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.
Taxman
George Harrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.
In George Harrison's song Taxman, he portrays the perspective of an authoritarian tax collector towards the struggling taxpayer. The lyrics 'There's one for you, nineteen for me' implies a heavy-handed taxation system where the government takes away most of the taxpayers' earnings. The phrase 'I'm the taxman' is repeated multiple times to emphasize the authority and power possessed by the tax collector.
The next few lines showcase the greed of the government, where the tax collector justifies a 5% tax on the taxpayer's earnings, by saying 'be thankful I don't take it all.' The following stanzas talk about how the taxman taxes every aspect of the taxpayers' life, be it cars, sitting, walking or being warm. The phrase 'If you don't want to pay some more' conveys the oppressive nature of the taxation system, where the taxpayers have no choice but to pay the taxes imposed by the government.
Towards the end, the lyrics 'Declare the pennies on your eyes' talks about the taxpayer's death and how even after death, the government expects the taxpayers to pay. The last line 'And you're working for no one but me' is an indication of how the government has complete control over the taxpayers' lives and the money they earn. In summary, the song Taxman is a protest against an authoritative taxation system that dominates the lives of the taxpayers.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell you how it will be
The taxman, I, will explain how things work in regards to taxes.
There's one for you, nineteen for me
I will take a large percentage of your earnings as taxes, leaving you with only a small portion.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
I am the authority on taxes and will take a significant amount from your earnings.
Should five per cent appear too small
If the amount of taxes you are paying seems small to you,
Be thankful I don't take it all
be grateful that I am not taking all of your earnings in taxes.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
As the taxman, I have the power to take your earnings as taxes.
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you operate a vehicle, I will charge you taxes for using the road.
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you attend an event, I will take taxes from the cost of your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you use heating, I will tax it as a form of energy consumption.
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Even if you walk, I will charge you for it, as it has an impact on the environment.
Don't ask me what I want it for
Do not question me when it comes to the taxes I collect and why they are necessary.
If you don't want to pay some more
If you resist paying additional taxes,
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
I will use my authority as the taxman to ensure that you pay what is owed.
Now my advice for those who die
For those who have passed away, here is my advice.
Declare the pennies on your eyes
List all of your possessions in your estate, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, in order to be taxed accordingly.
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
As always, I am the one who will be collecting the taxes.
And you're working for no one but me.
Ultimately, everything that you do and all your earnings are just working towards paying me, the taxman.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: George Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mvinge
@@joannedowell3194 Live yes but not in the studio. Paul is/was, along with John, a multi instrumentalist in The Beatles. He played piano and guitar too. Here’s a list of other Beatles tunes Paul played lead guitar on:
“Ticket To Ride “
“The Night Before “
“Another Girl “
“Taxman “
“And Your Bird Can Sing ” [with George]
“Strawberry Fields Forever ” [? — the part right after the last chorus]
“Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
“Sgt. Pepper ‘s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)”
“Good Morning, Good Morning”
“Back in the U.S.S.R.”
“Birthday ”
“Helter Skelter “
“The End ” [with John and George]
@felipemustafa1125
Essa música tem várias curiosidades interessantes:
O John Lennon ajudou o George em alguns trechos de música, principalmente em: (If you try to sit, sit) I'll tax your seat
(If you get too cold, cold) I'll tax the heat
(If you take a walk, walk) I'll tax your feet
O solo maravilhoso de guitarra dessa música foi feita pelo Paul McCartney, porque o George tentou vários takes, e nada saía. E o Paul em um take só fez ela
Essa música tem uma fortíssima inspiração na música tema da série do Batman de 1966, principalmente pela forma de cantar Taxman
@forgingviews3401
“My advice for those who die, declare the pennies on your eyes” Will forever be a cold af awesome line
@brianburgess7020
The line is "put clever pennies on your eyes"....the old British custom of putting coins on the deceased eyes.
@lolforlife2487
@@brianburgess7020 no its not dude
@frankbarnwell____
Yes. When you die, they charge.....
@RamansSon
@@lolforlife2487 i watched boondock saint, its like irish tradition
@lolforlife2487
@@RamansSon that's not the correct lyric tho
@Goatchild90
Rest in Peace George Harrison
One of the best album openers of all time
@groovymusic8910
Absolutely!!!
@theboi5411
@@shelleyhowell86 What?
@shelleyhowell86
@@theboi5411 What is a good question. I'm deleting my original comment. It's a WTF for me too.