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.
Blood from a Clone
George Harrison Lyrics
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May not go well as it's too laid back.
You need some oomph-papa, nothing like
Frank Zappa
And not New Wave they don't play that crap
Tyr beating your head on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
They want the blood from a clone
I hear a clock ticking
I feel the nitpicking
I almost quit kicking at the wall
There seems a confusion, under the illusion
That they know just what will suit you all
Beating my head on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Ain't got time for the music
They want the blood from a clone
There is no sense to it
Pure pounds and pence to it
They're so intense too makes me amazed
Don't want no music but, they're making you
sick with
Some awful noises that may get played
By beating their heads on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Ain't no messing 'round with music
Give them the blood from a clone
Where will it all lead us
I thought we had freed us
From the mundane seems I'm wrong again
Could be they lack roots, they're still wearing
jack boots they're
Marching somewhere in the pouring rain
Beating my head on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Don't have time for the music
They want the blood from a clone
In the lyrics of George Harrison’s “Blood From A Clone”, Harrison seems to be criticizing the popular music industry for prioritizing profit over artistic expression. He suggests that the industry is more concerned with marketability than quality, which is why there is an abundance of generic, catch-all hits while more experimental and innovative music is often eschewed. Harrison uses the metaphor of “blood from a clone” to illustrate this mentality. Specifically, he is implying that the industry is more interested in copying what has proven to be successful rather than taking risks and exploring new sounds.
Harrison is also critical of the expectations that the industry places on musicians to create music that will fit within preconceived notions of what is marketable. In the second verse, he describes feeling constrained by the demands placed upon him by people who think they know what the public wants to hear. This, in turn, leads Harrison to feel that there is no “sense to it” – that the industry is nothing more than people chasing money without any regard for artistry or creativity.
Overall, “Blood From A Clone” can be seen as a statement on the state of the music industry in the 1980s. Harrison seems to condemn the industry’s narrow-mindedness and suggests that the public deserves better than the cookie-cutter hits that they are being fed.
Line by Line Meaning
They say they like it, now, but in the market it
May not go well as it's too laid back.
Although they claim to enjoy it, the laid-back style may not sell well in the market.
You need some oomph-papa, nothing like
Frank Zappa
And not New Wave they don't play that crap
They're looking for energetic music, nothing like Frank Zappa or New Wave.
Tyr beating your head on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Don't have time for the music
They want the blood from a clone
Trying to make music is like banging your head against a wall, and they don't care for the music itself, just what they can get out of you.
I hear a clock ticking
I feel the nitpicking
I almost quit kicking at the wall
There seems a confusion, under the illusion
That they know just what will suit you all
They're overly critical and micromanage everything, making it hard to create anything of value. They think they know what everyone wants, but are really just confused.
Beating my head on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Ain't got time for the music
They want the blood from a clone
Trying to make music is like banging your head against a wall, and they don't care for the music itself, just what they can get out of you.
There is no sense to it
Pure pounds and pence to it
They're so intense too makes me amazed
Don't want no music but, they're making you
sick with
Some awful noises that may get played
There's no art or passion to what they're doing, it's all about money. They're so intense about it that it's hard to believe. They don't even like music, but will play terrible noise if it makes them money.
By beating their heads on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Ain't no messing 'round with music
Give them the blood from a clone
Trying to make music is like banging your head against a wall, and they don't care for the music itself, just what they can get out of you.
Where will it all lead us
I thought we had freed us
From the mundane seems I'm wrong again
Could be they lack roots, they're still wearing
jack boots they're
Marching somewhere in the pouring rain
They thought they were moving away from dull, boring music, but it seems they're wrong. Maybe they don't have a real connection to the music, and are stuck in old ways, marching blindly into the future.
Beating my head on a brick wall
Hard like a stone
Don't have time for the music
They want the blood from a clone
Trying to make music is like banging your head against a wall, and they don't care for the music itself, just what they can get out of you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEORGE HARRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind