Comments on: The Inner Light

By: John

John — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 02:20:35 +0000

Always loved this song………At the time I was sad John didn’t get his Across the Universe …..er…across. That song missed it’s ‘moment’

But we’ve got both songs now. Wouldn’t be without them.

George often went on about how John and Paul belittled him………I’d say mostly ‘not guilty’…..(of which there were 147 dreary takes)…..All of them had their moments though and it was easy to see that George was happier with his position in the Wilburies than the latter Beatles.

They all owe a lot to each other…….How much? Even a Taoist couldn’t unravel that.

By: Teddy Salad

Teddy Salad — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 17:31:31 +0000

@per, your comment seems to conflict the above quote from the tape operator as quoted by Lewisohn, who specifically said Paul encouraged George. Do you have any reference for your statement? I’m not disputing, just wondering which is correct. Cheers.

By: Is There Anybody

Is There Anybody — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 08:57:00 +0000

+ 1
And, as Joe refers quite right in the song presentation, this is an example, how other members encouraged George in his song writing/singing.
We have heard so much about the tension and jeleausy, I wonder why people are always eager to bring up negativity.
Yes, there was that in the 1969 especially, but much more friendship “thicker than water”.
Read e.g.The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics by Alan Aldridge, a reference by Paul of The Inner Light. Love.

By: Surjit Singh

Surjit Singh — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 15:01:06 +0000

The personnel listing is incorrect sir. I am a student and biographer of Hariprasad Chaurasia and he categorically stated that he has never recorded in a studio with Aahshish Khan. Inner Light was released in 1968. The first time Hariprasad Chaurasia met Harrison was in 1974 IN ENGLAND when Ravi Shankar took him for the England/USA tour – the resultant album from which is SHANKAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

By: dgw28

dgw28 — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 12:39:58 +0000

George’s Indian stuff has grown on me over the years, but when they were first released I found these songs pretty boring and not really ‘Beatles’ music.

By: Teddy Salad

Teddy Salad — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 14:36:29 +0000

Other great songwriters, plural? George, yeah. Ringo?

By: Ray Barker

Ray Barker — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 01:55:46 +0000

The bigger question for me is: Do you feel it would have fit onto the White Album (The Beatles), replacing (an obvious choice), “Revolution 9”? I certainly do.

By: btb

btb — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 11:38:42 +0000

Hi Johan. Interesting point. I’d never really bothered to compare The Inner Light (and George’s other great tracks from around then, Something and Here Comes the Sun) with Paul’s hits.
As Robert mentions, I think Paul still had it in him (Oh! Darling, Golden Slumbers (derivative as it is), Let It Be, Long and Winding Road (I still have a soft spot for this, having played accompaniment for it for my high school’s Chamber Chorale)), but I think George was finally being recognised within the band for his song-writing. He had been writing great songs for quite a while (eg All Things Must Pass), but they were kept off previous albums because of the Lennon-McCartney cartel* (how else can it be put? it wasn’t always George being bashful…)
*I’m not bashing the great and much lauded L-McC songwriting partnership, but I think it was at the expense of other great songwriters within the band. I think post-Beatles, George was the most prolific and consistently GOOD composer, though I admit that’s going to be a subjective assessment.

By: btb

btb — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 11:23:34 +0000

Interesting. I thought the production (let’s be frank here, the “Indian production”) was perfect. Not sure what you had in mind, but I doubt westernising it would have helped. It is beautiful perhaps _because_ of its lack of western influence?

By: per

per — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 03:20:00 +0000

I don´t give much for several of the songs by Harrison that you mention, Johan. The inner light, Something and Here comes the sun are as good as it gets. Only a northern song has somethíng melodically, but is ruined by the terrible production. Ian MacDonald praises Long, long, long, but that is one of the few Beatles songs about which he and I have different opinions.

I think McCartney wrote a lot of top songs in 1968-69: Hey Jude, Back in the USSR, Blackbird, I will, Mother nature´s son, The long and winding road (terrible production but magnificent song), Two of us, Oh! Darling, You never give me your money, She came in through the bathroom window, Golden slumbers, Carry that weight, The End.

Lady Madonna is good in my opinion, always liked that one better than Get back.

Not fond of Let it be, it is too repetitive.

By: per

per — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 02:34:32 +0000

The Inner Light is my favorite Harrison song after Something and Here comes the sun.

McCartney thought Harrison should have left the indian style out. I would not go as far as to suggest such a thing, but The Inner Light could have become even better with a slightly different production.

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 19:54:01 +0000

I am sorry it is so tragic for you but it is still just your opinion. I will always continue to enjoy all of The Beatles music including and regardless of the “tragedies”.

By: Johan cavalli

Johan cavalli — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 12:17:25 +0000

The break through of The Beatles 1963 meant a new fantastic increasing tension-expressionism! and ended with mainstream superficial songs like Get Back and Let It Be. For me It´s tragic. Harrison, and of course Lennon, are heavier.
Happy New Year to you!.

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 14:07:05 +0000

Yeah, Paul was a real slacker in 1968 and 1969: Back in the USSR, Get Back,Hey Jude, Let It Be, I Will,Blackbird, The End, Golden Slumbers, Helter Skelter, Mother Nature’s Son, Two Of Us, Carry That Weight, You Never Give Me Your Money, (the A side) Lady Madonna, and even this site’s much maligned whipping boy- Long and Winding Road.
True George really came into his own as a wonderful song writer at this time but give Paul his due. If you were really fair and objective you might compare George’s songs to what John composed but your track record indicates otherwise. Happy New Year!!!

By: Johan cavalli

Johan cavalli — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 20:16:51 +0000

When I heard The Inner Light on the radio in March 1968 I was quit overwhelmed! Oh my good, one more genius in The Beatles! A kind of break through for Harrison as a composer. The sang melody is superb. It´s better than Lady Madonna. I think that In The Beatles last years 1968 and 1969, Harrison is a better composer than McCartney with this song, Piggies, Long,Long,Long, Only A Northen Song, It´s All Too Much, Something, Here Comes The Sun and I Me Mine.

By: Paul elliman

Paul elliman — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 18:55:44 +0000

As relevant today as it was 47 years ago

By: Luke

Luke — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 10:31:50 +0000

My favourite beatles song. Absolutely beautiful tune from George , these are the tunes that made The Beatles the greatest ever.

By: Bungalow Bob

Bungalow Bob — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:18:28 +0000

As a kid, I can remember buying the 45 single “Lady Madonna,” and being blown away with how unexpectedly cool this “B-Side” sounded. When I read here that John and Paul are credited with “backup vocals,” I had to listen to the song again, because I didn’t recall any “back-up” vocals. Sure enough, there they are, on the LAST line of the song “…Do all without doing”… putting a very nice Beatles “touch” on an outstanding, out-of-the-box song.

By: David Lee Fairey

David Lee Fairey — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:07:07 +0000

In my opinion, even John or Paul didn’t write a melody as beautiful as George’s The Inner Light. It is SO Indian in style with its its pedal-tone chord and the melody gently rising and falling above (like a butterfly).

When released on CD (Past Masters Volume 1, 1988) it was given a new lease of life. The clarity of the recording brought out the beauty in George’s single-track vocal and the tabla playing on the track.

You can almost smell the incense.

By: Iris

Iris — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 08:36:13 +0000

It’s brilliant song. I don’t know much about music industry or recording session. But listening to it feels like getting your soul cleaned. And it’s about Taoism. Guess what? I’m from China(well, I stay in China, never been abroad). Though I was not touched by the lyrics but the amazing automosphere it created in the first place. I was not primarily a Harrison fan, but he’s having me a bit more everyday.

And I love this site. I’ve been secretly hanging around here for nearly 1 year. It’s a great site, so much to explore. Thanks, Joe and every body.