When you hear ‘The Beatles’, people normally associate the band with John Lennon or Paul McCartney. Well, I cannot blame them. George Harrison is rather known as the ‘quiet Beatle’ anyway. Guess what? He is my favorite.

This week, I plan to write some articles in relation to George Harrison for my self-imposed ‘George Harrison Challenge’. I will start with the easiest and that is by ranking my Top 15 Favorite George Harrison Songs that he wrote and sung as part of The Beatles.

Are you ready?

15. Love You To
From the album ‘Revolver’

Love me while you can
Before I’m a dead old man
A lifetime is so short
A new one can’t be bought
But what you’ve got means such a lot to me

14. I Want To Tell You

From the album ‘Revolver’

Sometimes I wish I knew you well
Then I could speak my mind and tell
Maybe you’d understand
I want to tell you
I feel hung up and I don’t know why

13. Blue Jay Way

From the Album ‘Magical Mystery Way’

Please don’t be long..

I didn’t dig this song as first (I Dig Love LOLOLOL) but when I played it again.. again.. and again… Creepy, ‘eh? The type of song that I would love to play while trapped inside a gigantic mall at midnight. I think George wrote this song while waiting for his friends to arrive in Blue Jay Way. Please don’t be long…

12. Think of Yourself

From the album ‘Rubber Soul’

I left you far behind
The ruins of the life that you had in mind
And though you still can’t see
I know your mind’s made up
You’re gonna cause more misery
Do what you want to do
And go where you’re going to
Think for yourself
‘Cause I won’t be there with you

This is like The Beatles or George in particular saying that you can do whatever you want to do with your life, but you are responsible for your actions. Your family, your friend or your lover can be there to give you advice, but you have anyone to thank or blame but yourself. So better do the right thing!

11. I Me Mine

From the album ‘Let it Be’

If I am not mistaken, this is the last track ever recorded by The Beatles. Ooops… Last track recorded by George, Paul and Ringo. John and Yoko left the studio as tensions were already building up. I can sense the hurt and the angst of George in this song. He probably felt that he is alone and there’s resentment towards some members of the band. Hmmm… This is the type of song I will probably sing when I am too overwhelmed with work that I have to do on my own.

10. Long, Long, Long

From The White Album

It’s been a long long long time

How could I ever have lost you

When I loved you It took a long long long time

Now I’m so happy I found you How I love you

So many tears I was searching,

So many tears I was wasting, oh

Now I can see you, be you

How can I ever misplace you

How I want you Oh I love you

You know that I need you Ooh I love you

9. Don’t Bother Me

From the album ‘With The Beatles’

“I’ve got no time for you right now. Don’t bother me!”

This is the first ever George Harrison song, which he composed when he was sick in a hotel room in Bournemouth. He figured out that if John and Paul can write a song, he can probably write some tunes too.

It is no surprise that a song about a guy who doesn’t want to be bothered turns out to be his first ever composition. After all, George is the voice of the ‘quiet’ and introverted ones… like me.

8. Within You Without You

From the album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

We were talking, about the love that’s gone so cold
And the people who gain the world and lose their soul
They don’t know, they can’t see, are you one of them?

I honestly didn’t enjoy this song when I heard it when I was younger, but it grew on me. I especially love the lyrics of the song which made me really think. This is probably George’s reflection about fame and spirituality while he was in India.

7. Taxman

From the album ‘Revolver’

If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet

One of the first political songs of The Beatles, Taxman is George Harrison’s way to ‘attack’ the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour Government under Harry Wilson. By this time, George is already becoming business-minded like Paul I assume and I get why he is frustrated. You work so hard and most of the money you earn goes to the government! Ughh..

There is another interesting story about the lead guitar part of this song but I will just discuss it next time.

6. The Inner Light

Without going out of your door
You can know all things on earth
Without looking out of your window
You could know the ways of heaven
The farther one travels
The less one knows
The less one really knows

5. If I Needed Someone

From the album ‘Rubber Soul’

“Carve your number on my wall and maybe you will get a call from me if I needed someone”

Just in case, you know 😉 This is my current LSS. Aaaaah!

4. I Need You

From the album ‘Help!’

Said you had a thing or two to tell me
How was I to know
You would upset me?
I didn’t realize
As I looked in your eyes
You told me
Oh yes, you told me you don’t want my lovin’ anymore
That’s when it hurt me and feeling like this
I just can’t go on anymore

The Fab 4 performed this song in the middle of nowhere at their second film ‘Help!’. I only realized the impact of this song when I saw Tom Petty perform this song in the Concert for George show, where he nearly cried when he was singing the lines “So, come on back and see
Just what you mean to me.. I need you”. Oh, George. We still need you. And Tom. You two are together now in Rock ‘n Roll heaven…

3. Here Comes the Sun

From the album ‘Abbey Road’

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo, here comes the sun
And I say it’s all right

As of writing, this song is the #1 Most Streamed song from The Beatles. An official music video for the song was also released last year. I am just glad that this positive, uplifting song is still getting some love fifty years later 😉

2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

From the album ‘The Beatles – White Album’

I look from the wings at the play you are staging.
While my guitar gently weeps
I’m sitting here doing nothing but aging
Still my guitar gently weeps

1. Something

From the album ‘Abbey Road’

Just press play and you’ll know why this is often cited as one of the most romantic songs of all-time without saying ‘I Love You’. George is just a boy smitten by a muse named Pattie Boyd. <3

Whew! Ranking my Top 15 George Harrison songs from his humble days in The Beatles! What are your Top 3 songs?

This post is part of my George Harrison Birthday Week Challenge 😀