"Something"
Single by The Beatles
From the album Abbey Road
Single Released	31 October 1969
Single Format	vinyl record (7")
Recorded	24 February 1969
Genre	Rock
Song Length	2:59 Minutes
Record label	EMI
Producer	George Martin
Chart positions	4 (UK) 1 (USA)
The Beatles single chronology
"The Ballad of John and Yoko" 1969	"Something"/"Come Together" 1969	"Let It Be" 1970

"Something" is a song written by George Harrison, originally released on the Beatles' last chronological album, Abbey Road by Apple Records. It is the Beatles' song with the second-most cover versions – about a thousand – trailing behind "Yesterday," which has three times that number. BMI has certified "Something" as the 17th most performed song of the 20th century, with over five million performances. This is an album cover. ... The Beatles (L-R, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon), in 1964, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting their first U.S. hit song, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and ushering in the British Invasion of American popular music. ... Abbey Road can refer to: Abbey Road, a street in north London, England Abbey Road Studios is the world-famous recording studio complex owned by the EMI company and located at 3 Abbey Road, St Johns Wood, London NW8 9AY Abbey Road, an album recorded by The Beatles at... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 33â…“ LP vinyl record album The vinyl record is a type of gramophone record, most popular from the 1950s to the 1990s, that was most commonly used for mass-produced recordings of music. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and video recordings, on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... The EMI Group is a major record label, based in Hammersmith, London, in the United Kingdom and with operations in over 25 other countries. ... In the music industry, record producer designates a person responsible for completing a master recording so that it is fit for release. ... For the author, see George R. R. Martin. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ... The Ballad of John and Yoko was written by John Lennon and only features Lennon and Paul McCartney. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The single, which had a uniform cover both in the United States and United Kingdom, suffered in the American charts due to Billboard magazines practice of counting the A-side and B-side sales separately. ... Come Together, written by John Lennon, was the lead-off track on The Beatles September 1969 album Abbey Road. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Let It Be is a song written by Paul McCartney (but credited to Lennon-McCartney when released) and produced by the Beatles and released on the album Let It Be. ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... George Harrison MBE (February 24, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a popular British songwriter, musician and film producer best known as a member of the Beatles. ... The Beatles (L-R, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon), in 1964, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting their first U.S. hit song, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and ushering in the British Invasion of American popular music. ... Abbey Road is the last-recorded, next-to-last released, and, some music critics say, greatest album written by The Beatles; it was released on September 26, 1969 in the UK and October 1, 1969 in the US. It was produced and orchestrated by George Martin, for Apple Records. ... Apple Records was founded in 1968 by the musical group known as The Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ... In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ... The song Yesterday by Paul McCartney was originally recorded by The Beatles for their album Help! in 1965. ... Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) is a collecting society that protects composers intellectual property in the communications business, especially radio. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

"Something", together with "Here Comes the Sun", another song from Abbey Road, thrust Harrison into the limelight as a full-fledged songwriter. Prior to this, his compositions had been considered by some to be relatively lacklustre, somewhat overshadowed by the collaborative works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Here Comes The Sun is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles album Abbey Road. ... John Lennon John Winston Lennon, later John Ono Lennon, (October 9, 1940–December 8, 1980), was best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Beatles. ... Paul McCartney, as photographed by John Kelley for the 1968 LP The Beatles (aka The White Album). Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is a British singer, musician, composer, producer and animal rights activist who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. ...

Composing and recording

"Something", according to most sources, came about as a tribute to Harrison's then wife, Pattie Boyd. Harrison lifted the first line of his song from James Taylor's "Something in the Way She Moves," and used it to write a working lyric ("Something in the way she moves / Attracts me like no other lover, in the vein of "Scrambled Eggs," the original lyrics to "Yesterday". Later in 1969, Harrison offered his story of how he composed it, but oddly didn't make any reference to the numerous anecdotes about "Something": Patricia Anne Pattie Boyd (born 17 March 1944), hairstylist, model, and photographer, is best known as the wife of two famous rock musicians and the possible inspiration for several rock love songs. ... James Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

I wrote the song "Something" for the album before this one, but I never finished it off until just recently. I usually get the first few lines of words and music together, both at once... and then finish the rest of the melody. Then I have to write the words. It's like another song I wrote when we were in India. I wrote the whole first verse and just said everything I wanted to say, and so now I need to write a couple more verses. I find that much more difficult. But John gave me a handy tip. He said, 'Once you start to write a song, try to finish it straight away while you're still in the same mood.' Sometimes you go back to it and you're in a whole different state of mind. So now, I do try to finish them straight away.

It later transpired that Harrison didn't actually have Boyd in mind. In his words: "Everybody presumed I wrote ['Something'] about Patti, but actually when I wrote it I was thinking of Ray Charles." [1] Ray Charles at the piano. ...

The original version, at eight minutes, was even longer than "Hey Jude," featuring Lennon on the piano at the end, with a counter-melody in the middle. These were cut out, the piano part going to a Lennon song, "Remember," and the counter-melody finally appearing on The Beatles Anthology 3. For the album of the same name, see Hey Jude (album). ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ... The Beatles Anthology is the name of a documentary, a series of three albums, and a television miniseries which focus on the history of the popular rock band The Beatles. ...

"Something" was nearly polished by the release of the Beatles' self-titled The Beatles album, as it had been recorded, but eventually dropped for the album's release. Harrison explained it in 1980: :"Something" was written on the piano while we were making the White Album. I had a break while Paul was doing some overdubbing so I went into an empty studio and began to write. That's really all there is to it, except the middle took some time to sort out. It didn't go on the White Album because we'd already finished all the tracks. The Beatles is a double album, released by the Beatles in 1968. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

The song was later tried as part of the "Get Back" project which eventually became Let It Be, but again failed to make the final cut. Eventually Harrison succeeded in forcing the song's way into a final release, officially recording it for Abbey Road on his 26th birthday. Harrison played lead guitar, accompanied by McCartney on bass and Ringo Starr on drums. Billy Preston, one of the few non-Beatles to have performed with them on a final release, joined them on the organ. George Martin subsequently edited in a string arrangement to the original recording. Harrison later complained about McCartney's 'fussy' bass playing on the track, saying he'd "rather have Willie Weeks playing bass for me than Paul McCartney". The album Let It Be, released by The Beatles on May 8, 1970, was actually recorded in early 1969, before the Abbey Road album, but was the last album released before the group broke up. ... The classical guitar typically has 3 nylon and 3 nickel-wound strings. ... Bass can refer to: In music (low frequencies): Instruments: Bass guitar. ... Ringo Starr as photographed by John Kelley for the 1968 LP The Beatles (aka The White Album). Richard Starkey, MBE (born July 7, 1940) known by his stage name, Ringo Starr, is a popular British musician, best known as drummer for The Beatles. ... Soul musician Billy Preston was born on September 2, 1946 in Houston, Texas and raised mostly in Los Angeles, California. ... This article or section should be merged with Pipe organ The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal The organ is a type of keyboard musical instrument, distinctive because the sound is not produced by a percussion action, as on a piano or celesta, or by... For the author, see George R. R. Martin. ...

Initial releases

Strangely, Harrison did not think much of the song at first, offering it to Joe Cocker to record before he decided to produce it for Abbey Road, with the result that Cocker's cover version actually came out before the Beatles' original did. When the Beatles did release "Something," it was on Abbey Road. The song was an instant hit, leading to a record first – the Beatles decided to release "Something" as a single in the United Kingdom, an unprecedented incident, as beforehand, the Beatles and the late Brian Epstein had objected to releasing songs still available on an album as a single. Joe Cocker (born May 20, 1944) is a pop music singer. ... Brian Samuel Epstein (September 19, 1934_August 27, 1967) was a British businessman, best known as the manager of the Beatles. ...

The release of "Something" as a single was George Harrison's first time as the writer of a song on the A-side of a Beatles single.

The single, released on October 31, 1969 by Apple Records, with "Come Together" joining it as a double A-side, was Harrison's first time as the writer of a song on the A-side of a Beatles' single. On November 8, it also became Harrison's first song to chart in the United Kingdom, dropping off the charts 12 weeks afterwards. Despite much critical acclaim, "Something" failed to break the top 3 in the United Kingdom. This is an album cover. ... George Harrison MBE (February 24, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a popular British songwriter, musician and film producer best known as a member of the Beatles. ... The Beatles (L-R, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon), in 1964, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting their first U.S. hit song, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and ushering in the British Invasion of American popular music. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Apple Records was founded in 1968 by the musical group known as The Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ...

The promotional film for "Something" was rather unique – instead of featuring the Beatles as a group, it showed them walking around their respective homes. It turned out the Beatles were so fed up with each other, they couldn't be bothered to waste time recording a promotional film together.

In the United States, "Something" was released as a single (also released by Apple) on October 6, beginning its run in the charts on October 18. However, it took an eternity to lay claim to the number one position, hindered by the fact that it had been paired, like its United Kingdom counterpart, with "Come Together", but this time on the B-side, which drained sales away (Record World's numbers actually indicated that the sales of "Come Together" outnumbered "Something"). At the last minute, Billboard magazine changed its rules for tallying the sales of a single, counting both the A-side and B-side sales together instead of separating them as done previously. This led to "Something" ruling the roost of the American charts for a week from November 29. October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in Leap years). ... An example of a Billboard Magazine. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Despite both the British and American singles being released by Apple, the real rights to the song actually belonged to Parlophone in the United Kingdom, and Capitol Records in the United States. Parlophone is a record label which was founded in Germany prior to World War I by the Carl Lindstrom Company. ... Capitol record by Wingy Manone Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, founded in 1942. ...

A runaway hit

"Something" was well-received by almost all quarters, compared to "Yesterday" which had been accused of being too ordinary a composition. John Lennon declared that "Something" was the best song on Abbey Road, going on to state: The song Yesterday by Paul McCartney was originally recorded by The Beatles for their album Help! in 1965. ... John Lennon John Winston Lennon, later John Ono Lennon, (October 9, 1940–December 8, 1980), was best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Beatles. ...

There was an embarrassing period when George's songs weren't that good and nobody wanted to say anything. He just wasn't in the same league for a long time – that's not putting him down, he just hadn't had the practice as a writer that we'd had."

McCartney emphatically echoed Lennon's opinion, saying, "I like George's song 'Something.' For me I think it's the best he's written."

In the ten years following its release, "Something" accumulated 150 cover versions. While recording his own cover version in the 1970s, no less than Frank Sinatra announced that "Something" was "the greatest love song of the last fifty years." However, Sinatra made a gaffe – in his original statement, he mistakenly attributed it to the Lennon / McCartney partnership, which wrote much of the Beatles' material. Sinatra also made an innovation of his own on the song, changing one of its lines to "You stick around, Jack / And she might show" which Harrison loved – in all his future performances of "Something", he used Sinatra's modified lyric instead of his original. In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... Frank Sinatra in 1947 Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer who is considered one of the finest vocalists of all time, renowned for his impeccable phrasing and timing. ...

Of the numerous cover versions of "Something", Harrison's personal favourites were those by James Brown and Smokey Robinson. James Brown, known variously as Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... William Smokey Robinson (born February 19, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American R&B and soul singer and songwriter. ...

In 1970, "Something" won the Ivor Novello award for "Best Song Musically & Lyrically", unfortunately being overshadowed elsewhere by other Beatles' songs from Let It Be, notably the title track. 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Ivor Novello David Ivor Davies (January 15, 1893 – March 6, 1951), better known as Ivor Novello, was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century. ... The album Let It Be, released by The Beatles on May 8, 1970, was actually recorded in early 1969, before the Abbey Road album, but was the last album released before the group broke up. ... Let It Be is a song written by Paul McCartney (but credited to Lennon-McCartney when released) and produced by the Beatles and released on the album Let It Be. ...

But what's it all about anyway?

"Something" is a song wherein the narrator agonises about falling in love. He isn't sure if this passing romance will last, or if he really even loves her. Regardless, he doesn't want her to leave, even though he's not sure their love will grow. A rising hook phrase opens and closes the song. An undertow in the bassline evokes a falling motion throughout the song.

A sample from the song is available.

References

• The Beatles official website. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2004.
• The Beatles Ultimate Experience. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2004.
• beatles-discography.com. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2004.
• beatles-discography.com. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2004.
• beatles-discography.com. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2004.

External links

• Song lyrics
• Allmusic.com's review of "Something"
• Alan Pollack's analysis of "Something"

			The Beatles
Band members: John Lennon - Paul McCartney - George Harrison - Ringo Starr John Kelley photo of John Lennon from the The Beatles white album. ... John Kelley photo of Paul McCartney from the The Beatles white album. ... The Beatles (L-R, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon), in 1964, performing on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting their first U.S. hit song, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and ushering in the British Invasion of American popular music. ... From The Beatles White album This work is copyrighted. ... John Kelley photo of Ringo Starr from the The Beatles white album. ... John Lennon John Winston Lennon, later John Ono Lennon, (October 9, 1940–December 8, 1980), was best known as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist for The Beatles. ... Paul McCartney, as photographed by John Kelley for the 1968 LP The Beatles (aka The White Album). Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is a British singer, musician, composer, producer and animal rights activist who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. ... George Harrison MBE (February 24, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a popular British songwriter, musician and film producer best known as a member of the Beatles. ... Ringo Starr as photographed by John Kelley for the 1968 LP The Beatles (aka The White Album). Richard Starkey, MBE (born July 7, 1940) known by his stage name, Ringo Starr, is a popular British musician, best known as drummer for The Beatles. ... Management: Brian Epstein - Apple Records Brian Samuel Epstein (September 19, 1934_August 27, 1967) was a British businessman, best known as the manager of the Beatles. ... Apple Records was founded in 1968 by the musical group known as The Beatles, comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ... Production: George Martin - Geoff Emerick - Long-term influence - Discography - Bootlegs For the author, see George R. R. Martin. ... Geoff Emerick (born 1946) is a recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with the Beatles albums Revolver, Sgt. ... The Beatles influence on rock music and world culture was -- and remains -- profound. ... My Bonnie / The Saints, by Tony Sheridan & The Beatles, the first Beatles record to be released. ... The Beatles are one of the most bootlegged bands in music history. ... See also: History of the Beatles - Paul is Dead rumours - Beatlesque - Beatlemania - British Invasion - Classic rock era The Beatles were a hugely successful band in the 1960s, consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), with global sales exceeding 1. ... The Paul Is Dead rumour started with a series of events in the 1960s that led fans of the popular rock band The Beatles to believe that bassist Paul McCartney was actually dead and replaced with a look-alike. ... Beatlesque (pronounced ) is a term used to describe rock and pop bands and musicians who make music similar to that of The Beatles, a British rock-pop music band from the 1960s. ... Beatlemania is the name of various tribute groups dedicated to singing songs from The Beatles. ... The British Invasion was an influx of rock and roll performers from Great Britain who became popular in the United States, Australia and elsewhere in 1964 ending the years immediately afterward. ... Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station broadcasting format and although loosely defined, it generally includes the music from rock bands formed between the mid-1950s and 1990, with a predominant focus on the period between the 1970 and 1990 or thereabouts. ...