A Beatles Journey: Something

The Beatles song ‘Something’ – according to George Harrison’s autobiography – was written during the recording of The Beatles ‘White’ album, but, as we all know, wasn’t recorded and released by The Beatles until the Abbey Road album in 1969.  The song itself borrowed on the title of James Taylor’s “Something in the Way She Moves”, and, according to George’s first wife, Pattie Boyd, the song was written about her although Harrison claimed he really had Ray Charles in mind.  Joe Cocker was given the song first, which he released two months before The Beatles version.

Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me.
I don’t want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.

Somewhere in her smile she knows,
That I don’t need no other lover.
Something in her style that shows me.
I don’t want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.

You’re asking me will my love grow,
I don’t know, I don’t know.
You stick around, now it may show,
But I don’t know, I don’t know.

Something in the way she knows,
And all I have to do is think of her.
Something in the things she shows me.
I don’t want to leave her now.
You know I believe and how.

Something was released as a single shortly after the release of Abbey Road, and although it only charted at #3 on the U.S. Billboard charts, it was a milestone for Harrison, marking his first A-side single for The Beatles, and giving us a clearer glimpse of Harrison’s abilities as a songwriter, often eclipsed by the Lennon/McCartney contributions.

Frank Sinatra called Something the most beautiful love song ever written, and subsequently recorded it and performed it live countless times.  As a matter of fact, Something is second only to Yesterday as the most covered Beatles song of all time.  Artists like Elvis Presley, Tanya Tucker, Lena Horne and yes, Ray Charles are just a few to have done their own renditions, while the covers by James Brown and Smokey Robinson rank amongst Harrison’s personal favorites, while Harrison’s own version remains mine :).

-Craig