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.
Baltimore Oriole
George Harrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took one look at that mercury, forty below
No life for a lady
To be draggin' her feathers around in the snow
Leaving me blue, off she flew
To the Tangipaho, down in Louisiana
Where a two, timin' Jaybird
Met the divine Miss O
I'd like to ruffle his plumage
That Baltimore Oriole
Messed around with that big guy
Till he singed her wings
Forgivin' is easy, it's a woman like, now and then
Could happen to thing
Send her back home
Home ain't home without her warbling
How she can sing
Make a lonely man happy, Baltimore Oriole
Come down from that bough
Fly to your daddy now.
George Harrison's "Baltimore Oriole" is a song about infidelity and the pain that comes with being cheated on. The lyrics describe the title bird taking off to Louisiana to be with a two-timing Jaybird, leaving the singer feeling lonely and heartbroken. He expresses his anger and desire for revenge on the Baltimore Oriole's new mate, wishing to "ruffle his plumage." However, he also acknowledges that forgiveness is easy and that sometimes, women (and men) can make mistakes.
The Baltimore Oriole represents the singer's lost love, who he desperately wants to come home. He describes how her singing used to make him happy, and how her absence has left him feeling lonely. The song's imagery highlights the contrast between the warmth and beauty of Louisiana, where the Baltimore Oriole is now living, and the cold, harsh winter where he is stuck. By the end of the song, he pleads with her to come back to him, to "fly to your daddy now."
Overall, "Baltimore Oriole" is a poignant representation of the pain of lost love and the yearning for reconciliation. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the emotions they convey are universal and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Baltimore Oriole
The song's title, referring to the bird that serves as the main metaphor throughout the song.
Took one look at that mercury, forty below
The Baltimore Oriole saw the temperature was extremely cold, which made it clear that it would be unsuitable for her to stay there.
No life for a lady
The cold and snow is not an ideal situation for a delicate bird like the Baltimore Oriole.
To be draggin' her feathers around in the snow
The bird's feathers, her distinguishing feature, are too beautiful and brightly colored to be ruined by the harsh snow.
Leaving me blue, off she flew
The artist is sad that the bird has left.
To the Tangipaho, down in Louisiana
The Baltimore Oriole flew to Tangipaho in Louisiana, where the climate is warmer and more suitable for her.
Where a two, timin' Jaybird
The Baltimore Oriole encountered a promiscuous male bird who was involved with multiple partners.
Met the divine Miss O
The two birds had a relationship, but the male bird had better luck elsewhere in courting more birds.
I'd like to ruffle his plumage
The artist wishes to disturb the two-timing bird's feathers as punishment for hurting the Baltimore Oriole.
That Baltimore Oriole
The artist is once again referring to the female bird.
Messed around with that big guy
The singer refers to the promiscuous male bird that the Baltimore Oriole had a relationship with.
Till he singed her wings
The Baltimore Oriole got hurt, symbolized by the burning of her wings due to the relationship.
Forgivin' is easy, it's a woman like, now and then
The singer thinks it's easier for a woman to forgive a man than the other way around.
Could happen to thing
The singer sees the possibility of something similar happening to any other bird.
Send her back home
The singer wants the Baltimore Oriole to return to her original habitat.
Home ain't home without her warbling
The artist misses the bird's singing and feels that her presence makes it more like home.
How she can sing
The artist admires the Baltimore Oriole's singing voice.
Make a lonely man happy, Baltimore Oriole
The singer is addressing the bird, acknowledging how her singing cheers him up and makes him feel less lonely.
Come down from that bough
The singer is asking the bird to come down from the tree branch she's perched on.
Fly to your daddy now.
The artist is once again addressing the bird, asking her to go back to her original habitat and to her own kind.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, PAUL FRANCIS WEBSTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind