Here Comes the Sun
The early months of 1969 were a difficult period for George Harrison. He had quit the Beatles temporarily and was arrested for marijuana possession. His tonsils were removed during this time, adding to his physical discomfort. Barry Miles wrote in Oz magazine about the isolated life of individual band members. Harrison felt strangely upset by his bust and uncertain about his friends while singing Hare Krishna. He chose to play truant from a meeting at Apple Corps to visit Eric Clapton's country house. The garden at Hurtwood Edge in Ewhurst, Surrey became the setting for the song's creation. Clapton recalled watching Harrison arrive with his guitar and start playing. He described it as a magical moment where he felt proud that his garden inspired the music. April 1969 set a record for sunlight hours in London, with 189 hours recorded at Greenwich. This high was not beaten until 1984. February and March had been much colder than normal, explaining Harrison's reference to a long cold lonely winter. Harrison completed the lyrics in June while on holiday in Sardinia.
Here Comes the Sun is written in the key of A major. The main refrain uses a IV chord progression moving to V-of-V, which reverses patterns found in Eight Days a Week. The melody follows the pentatonic scale from E up to C. One feature involves increasing syncopation in the vocal parts. Guitar flat-picking embellishes the E7 chord between 2:03 and 2:11, creating tension before resolving on the tonic A chord. The bridge contains a triple descending fourth progression known as Tri-Plagal. Musicologist Walter Everett noted that the lyrics over the bridge take on the quality of a meditator's mantra. The song features 4/4 time in the verse alongside sequences of 11/8 plus 4/4 plus 7/8 in the bridge. These phrasing interludes drew from Indian music influences. In the second verse, the Moog synthesizer doubles the solo guitar line. During the third verse, the Moog adds a counter melody an octave above. The last four bars juxtapose the guitar break with a repeat of the bridge. The lyric's affirmation of life through natural occurrence aligned with contemporary trends like Good Morning Starshine.
Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr recorded the rhythm track at EMI Studios on the 7th of July 1969. They completed thirteen takes during this session. John Lennon did not contribute because he was recovering from a car crash. Harrison spent an hour re-recording his acoustic guitar part toward the end of the session. He capoed his guitar on the seventh fret to achieve the final key of A major. This technique had been used previously on If I Needed Someone in 1965. The following day he taped his lead vocals. He and McCartney recorded their backing vocals twice for a fuller sound. A harmonium and handclaps were added on July 16. Harrison overdubbed an electric guitar run through a Leslie speaker on August 6. Orchestral parts including four violas, four cellos, double bass, two piccolos, two flutes, two alto flutes, and two clarinets were added on August 15. Further acoustic guitar was recorded during sessions on August 6 and 11. Master tapes reveal Harrison recorded a guitar solo in the bridge that was excluded from the final mix. The song was completed on August 19 with the addition of a Moog synthesizer part. Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann assisted with installing the instrument at EMI Studios. The mixing session on August 20 marked the last time all four Beatles were together in the studio.
Abbey Road was released on the 26th of September 1969 with Here Comes the Sun sequenced as the first track on side two. Along with Something, which became a single, the song established Harrison as a composer matching Lennon and McCartney. In Japan, the song appeared on a single in 1970 as the B-side to Oh Darling. It was included on the compilation album The Beatles 1967, 1970 in 1973. BMI published US radio airplay figures in 1994 showing over 2 million plays. After becoming available for download on iTunes, it charted at number 64 on the UK Singles Chart in November 2010. The song returned to the chart in April 2012, peaking at number 58. It reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart in 2017. Two years later it re-entered the list and became the Beatles' first top-ten hit there. As of late September 2019, it was the most streamed Beatles song globally with over 350 million plays. By August 2021, it had surpassed 700 million plays. In May 2023, it became the Beatles' first song to exceed one billion plays on Spotify.
Cultural commentator Steven D. Stark noted the song's promise of a new dawn caught the wearied sensibility of the counterculture. Ellen Sander reviewed Abbey Road for Saturday Review magazine calling it an awakening and exaltation of the dawn. Time magazine described it as a dawn-flecked prelude to the side-two medley. Lon Goddard of Record Mirror called it his pet track praising its excellent melody. Mikal Gilmore wrote for Rolling Stone in 2002 likening it to Let It Be and Imagine as Harrison's graceful anthem of hope. Greg Kot described it as simpler but just as intoxicating as Something. Author Thom Holmes stated that with Abbey Road the Beatles were among the first groups to effectively integrate Moog sounds into their music. Pinch and Trocco described Here Comes the Sun as one of the best known Beatles songs ever. The NME placed it at number 4 in their 2015 list of the 100 Greatest Beatles Songs. Mojo compiled a poll in 2006 where the song appeared at number 21. Danny Eccleston described it as perhaps the best song outside Jerusalem that religion can claim credit for. Rolling Stone editors commented in 2010 that together with Something, it gave notice that the Beatles now had three formidable composers.
In August 1971, Harrison performed Here Comes the Sun at the Concert for Bangladesh accompanied by Pete Ham of Badfinger. Ed Kelleher of Circus described the rendition as outstanding while Jon Landau cited it as the best example of Harrison's capacity for pacing. Harrison played the song during his appearance on Saturday Night Live in November 1976 as a duet with Paul Simon. He performed it backed by a band including Starr, Jeff Lynne, and Elton John during the 1987 Prince's Trust Concerts in London. A live version from his 1991 Japanese tour with Clapton appeared on Harrison's Live in Japan double album. Richie Havens' version peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1971 giving him the highest-charting single of his career. Nina Simone recorded the song as the title track to her 1971 covers album. Peter Tosh recorded the song supporting Michael Manley's campaign in the 1972 Jamaican general election. Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel released their cover as the lead single from Love's a Prima Donna in 1976. The single peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number 7 in Ireland. Joe Brown performed the song at the Concert for George tribute on the 29th of November 2002. Paul Simon has often performed Here Comes the Sun in concert as a tribute to Harrison.
In the early 1970s, Here Comes the Sun was adopted by George McGovern in his US presidential campaign. Nicholas Schaffner described this initial success as a triumph for the counterculture's attempt to wield power via conventional electoral politics. Astronomer Carl Sagan attempted to include the song on the Voyager Golden Record in 1977. The Beatles favored the idea but did not own the copyright so legal status seemed too murky to risk. EMI intervened when probes launched in 1977 preventing inclusion. Harrison released Here Comes the Moon in 1979 as a lyrical successor despite criticism from some. Fans sang Here Comes the Sun at a gathering in Strawberry Fields in New York's Central Park on the day after Harrison's death in November 2001. Mike Love of the Beach Boys wrote Pisces Brothers referencing the song in its closing line. The Beatles' recording played during the London Olympic Games closing ceremony in August 2012 with sixteen dhol drummers accompanying it. In July 2016, the song served as entrance music for Ivanka Trump at the Republican National Convention. The George Harrison estate complained about the usage saying it was offensive and contrary to their wishes. British novelist David Mitchell quoted lyrics in From Me Flows What You Call Time set to remain unpublished until 2114. Alan Light cited the track's continued standing as evidence that Harrison has emerged as Gen Z's favorite Beatle.
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Common questions
When was the song Here Comes the Sun written by George Harrison completed?
George Harrison completed the lyrics for Here Comes the Sun in June 1969 while on holiday in Sardinia. The recording sessions took place at EMI Studios starting on the 7th of July 1969 and concluded with a final mix on the 20th of August 1969.
Where did George Harrison write the melody for Here Comes the Sun?
The garden at Hurtwood Edge in Ewhurst, Surrey served as the setting where George Harrison wrote the music for Here Comes the Sun. Eric Clapton recalled watching Harrison arrive with his guitar to play the initial ideas during this period.
What musical instruments were used to record the bridge section of Here Comes the Sun?
The bridge of Here Comes the Sun features orchestral parts including four violas, four cellos, double bass, two piccolos, two flutes, two alto flutes, and two clarinets added on the 15th of August 1969. A Moog synthesizer part was also included to complete the track on the 19th of August 1969.
How many times has the song Here Comes the Sun been played on Spotify globally by May 2023?
As of May 2023, Here Comes the Sun became the Beatles' first song to exceed one billion plays on Spotify. By August 2021, the track had already surpassed 700 million plays globally.
Why did astronomers exclude the song Here Comes the Sun from the Voyager Golden Record in 1977?
Astronomer Carl Sagan attempted to include Here Comes the Sun on the Voyager Golden Record but legal status regarding copyright ownership prevented its inclusion. EMI intervened when probes launched in 1977 which stopped the song from being sent into space.