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.
Mystical One
George Harrison Lyrics
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All the same
I'm happier than a willow tree
Shine or rain sitting here by a stream
(Mmm) There's nothing I'd rather feel
In this world
You and your sweet serenity
Rocking me
I know something so dear to me
Beyond words
Beautiful feeling in my soul
Sounds I've heard
Like humming birds in a dream
(Mmm) That mystical one I knew
Is returned
Lulling me with those raincloud eyes
Taking me
Melting my heart away
I am yes I am
I know what I feel
You came in my life
Made me more real
I know whatever we may have been
In past times
Has sorted the truth out from the rest
Win or lose
I always knew you'd be there
(Mmm) You answer my deepest prayer
In a song
Shimmering slowhand flowing clear
Moving me
Melting my heart away
I am yes I am
I know what I feel
You came in my life
Made me more real
(Mmm) That mystical one I knew
Is returned
Lulling me with those raincloud eyes
Taking me
Melting my heart away
In this song, George Harrison is expressing his newfound happiness and contentment with his life. He acknowledges that people say he's changed, but he insists that he's happier now than he used to be. He is sitting by a stream and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The mystical one that he knew, presumably a person or an idea that brought him inner peace, has returned to his life. He's found a beautiful feeling in his soul that he can't quite express in words, but it's like the sound of hummingbirds humming in a dream. He knows that this feeling is real and it's melting his heart away.
Line by Line Meaning
They say I'm not what I used to be
All the same
Although people might think I have changed, I am still the same person
I'm happier than a willow tree
Shine or rain sitting here by a stream
I feel immense happiness and peace in my surroundings by the stream, no matter the weather
There's nothing I'd rather feel
In this world
You and your sweet serenity
Rocking me
Melting my heart away
Nothing in this world brings me more joy than being with you and feeling your calming presence that fills my heart with warmth
I know something so dear to me
Beyond words
Beautiful feeling in my soul
Sounds I've heard
Like humming birds in a dream
I have experienced something that is beyond words and so beautiful that it has touched my soul. It's like hearing the humming of birds in a dream
That mystical one I knew
Is returned
Lulling me with those raincloud eyes
Taking me
Melting my heart away
The mystical person I once knew has returned and is soothing me with their eyes that shine like rain clouds, taking me away and melting my heart
I am yes I am
I know what I feel
You came in my life
Made me more real
I am sure and confident in how I feel, and you have made me a more genuine person since coming into my life
I know whatever we may have been
In past times
Has sorted the truth out from the rest
Win or lose
I always knew you'd be there
You answer my deepest prayer
Our past experiences have helped us differentiate what is true from what is not, and regardless of the outcome, I knew you would still be there for me. You have fulfilled my deepest desires and prayers
Shimmering slowhand flowing clear
Moving me
Melting my heart away
Your shining, flowing presence is moving me and has melted my heart away
That mystical one I knew
Is returned
Lulling me with those raincloud eyes
Taking me
Melting my heart away
The mystical person I once knew has returned and is soothing me with their eyes that shine like rain clouds, taking me away and melting my heart
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: George Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind