and sincere as the day it was released.
Its melody flows effortlessly, its words touch something universal, and George’s guitar still sings like a prayer.
Paul McCartney has often performed it in tribute to George, using a ukulele — because George loved the instrument.
When Paul plays it live, you can feel not just nostalgia, but reverence. It’s not just a song — it’s a conversation between two friends across time.