After the Beatles stopped touring in 1966, George started writing more songs than could be fitted onto the albums so that by the time of the split he had built up a collection of songs, some used on his debut solo album, All Things Must Pass. The album, released in 1970, contains the two-time number one hit, "My Sweet Lord".
Harrison is also credited for creating music benefits, notably the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh. Harrison played beside Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, and Leon Russell to a crowd of 40,000 in Madison Square Garden, New York. The show raised over $240,000 benefiting the George Harrison Fund for Bangladesh relief.
Harrison went on to release several successful solo albums, and in the late 1980s collaborated with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty, in a group called Traveling Wilburys. The group released two albums. Later, Harrison reunited with the other two surviving Beatles, after John Lennon's murder in 1980, to produce two final Beatles records, "Free As a Bird" and "Real Love" featuring the voice of Lennon, taken from home demos provided by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. The three Beatles also co-wrote a massive autobiography and television special, both titled "The Beatles Anthology."
Before his death, Harrison conceived of a Cirque du Soleil show, "Love," featuring remixes of Beatles music which were overseen by Beatles producer George Martin.
Harrison died on November 29, 2001 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a wife and son, Olivia and Dhani Harrison. His last album, Brainwashed, was released posthumously and featured the single "Any Road".
A benefit concert in Harrison's memory was played on 29 November 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall. The star-studded event (featuring Eric Clapton and Monty Python, as well as former band mates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) was released on the DVD double-album, Concert for George.
Awaiting You All
George Harrison Lyrics
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You don't need no bed pan
You don't need a horoscope or a microscope
The see the mess that you're in
If you open up your heart
You will know what I mean
We've been polluted so long
Now here's a way for you to get clean
By chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
Chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
You don't need no passport
And you don't need no visas
You don't need to designate or to emigrate
Before you can see Jesus
If you open up your heart
You'll see he's right there
Always was and will be
He'll relieve you of your cares
By chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
Chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
You don't need no church house
And you don't need no Temple
You don't need no rosary beads or them books to read
To see that you have fallen
If you open up your heart
You will know what I mean
We've been kept down so long
Someone's thinking that we're all green
And while the Pope owns fifty one percent of General Motors
And the stock exchange is the only thing he's qualified to quote us
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
By chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free
In the song "Awaiting on You All," George Harrison is encouraging people to seek spiritual enlightenment and escape from the pollution of materialism and societal pressures. Harrison critiques organized religion and offers a path to inner peace through chanting the names of God. He emphasizes that this divine connection doesn't require any material goods or external validation, as Jesus is always accessible and can relieve one's worries.
The lyrics point out that the world has become polluted by greed, and the Pope's ownership of 51% of General Motors is a commentary on the control that religion and money can wield. The consistent message throughout the song is that true freedom comes from a connection with a higher power, rather than trying to achieve it through worldly possessions or validation from others.
The repetition of the phrase "chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free" serves as a mantra for listeners to embrace, and the call-and-response structure of the song mimics the experience of communal chanting. Harrison's incorporation of Hindu and Indian influences in his music reflects his own spiritual journey, which was heavily shaped by his interest in Eastern philosophy.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't need no love in
Love from others cannot fix your problems or make you happy.
You don't need no bed pan
You do not need to be ill or frail to realize the message of this song.
You don't need a horoscope or a microscope
You do not need advanced tools to understand what is happening in your life.
The see the mess that you're in
You can see the problems in your life just by looking around.
If you open up your heart
Being vulnerable and honest with yourself is the key to understanding.
You will know what I mean
You will understand the message of this song if you open up your heart.
We've been polluted so long
Society and other external forces have been detrimental to our well-being.
Now here's a way for you to get clean
Chanting the names of the Lord is a way to cleanse yourself of the negative influences.
The Lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see
God is waiting for you to realize the message of this song.
Chanting the names of the Lord and you'll be free
Chanting the names of the Lord is a path to freeing yourself from the negative influences in your life.
You don't need no passport
You do not need any special documents or privileges to understand the message of this song.
And you don't need no visas
You do not need approval or permission from others to understand the message of this song.
You don't need to designate or to emigrate
You do not need to change your physical location to find what you are looking for.
Before you can see Jesus
You do not need special religious or spiritual knowledge or experiences to find enlightenment.
You'll see he's right there
God is already present in your life.
Always was and will be
God has been with you since before your birth and will be with you after death.
He'll relieve you of your cares
God will take away your worries and troubles.
You don't need no church house
You do not need a physical location or building to understand the message of this song.
And you don't need no Temple
You do not need to follow traditional or established religious practices to find enlightenment.
You don't need no rosary beads or them books to read
You do not need physical religious objects or texts to find enlightenment.
To see that you have fallen
You do not need any external help to realize that you have problems in your life.
We've been kept down so long
Society and external forces have been suppressing us for a long time.
Someone's thinking that we're all green
Someone in power thinks that we are all weak and easily manipulated.
And while the Pope owns fifty one percent of General Motors
Religious and political leaders are often intertwined with wealthy and powerful corporations.
And the stock exchange is the only thing he's qualified to quote us
Politicians and leaders are only qualified to speak about economic interests and the stock market.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind