My Guitar Gently Weeps

The Beatles

About My Guitar Gently Weeps

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. The song serves as a comment on the disharmony within the Beatles following their return from studying Transcendental Meditation in India in early 1968. This lack of camaraderie was reflected in the band's initial apathy towards the composition, which Harrison countered by inviting his friend and occasional collaborator, Eric Clapton, to contribute to the recording. Clapton overdubbed a lead guitar part, although he was not formally credited for his contribution. Harrison wrote "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as an exercise in randomness inspired by the Chinese I Ching. The song conveys his dismay at the world's unrealised potential for universal love, which he refers to as "the love there that's sleeping". Harrison first recorded it with a sparse backing of acoustic guitar and harmonium – a version that appeared on the 1996 Anthology 3 outtakes compilation and, with the addition of a string arrangement by George Martin, on the Love soundtrack album in 2006. The full group recording was made in September 1968, at which point the song's folk-based musical arrangement was replaced by a production in the heavy rock style. The recording was one of several collaborations between Harrison and Clapton during the late 1960s and was followed by the pair co-writing the song "Badge" for Clapton's group Cream. 


Year:
2003
256 
#4

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I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps.

I don't know why nobody told you
How to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you.

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps.

I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you.

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all
Still my guitar gently weeps.

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The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. They became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music. Their best-known lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, they later utilised several genres, ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic rock, often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as their songwriting grew in sophistication, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era's sociocultural revolutions. more »

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Written by: George Harrison

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Origin
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was written by George Harrison, the youngest member of The Beatles. The song appeared on their 1968 double-disc album known as "The White Album."
Influence
The song was inspired by the I Ching, an ancient Chinese book of changes. Harrison created the song using the concept of chance introduced by this philosophical text, picking out a random book and composing a song about the first words he read.
Guest Artist
Eric Clapton, a close friend of George Harrison, played the lead guitar solo. Harrison invited him as he believed the rest of The Beatles would be more focused and behaved during recording if there was an outsider present.
Studio Recording
The song was recorded in Abbey Road Studios, London. The recording process began on 16th July 1968 and ended in mid-September.
Lyrics
The lyrics of the song express Harrison's disappointment at the disharmony within The Beatles at the time of composition. He used a weeping guitar to metaphorically express his feelings.
Success
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is considered one of the finest songs in The Beatles' repertoire. It ranks at 136 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Reinterpretations
There are several notable cover versions of the song by artists such as Peter Frampton, Tom Petty, Prince, and the band Spooky Tooth.
Alternative Version
An acoustic demo version of the song, featuring just Harrison on guitar and vocals, was released on the Beatles' Anthology 3 in 1996.
Animations
The song is notably featured in the 2018 animated film, "Kubo and the Two Strings," with a cover version performed by Regina Spektor.
Iconic Guitar
The guitar that Eric Clapton used on the recording of the song was a red Gibson Les Paul, later famously known as "Lucy," which was a gift from Clapton to Harrison.

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